Live Conditions · ColoradoUpdated 4:30 PM MT · Refresh
🔥
0
Active Wildfires
NIFC + InciWeb
🌫️
64
Peak AQI CO
AirNow + Open-Meteo
🟡
Moderate
Smoke Status
Moderate smoke
🔥 Active Fire MapLive wildfire perimeters — Colorado
● Active fire● Partially contained● Contained
No active fires detected in Colorado.
🌫️ AQI by RegionAir Quality Index — Colorado Monitoring Stations
Location
Current AQI
Category
Trend
Source
Denver
—
⚪ Unknown
→
AirNow
Colorado Springs
—
⚪ Unknown
→
AirNow
Boulder
—
⚪ Unknown
→
AirNow
Fort Collins
—
⚪ Unknown
→
AirNow
Grand Junction
—
⚪ Unknown
→
AirNow
Pueblo
—
⚪ Unknown
→
AirNow
Aspen
—
⚪ Unknown
→
AirNow
Steamboat Springs
64
🟡 Moderate
↑
openmeteo
Durango
—
⚪ Unknown
→
AirNow
Fort Collins
—
⚪ Unknown
→
AirNow
🌫️ Smoke Safety GuideWhat AQI levels mean for outdoor activity
🟢
AQI 0 – 50
Good
Air quality is satisfactory. No restrictions on outdoor activities.
Safe for all groups including children, elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.
Recommendation: Go outside and enjoy Colorado's trails!
🟡
AQI 51 – 100
Moderate
Acceptable air quality for most people. Unusually sensitive individuals may
experience minor respiratory symptoms. Consider reducing prolonged outdoor
exertion at elevation.
Recommendation: Sensitive groups — consider limiting prolonged hiking above 10,000 ft.
🟠
AQI 101 – 150
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public
is less likely to be affected. At Colorado elevation, smoke particles are
concentrated at altitude — effects amplified compared to lower elevations.
Recommendation: Sensitive groups — avoid prolonged outdoor activity above 8,000 ft.
Consider shorter, lower-elevation trails. Keep rescue inhaler or medication accessible.
🔴
AQI 151 – 200
Unhealthy
Everyone may begin to experience health effects. Members of sensitive groups
may experience more serious health effects. Wildfire smoke at this level significantly
impacts visibility and hiking performance even for healthy adults.
Recommendation: Avoid all outdoor recreation above 7,000 ft.
High-altitude exertion with heavy smoke reduces oxygen uptake efficiency.
Postpone alpine objectives until air clears.
☠️
AQI 201+
Very Unhealthy / Hazardous
Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely
to be affected. At this level, outdoor activity of any kind is inadvisable.
Smoke can linger for days after a fire passes. Downwind communities can be
impacted far from the fire perimeter.
Recommendation: Stay indoors with windows closed and HVAC on recirculate.
Use N95 or P100 mask if outdoor exposure is unavoidable. Monitor vulnerable individuals closely.
Note on Colorado altitude: Wildfire smoke effects are amplified at elevation.
PM2.5 penetrates more deeply into lungs at altitude due to lower barometric pressure.
A "moderate" AQI at 11,000 ft can feel like "unhealthy" at sea level.
Learn about PeakScout's altitude-adjusted smoke scoring →
📈 Smoke Forecast24-Hour Outlook — Colorado
Steamboat Springs
64
🟡 Moderate
Moderate smoke — monitor conditions
Smoke transport direction based on NWS surface winds. Morning inversions (Denver, Colorado Springs) may briefly spike AQI by 20–40 pts 6–9am. Clearing expected by 10am.
Forecast based on NWS wind direction + active fire locations + AirNow observations.
Smoke conditions change rapidly — verify before any high-elevation objective.
🥾 Trail ImpactTrails Affected by Wildfire Smoke
No trails currently flagged for smoke impact. Conditions may change — check back after 4pm MT.
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Real-time wildfire smoke conditions for Colorado trails, 14ers, mountain passes, and recreation areas.
AirNow EPA data for Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, Aspen, Steamboat Springs.
PeakScout fetches live AQI from AirNow EPA for Denver (airnow.gov, 39.74°N 104.98°W). Current readings are shown in the AQI by Region table above. AirNow monitors are typically updated hourly. If AirNow data is unavailable, Open-Meteo AQ model provides a fallback reading. Denver AQI in summer is often influenced by regional wildfire smoke transport from California, Oregon, and Arizona fires.
