Live trail data

High Country Conditions

Live weather for Colorado’s most-hiked zones, updated directly from Weather.gov.

First light 5:14 AM (Boulder / Front Range) · last light 9:05 PM (Elk Mountains / Aspen)

Forecasts refresh every 15 minutes from the National Weather Service points API. Alpine conditions can change in 20 minutes. Always verify before you go.

Storm riskWatchClear

Updated 7:20 PMRefreshes every 15 min

Thunderstorm risk detected. Plan to be below treeline by noon.

Affected: Rocky Mountain NP, Mt. Bierstadt / Guanella, Gore Range / Silverthorne, Elk Mountains / Aspen, San Juans / Telluride, Sawatch / Leadville, Pikes Peak / Colorado Springs

Updated 7:20 PM

Front Range

3 zones

11,600-14,060 ft

Mt. Bierstadt / Guanella

14er · Guanella Pass · Clear Creek County

Storm risk

Official advisories

Wildfire: Willow, 6,861 acres, reported origin about 45 mi from the center of this zoneNational Interagency Fire Center

42°FTonight

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy

trace in rain · before 8pm

5 to 12 mph S

Tonight

42°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy

trace in rain · before 8pm

Tomorrow

67°F

Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

trace in rain · after noon

14er rule: summit before noon without exception. Lightning is fatal above treeline.

Trails in this zone →

6,720-14,115 ft

Pikes Peak / Colorado Springs

Barr Trail · Manitou Incline · Garden of the Gods

Storm risk

Official advisories

Wildfire: Aspen Acres, 99,529 acres, reported origin about 57 mi from the center of this zoneNational Interagency Fire Center

41°FTonight

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy

before 8pm

5 to 20 mph SSW

Tonight

41°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy

before 8pm

Tomorrow

52°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

trace in rain

Cog rail and highway access don't soften the altitude. 13 miles up Barr Trail; summer storms hit by 1 PM.

Trails in this zone →

6,800-8,500 ft

Boulder / Front Range

Flatirons · Chautauqua · Green Mountain

Official advisories

Air Quality AlertNational Weather Service

64°FTonight

Mostly Clear

3 to 7 mph N

Tonight

64°F

Mostly Clear

Tomorrow

87°F

Sunny

Exposed ridge above Flatirons: afternoon lightning from June-Aug.

Trails in this zone →

RMNP & Indian Peaks

2 zones

8,500-12,183 ft

Rocky Mountain NP

Bear Lake · Trail Ridge · Estes Park

Storm risk

Official advisories

Air Quality AlertNational Weather Service
Park Closure: A Fire Ban (Stage 2 Fire Restrictions) Are In EffectNational Park Service

75°FThis Afternoon

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

trace in rain

9 to 13 mph E

Tonight

50°F

Mostly Clear

Tomorrow

72°F

Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

after 1pm

Fastest storm pattern in Colorado. Be below treeline by noon.

Trails in this zone →

10,400-13,500 ft

Indian Peaks / Brainard

Lake Isabelle · Mitchell Lake · CDT access

Watch

Official advisories

Air Quality AlertNational Weather Service
Wildfire: Willow, 6,861 acres, reported origin about 75 mi from the center of this zoneNational Interagency Fire Center

44°FTonight

Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Clear

before 8pm

5 to 12 mph SW

Tonight

44°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Clear

before 8pm

Tomorrow

69°F

Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

trace in rain · after 1pm

Open alpine basin, no shelter once storms build. Start early.

Trails in this zone →

Summit & Gore

1 zone

9,000-12,040 ft

Gore Range / Silverthorne

Eagle's Nest · Mesa Cortina · Summit County

Storm risk

Official advisories

Wildfire: Willow, 6,861 acres, reported origin about 36 mi from the center of this zoneNational Interagency Fire Center

49°FTonight

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy

before 9pm

5 to 8 mph SSE

Tonight

49°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy

before 9pm

Tomorrow

83°F

Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

trace in rain · after noon

Summit County storms can build in 20 minutes. Remote terrain.

Trails in this zone →

Elk & Sawatch

2 zones

9,580-14,163 ft

Elk Mountains / Aspen

Maroon Bells · Crater Lake · Pyramid Peak

Storm risk

Official advisories

Wildfire: Willow, 6,861 acres, reported origin about 32 mi from the center of this zoneNational Interagency Fire Center

58°FThis Afternoon

Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms

10 mph NNE

Tonight

41°F

Isolated Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy

before 9pm

Tomorrow

56°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

Maroon Bells rock crumbles where you grip it. Storms build fast; be off ridges by noon.

Trails in this zone →

10,000-14,440 ft

Sawatch / Leadville

Mt. Elbert · Mt. Massive · La Plata Peak

Storm risk

Official advisories

Wildfire: Willow, 6,861 acres, reported origin about 8 mi from the center of this zoneNational Interagency Fire Center

42°FTonight

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy

trace in rain · before 7pm

5 to 10 mph SSW

Tonight

42°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Partly Cloudy

trace in rain · before 7pm

Tomorrow

58°F

Chance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

trace in rain

Highest peak in the state: the approach is forgiving, the summit ridge is not. 14er rule applies.

Trails in this zone →

Southern Colorado

1 zone

9,545-14,158 ft

San Juans / Telluride

Mt. Sneffels · Yankee Boy Basin · Blue Lakes

Storm risk

Official advisories

Air Quality AlertNational Weather Service
Hydrologic OutlookNational Weather Service
Wildfire: Gold Mountain, 37,259 acres, reported origin about 8 mi from the center of this zoneNational Interagency Fire Center
Wildfire: Elk, 1,980 acres, reported origin about 26 mi from the center of this zoneNational Interagency Fire Center

Plus 1 more wildfire tracked near this zone.

40°FTonight

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Patchy Smoke

before 8pm

10 to 15 mph ESE

Tonight

40°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Patchy Smoke

before 8pm

Tomorrow

54°F

Showers And Thunderstorms Likely

San Juan monsoons hit harder than the Front Range: by 11 AM in summer. Sneffels approach is loose top-to-bottom.

Trails in this zone →

Weather data provided by National Weather Service (weather.gov). Conditions can change rapidly in alpine terrain — always check before you go.

The weekly briefing

The week in the high country

Issue 2026-W28 · forecasts checked Thursday morning, July 9, 2026, heading into the weekend.

This week runs unsettled, so plan early starts and watch the sky on every outing.

Smoke is in the forecast for 1 of the nine zones this issue. Summer smoke in Colorado means fire somewhere, and this briefing tracks weather, not fire lines. Before you commit to a trailhead, check official fire information for closures, restrictions, and evacuations, and treat every fire ban as absolute.

Read this week's briefing →

Trail-ready in any weather

Conditions changing? Rebuild your kit.

The Trip Builder reads your route, the forecast, and your existing gear, then closes the gaps in minutes.

Open Trip Builder Shop weatherproof shells →

High Country Conditions

Live weather for Colorado’s most-hiked zones, updated directly from Weather.gov.

First light 5:14 AM (Boulder / Front Range) · last light 9:05 PM (Elk Mountains / Aspen)

Forecasts refresh every 15 minutes from the National Weather Service points API. Alpine conditions can change in 20 minutes. Always verify before you go.

Storm riskWatchClear