Charred tree trunks cover the mountainside that borders the road leading up to the south rim entrance, located near Montrose on Colorado’s Western Slope. Some have been reduced to inches-high stumps, while others jut up leafless like distorted thorns from the landscape. Once inside the park, visitors get a more pronounced visual of the fire’s path, which stretches along the South Rim Road in the form of torched bushes, trees and soil that add new shades of black to the canyon’s motif.

The South Rim Fire sparked on July 10, 2025 when dry lightning struck an area near the High Point lookout, about six miles west of the national park’s visitor center. Strong winds led the wildfire to quickly spread across the drought-stricken terrain, consuming flora and some manmade structures along the way. In all, the fire scorched 4,323 acres and wilderness on the steep walls inside the canyon burned for eight weeks.

But one year later, signs of new life are abundant at the Black Canyon — something worth remembering as wildfires yet again rage throughout Colorado.

Stems of new growth lush with green leaves pop up at the base of burned Gambel oak trees. Vibrant wildflowers blanket the scenery on the Uplands hiking trail, capitalizing on the space made by burned groundcover and the extra nutrients the fire released back into the soil. They juxtapose the harsh burn scars with pops of color to dramatic effect.

Wildlife has also returned thanks to “deeper-than-expected soils” that helped the grasslands regenerate expeditiously, said Brinnen Carter, Integrated Resource Manager for Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

“The first flush of grasses both in the fall and this spring has created expanded opportunities (sic) for the deer, sheep, and elk that use Vernal Mesa, with new and more expansive grazing areas opened,” Carter explained by email. “As habitat continues to recover, we expect some wildlife populations and their use of the area to increase.”

Still, it will likely take decades for the plants to grow back to their former glory. Atop the Vernal Mesa, where the south rim of the canyon is located, much of the pinyon pine and juniper tree forest was reduced to ashes. It may take 40 to 50 years for those to regenerate, Carter said.

Where the burns are not as severe, Gambel oak may pop back up sooner. Carter has seen other Gambel oak forests, where live root systems remain intact after a fire, recover more quickly. Vegetation may return to a pre-fire appearance within 10 to 15 years, he said.

“Wildfires can reshape ecosystems, and in some cases, they create conditions for new plant communities to become established,” Carter said. “The pace and extent of recovery will depend on several factors, including precipitation, the spread of invasive plants, and the successful establishment of native vegetation during the early stages of recovery.”

Despite the damage, it����ap worth remembering that the Black Canyon’s rock formations, the real draw, were unaltered by the South Rim Fire. The craggy walls still plunge thousands of feet into the Gunnison River below, offering breathtaking — and knee-buckling — views to those peering over the edges. The famous Painted Wall is still streaked by hardened magma that squeezed into layers of schist and gneiss rocks billions of years ago. Those who travel the East Portal Road down the river’s edge will still find the gold-medal waters that draw fishermen and women from far and wide.

While much has changed at the Black Canyon in light of the wildfire, its allure most definitely has not.

The costs associated with entry fees and reservation times can add up quickly between the numerous national parks, national forests, state parks and more. It can also be difficult to keep up with it all since each attraction is managed by a different agency or municipality.

Say, for example, you live in Denver and have friends or family visiting for a long weekend. If you want to take them kayaking at Chatfield State Park in Littleton one day, you’ll need to buy a $12 vehicle day pass. And if you also want to drive them to the summit of Mount Blue Sky near Idaho Springs, you’ll need to make a reservation up to 30 days in advance and pay another $22 reservation/entry fee for the day.

That����ap a $34 investment before you consider the added costs of gas, food, and gear rentals.

Or perhaps your group wants to venture further into the forest and check out the iconic Hanging Lake in Glenwood Springs followed by a trip to Maroon Bells Scenic Area near Aspen. That will set you back $12 per person for hiking access to Hanging Lake, plus $12.50 to park at the Maroon Bells trailhead. The catch: Maroon Bells’ parking reservations fill up quickly, so unless you book well in advance, you’ll likely have to take a shuttle to the scenic area for $16 per adult and $10 per child.

The cheapest way to get into Maroon Bells Scenic Area is to ride an e-bike, which incurs a $5 entry fee — though that does not include whatever it may cost to rent one from a nearby shop. Plus, you need some level of physical fitness, as round trip from Aspen Highlands Ski Area to Maroon Lake.