Wildfire smoke contains PM2.5 (particles 2.5 microns or smaller) that penetrate deep into lungs and can cause respiratory distress, reduced exercise performance, and exacerbate conditions like asthma or COPD. At Colorado altitude, effects are amplified — lower barometric pressure means particles deposit more efficiently in lung tissue. A "moderate" AQI at 12,000 ft can produce symptoms equivalent to "unhealthy" at sea level. Hikers on 14ers during smoky conditions report headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath at significantly lower exertion levels.
It depends on AQI level, your health status, and elevation. AQI 0–50 (Good): safe for all. AQI 51–100 (Moderate): healthy adults fine; sensitive groups should reduce prolonged exertion above 10,000 ft. AQI 101–150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive): sensitive groups should avoid prolonged outdoor activity above 8,000 ft. AQI 151–200 (Unhealthy): avoid all outdoor recreation above 7,000 ft. AQI 201+ (Very Unhealthy/Hazardous): stay indoors. If you have asthma, COPD, heart condition, or are pregnant, err on the side of caution. Carry N95 mask for emergency egress.
PeakScout tracks fire proximity for all CO trails and flags trails within fire perimeters (OFFICIALLY CLOSED), within 1 mile (NEAR ACTIVE FIRE), within 10 miles (smoke advisory), and within 25 miles (monitor conditions). The Trail Impact Assessment section above shows affected trails. Popular trails near active fires — especially those in the San Juan Mountains, Gunnison area, and Roaring Fork Valley — are frequently impacted during fire season (June–October).
Check the AQI by Region table above for your destination area. Denver/Boulder for Front Range trails, Grand Junction for Grand Mesa and Uncompahgre Plateau, Durango for San Juan trails, Aspen for Elk Mountains. Set up a smoke alert subscription on PeakScout for your specific trail or region — you will receive an email when AQI crosses your threshold. Before driving mountain passes, check CDOT road conditions (cdot.gov/travel) for fire-related closures.
AQI 151+ is unhealthy for the general population, meaning everyone may experience health effects. AQI 201+ is very unhealthy — health warnings of emergency conditions. For altitude-sensitive activities like 14ers, even AQI 101–150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive) should give pause: high exertion + low oxygen + smoke = significantly degraded performance and health risk. The EPA recommends that people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, and pregnant women take extra precautions at AQI 101+.
Wildfire smoke travels downwind from the fire source. Upper-level winds determine where smoke travels over hours to days; surface winds determine localized concentrations. In Colorado, westerly winds typically push smoke from California/Oregon fires across the state. Northerly winds push smoke south. During active fires, smoke can linger in valleys overnight as temperatures cool (smoke pools in cold air), then clear mid-morning when valley inversions break. PeakScout shows smoke forecast by region based on NWS wind direction data.
National forests remain open unless specifically closed by a forest order. However, active fire perimeters are always off-limits regardless of forest status. USFS may issue temporary closures around active fires (Stage 1 or Stage 2 fire restrictions). Rocky Mountain NP, Pike NF, and Arapaho NF may implement fire bans restricting campfires but not general access. PeakScout shows fire perimeter status for all CO trails — if a trail is within an active fire perimeter, it shows OFFICIALLY CLOSED regardless of forest land status.
Smoke forecast is based on NWS wind models, active fire locations, and AirNow observations. Long-range smoke forecasts (beyond 48 hours) are highly uncertain — smoke transport depends heavily on rapidly changing fire activity, weather patterns, and fire containment progress. The 24-Hour Smoke Forecast section above shows the most current regional outlook. For extended planning, monitor incoming smoke via NOAA HRRR smoke model (airfire.org) and check back for updates every 6–12 hours during active fire periods.
PeakScout combines three data streams: (1) Fire perimeters from NIFC WFIGS / InciWeb (updated every 15–30 minutes) via the fire perimeter cache. (2) AQI from AirNow EPA for 33 monitoring locations across 11 states (hourly updates), falling back to Open-Meteo AQ model when AirNow is unavailable. (3) Go Score integration: AQI above 50 triggers score penalty; trails within active fire perimeters are hard-blocked (score = 0). Smoke forecast is generated from NWS wind direction + active fire source regions.