bxbowmantx

Planning a month camping trip to Southwest Colorado but am concerned don't want to book camping in areas devastated by pine and spruce beetle kill or forest fires. We are interested in hiking, kayaking and bicycling. Considering South Fork/Creed/Lake City to Gunnison and out thru Ouray/Silverton but have seen some pictures of Wolf Creek Pass that looks like the entire area is dead trees. Does anyone have current information on which areas are hit the hardest/need to avoid. The alternate plan would be to come up thru Telluride and out thru Ouray/Silverton but doesn't seem to be as many kayak opportunities. We like flat water up to Class II rivers.
Thanks for any info or alternate suggestions. (Note we came thru Steamboat/Buena Vista/Salida last year so don't want to repeat, but that area did look healthy.

DebitNM

I have not heard of these beetles; we have had issues with pinon trees being devastated by bark beetles in the past.

Perhaps Durango might be of interest? You could do Mesa Verde National Park; and do the Million Dollar Highway.

http://www.roadtripamerica.com/places/million.htm

carolyn

Rocky Mountain National Park was my favorite to visit, but in 2008 it was in sad state because of the beetles. I just Googled, and the first hit "Forest Health: Mountain Pine Beetle - Rocky Mountain National Park ..." at the bottom of the page shows a map of the state and the damage done in different areas. The southern part looked best.

lindagj

Colorado is a patchwork of beetle kill. It is sad to see, but there is still plenty of great vegetation, aspen, scrub oak, and more. Beetle kill trees would not keep me from the area I want to visit. The amazing mountains, rivers and Blue Colorado skies are still here.

fmpden

The pine beetle kill is spotty since it primarily kills the older trees but it can be extensive in some areas. You do not have 100% kill in any area. I don't know of any area that has escaped. It is a product of several factors. The two big ones are global warming and the age of the forest especially in central Colorado. A 100, 125 years ago most of the forest in central Colorado was stripped away by mining interests with the result that most of the current trees today are very similar in age - about a hundred years old and prime target for the beetle.

There is always a concern for forest fires in these area but the official forecast for fire activity this summer is low. We have had a tremendous amount of snow and rain so far this year. We have had a cool and snowy May. That will push mud season and water rafting will into the summer.