Fees to access these beloved areas often go back to helping crews maintain and clean the trails and amenities, so they are not cash grabs. And there are some money-saving hacks to bring down the cost. For example, when Coloradans register their vehicles each year, they can get a , a steep discount compared to the usual price of $80.

Still, it����ap easy to spend hundreds of dollars per year to visit Colorado’s most coveted outdoor destinations. Here’s a breakdown of prices to know about ahead of planning your next trip.

National Parks Annual Pass: $80

If you plan to visit all four of Colorado’s national parks, or even a single park more than twice, it����ap probably worth investing in an annual pass. Otherwise, you’ll pay $30 per car to visit , and , and $25 per car to visit the . Individual parks also sell individual annual passes for less than $80. For example, an annual pass to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park costs $55.

State Parks Annual Pass: $80

As mentioned, Colorado residents can snag a discounted state parks pass when they sign up for a during vehicle registration. That is the only time locals can access that discount. About a quarter of the population opted in for that pass between June 2024 and June 2025, to support state parks, local search and rescue volunteers and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

State Parks Day Pass: $10-$12

Day use passes to Colorado’s state parks typically cost $10 per private vehicle. However, several parks increased entry prices by $2 this year to support maintenance of roads and dams. It costs $12 to visit Chatfield State Park in Littleton, Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora, Golden Gate Canyon in Golden, Elkhead Reservoir State Park in Craig, Stagecoach State Park in Oak Creek, State Forest State Park in Walden, and Pearl Lake State Park and Steamboat Lake State Park in Clark. (Out-of-state visitors pay $15-$17 per day depending on where they go.)

Mount Blue Sky: $17-$22

Following a multi-year closure and redevelopment project, the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area reopened to visitors in May of this year. Entry costs $20 per car or $15 per motorcycle, plus a $2 reservation fee to schedule when you want to visit in advance (required). The recreation area officially starts near Echo Lake on the , and includes access to Mount Goliath, Summit Lake Park, and the Mount Blue Sky Summit at 14,266 feet.

Pikes Peak: $20-$40 per person

Located near Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak is one of Colorado’s most accessible 14ers because there is a paved highway that runs 19 miles all the way to the summit. But, of course, it will cost you to get there. Entry costs $18 per person in a private vehicle (or $65 for a car of up to five people), plus a $2 reservation fee when booked in advance. Another option is to ride the shuttle to the top, which costs $40 per adult and $12 per child.

Hanging Lake: $12 per person

Much of the trail to Hanging Lake, near Glenwood Springs, was destroyed in a wildfire that ripped through the area in 2020. Though it has technically been open since 2021, a $4.7 million reconstruction project is now complete and welcoming visitors. Reservations ($12 per person) are required to visit Hanging Lake, a Natural National Landmark formed from travertine, or limestone deposited near mineral springs. The lake was formed by a geologic fault that caused the lake bed to drop away from the valley floor above, and it remains home to an extremely sensitive ecosystem.

Maroon Bells Scenic Area: $5 and up

The Maroon Bells Scenic Area provides access to Maroon Lake and acts as a gateway to the larger Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. It costs $12.50 ($10, plus a $2 reservation fee) to park at the trailhead. But parking sells out far in advance, so visitors may have to take a shuttle service that runs from Aspen Highlands Ski Area to the Maroon Lake trailhead. That costs $16 per adult and $10 per child when booked in advance, or $20 per adult and $14 per child when booked day-of. New this year, the area is charging $5 per e-bike entry.

Maroon Bells ranks among Colorado’s most well-known destinations, recording about 215,000 visits annually between May and October. That����ap why fees are expected to go up in the coming years, as Pitkin County officials work to take over maintaining the recreation area.

Blue Lakes: $6-$31 starting in 2027

Anyone who wants to visit the Blue Lakes, located near Ridgway and Telluride on the Western Slope, will soon have to buy a permit to do so. Starting in 2027, the U.S. Forest Service expects to require people to buy a $5 day-use permit or $25 overnight camping permit during peak season, from June 1 through Sept. 30. The prices are anticipated to include an additional $1 and $6 reservation fee, respectively. (The agency recently proposed those fees and is currently .)

The Blue Lakes have become extremely popular in recent years to the point that recreation has devastated the natural wilderness. The permit system is intended to cut down annual visitation from about 35,000 people to 8,000 people.

