Roxborough area still closed

Roxborough State Park is open again in part, but some of its best-known trail areas are still off-limits after a small wildfire burned just outside the park boundary in Douglas County. The Bear Creek Fire charred about 11 acres near Bear Creek on Pike National Forest land, and park officials are still keeping the southern and western trail sections closed while crews finish cleanup and safety checks. (9news.com) The fire was discovered early Sunday, April 5, 2026, after West Douglas County Fire Protection District crews were called to the Indian Creek Campground area around 2 a.m. for a smoke investigation. Officials later named it the Bear Creek Fire and said it burned near the southwest boundary of Roxborough State Park, a popular hiking destination southwest of Denver. (9news.com) Federal land managers placed the fire in the South Platte Ranger District, about 2 miles northwest of Indian Creek Campground in Douglas County. The United States Forest Service said the fire started at about 10:30 p.m. on April 4, reached 11 acres, and was 75% contained on April 6, with full containment expected later that day. (fs.usda.gov) By Tuesday, local reporting said the fire was fully contained, but containment does not mean every nearby recreation area immediately reopens. Crews still have to deal with smoldering ground, damaged vegetation, and trail access in areas where firefighters were working, which is why Roxborough has reopened only selected routes so far. (9news.com) (fs.usda.gov) The part that has reopened is limited. According to park updates reported Monday, the Fountain Valley, Willow Creek, and South Rim trails were made accessible again, while everything south and west of the DC-5 service road remained closed. (9news.com) (denver7.com) Those closures affect a meaningful share of the park’s trail network. Reports identified the closed routes as DC-5, Carpenter Peak, Carpenter Spur, Bear Canyon, Elk Valley, Powerline, Dakota Ridge, and Sharptail, though one local report listed “Carpenter Park” where others listed Carpenter Peak, suggesting that visitors should rely on the park’s official closure notices before heading out. (9news.com) (denver7.com) That matters because Roxborough is not a tiny roadside stop. Colorado Parks and Wildlife describes it as a 3,413-acre state park with 15 miles of trails, dramatic red-rock formations, and wildlife ranging from black bears to mule deer, so closing the southwest side removes a substantial piece of what many hikers come to see. (cpw.state.co.us) The fire itself was never reported as a major fast-moving disaster. West Douglas County Fire and local news outlets said cool temperatures and calm winds helped limit growth, and there were no reports of structures being threatened or injuries tied to the blaze. (denver7.com) (denverpost.com) Investigators have not announced a confirmed cause, but officials have pointed to the fire’s location near a trail area used by hikers and campers. Both the Forest Service and local agencies said the cause remains under investigation, while local reporting said firefighters suspect it may have been human-caused because of how close it was to recreation areas. (fs.usda.gov) (9news.com) For visitors, the practical takeaway is simple: Roxborough is not fully closed, but it is not fully open either. If your plan included Carpenter Peak, Bear Canyon, Dakota Ridge, or other trails on the park’s south and west side, you should assume those routes are unavailable until Colorado Parks and Wildlife says otherwise. (9news.com) (cpw.state.co.us) Anyone visiting in the next few days should also expect possible smoke smell even after containment, because the Forest Service said some areas were still smoldering during mop-up operations. In a foothills park where cell phone signal is extremely limited, checking the park’s official closure information before leaving home is a better bet than assuming the gate status tells the whole story. (fs.usda.gov) (cpw.state.co.us)