TL;DR: San Juan National Forest is under two closure orders that bar motor vehicles from dozens of listed roads in the Pagosa and Columbine ranger districts through Dec. 31, 2026, and the Forest Service still says travel into the forest is not advised.

The newest word from the San Juan National Forest is a pair of closure orders signed Nov. 7, 2026, by Forest Supervisor Steve Hattenbach. One covers the Columbine Ranger District, order 02-13-08-26-18; the other covers the Pagosa Ranger District, order 02-13-08-26-17. Both took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 7 and run through 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 31, 2026, unless they are rescinded. The forest's Current Conditions page, updated Nov. 9, 2026 at 4:00 a.m., adds a direct instruction: travel on National Forest System roads is strongly discouraged and not advised because of life-threatening hazards.

What the orders prohibit

The prohibition is specific: using any motor vehicle on the roads each order lists, under 36 C.F.R. § 261.54(a). The orders do not close the ground itself. Pedestrians, equestrians and cyclists may still use the listed roads, but the Forest Service says they do so at their own risk.

The stated purpose is protecting public health and safety from the effects of the October and November 2026 flooding. A violation is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor, with fines up to $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, up to six months in prison, or both.

Two groups are exempt: holders of Forest Service permit FS-7700-48, and federal, state or local officers and members of organized rescue or firefighting forces working in an official capacity.

Each order also incorporates a map, labeled Exhibit A, that shows the roads covered, and each supersedes earlier orders covering the same routes.

Which routes are listed

Columbine's list includes Hermosa Park Road (578), Junction Creek (171), Ophir Pass (679), Missionary Ridge (682), First Notch (620) and La Plata Canyon (CR 124). Pagosa's includes West Fork (648), Fourmile (645), Blanco River (656), Wolf Creek (725) and Lower Piedra (621).

The forest's road table shows Hermosa Park shut Nov. 3 after a landslide at the switchbacks roughly one mile from the Purgatory parking lot, and Junction Creek shut Nov. 5 at the lower gate. It lists Florida (596) as clear and easily passable on Nov. 4, Haviland Lake and Chris Park (671/791) passable on Nov. 7, Henderson Lake (081) passable on Nov. 10, and East Vallecito (603) open with a caution note on Nov. 4. The forest cautions that any road can be blocked by a downed tree or snow at any time. The Nov. 4 notice said Dolores Ranger District roads would stay open unless marked closed, since that district was less severely affected by the rain.

Why travel is still discouraged

The Nov. 4 assessment release describes the scale. For roads surveyed so far, the vast majority carry major damage such as landslides, washouts and roadbed collapses, and many roads and bridges have been destroyed. Major repairs may take years, depending on funding and on how severe the damage is. Trails across the forest are severely damaged as well, while field crews concentrate on major road infrastructure.

Record flooding across Southwest Colorado has closed highways in multiple counties, and evacuation and shelter-in-place orders have been issued for multiple communities. The forest warned that rescue would not be readily available because of demand on search and rescue services. It lists moving landslides, high water, falling timber and roadbeds that can give way. It also said flood waters had begun to recede, but that conditions remained unstable and roads could keep deteriorating. The notice warned that a road passable on the way in may not be passable on the way back.

Check conditions before you drive

Road status changes daily. The Nov. 4 release said road updates and maps would be posted to the Conditions webpage by noon each day, and the forest says its road status tables are refreshed daily. The post-flood information line is 970-501-5830, staffed seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Questions about the Pagosa district go to 970-264-2268; the supervisor's office in Durango is at 970-247-4874. The Nov. 4 notice also said all forest offices had reopened for normal business days and hours.

If you are trapped or leaving a vehicle

In Archuleta County, call 9-1-1 or the non-emergency line at 970-731-2160 when you are ready to be evacuated; La Plata County's numbers are 9-1-1 and 970-385-2900. Anyone forced to abandon a vehicle is asked to email [email protected] with a name, phone number, license plate, property description and detailed location.

The conditions page states the limit plainly: the Forest Service and the counties do not rescue stranded vehicles, and drivers who cut ruts or damage roads can be ticketed.

Three more alerts in force

All motorized trails on the Pagosa Ranger District are closed because of flood damage, under Motorized Trails Closed on Pagosa Ranger District, an alert that began Nov. 4, 2026 and was last updated Nov. 5. The forest says the trails are not safe to travel and that driving them in wet conditions would cause significant resource damage.

A 51-acre parcel north of National Forest System Road 783 in the Columbine district is closed to entry under the Cascade Flume Safety Closure, from Nov. 2, 2026 through Nov. 2, 2027. A flume failure caused infrastructure damage and a landslide that destabilized the area, and the order points to debris, ongoing deterioration of the flume, falling trees and risks tied to the LPEA transmission line next door.

Bear activity is very high across the forest, according to the Bear Activity High Across San Juan National Forest alert, which has been in place since Aug. 10, 2026. It directs campers to prepare ahead of time and to keep food and anything scented stored away from their sites. It names Haviland Lake, Junction Creek, Vallecito and Snowslide campgrounds, and a forest-wide order on bear-resistant food containers dates to Aug. 15, 1997.

The bottom line

The forest supervisor said on Nov. 2: "Public safety is our top priority, which is why we do not recommend travel on the San Juan National Forest at this time." The notice asked the public to postpone or cancel plans to visit the woods until conditions improve. Both road orders run through Dec. 31, 2026 unless they are rescinded.