The Cameron Peak Fire still shapes the land west of Fort Collins

The high country west of Fort Collins is still one of the great places to spend a summer day — the Poudre canyon, the national forest, and part of Rocky Mountain National Park all sit within easy reach. Much of it is recovering from the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire, one of the defining events in this county’s recent history, and watching that recovery is part of what makes the landscape interesting to read today.

A burn scar changes how the mountains behave, and that is good to understand before you head up. Slopes stripped of trees and ground cover shed rain quickly, which raises the risk of flash floods and debris flows downstream — including in canyons people drive and camp in. That risk can last for years as the land slowly recovers, so it is worth checking the forecast and planning around heavy storms. Agencies have been working on recovery in the Poudre watershed since the fire, from stabilizing slopes to protecting water sources.

Why this is part of the county’s story, not just its weather: the fire reshaped trails, roads, and favorite places, and it changed how residents think about summer storms and when to leave an area ahead of one. Understanding it helps a newcomer read the landscape — why a burned hillside matters, and why a heavy rain there is taken seriously.

To learn about the fire and the ongoing recovery, see the county’s Cameron Peak Fire page and the U.S. Forest Service fire-recovery information for the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.