Rocky saw 4,171,431 visitors in 2025, an increase of 17,082 over 2024. Yosemite National Park took over fifth place with 4,278,413 due to a visitation surge of more than 156,000 over the year before. Yosemite officials reported in September that the park experienced one of its busiest summer seasons in years with visitation tracking 7% ahead of 2024.

The top five on the list in 2025 was typical of recent years except for the absence of Rocky. Great Smoky Mountains National Park was No. 1, as usual, with 11,527,939, accounting for 12% of all visits to national parks. Zion was No. 2 (4,984,525), followed by Yellowstone (4,762,988), Grand Canyon (4,430,653) and Yosemite.

The record attendance for Rocky came in 2019 at 4,670,053, which ranked it third that year. Since then, park officials have enforced a they say is needed to prevent overcrowding and resource damage.

Rocky’s timed-entry period will begin this year on the Friday before Memorial Day, May 22, and will run into October.

Rocky also ranked third in 2015 and 2018. Since the imposition of timed-entry reservations, it ranked fourth or fifth until last year.

Yosemite and Arches National Park have dropped their timed-entry reservation requirement for 2026.

Colorado’s other three national parks saw visitation declines in 2025. Mesa Verde ranked 43rd on the national park list at 463,130, down from 480,165 in 2024. Great Sand Dunes ranked 44th at 432,498, down from 437,661. Black Canyon of the Gunnison was 50th at 250,086, down from 335,862 in 2024.

Black Canyon’s 25% decrease was due to the lightning-caused South Rim Fire, which forced closure of the park in July. The South Rim Campground, East Portal Campground and Rim Rock Trail from South Rim Campground to Tomichi Point remain closed.

Christmas Day in a national park

The High season for visiting national parks is typically the summer. But if you’re ever close enough to Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in the winter, it’s well worth a visit. I live nearby, so a trek up to the canyon has been an annual Christmas Day outing for my family for four years running.

Each Dec. 25, after opening presents and eating breakfast, my husband and I, my in-laws and our dogs pile into the car and head out for a casual, snowy hike. Because most of the South Rim Road is closed during the winter, we typically park at the first overlook point, called Tomichi Overlook, and walk from there to the visitors center, enjoying the majestically steep canyon walls dusted with snow along the way. Once we reach the visitors center, we usually take the slick and icy walkway down to the overlook (Yaktrax are a must) and snap some family photos. The view may not change, but this tradition never gets old. — Tiney Ricciardi

Starry, starry Mile High Tree

It’s easy to drive through downtown Denver and marvel at the . The 110-foot-tall icon has risen each holiday season since 2019, with 60,000 undulating LED lights, set to various holiday tunes. It stood in Civic Center park before moving this year to Auraria’s Tivoli Quad. You almost have to go out of your way to miss it.

If you’re willing to stop and visit, it’s even more memorable. Crowds pouring into and out of the annual Christkindlmarket have made it a popular destination, given its proximity (and friendliness to group selfies). You can shuffle through the conical tower, or lie down on your back in the fake grass inside its 39-foot diameter footprint to gaze up at the spiraling spectacle.

My family and I are among the dozens doing just that at any one time, having made it a low-key tradition a few years back. My stepmother had been visiting from Ohio, and we instantly looked at each other when we heard George Winston’s gentle piano song “Thanksgiving,” from his 1982 album “December,” sneak into the playlist between familiar holiday melodies. It was one of my dad’s favorite songs, and one he used to usher in the season each year on his turntable at home.

He had died suddenly a few years before, about a month after my son (his namesake) was born, and my stepmom and I immediately felt his presence there.

Corny? Maybe, but aren’t moments like that what the holidays are all about? The Mile High Tree traces connections between people, but also between the city and its residents, who gather shoulder-to-shoulder to take a moment and silently open their eyes and smile. Deride its design as garish or ultra-modern, but for my kids and thousands of others, it adds a glowing lift to our outdoor gift-buying and Christmas-light sightseeing.

Visit and explore it for free through Dec.31. (You and 350,000 others, that is). — John Wenzel

Riding the bus across Colorado’s Eastern plains

My childhood Christmas tradition was riding — unaccompanied — on a packed Continental Trailways bus round-trip across the often snowy and icy Eastern Plains of Colorado. My parents divorced when I was 10, and Dad stayed in our small town in Kansas while Mom moved to Aurora to be near my grandparents.

The divorce meant I got two Christmases every year, but it also meant a long ride with frequent stops (Campo, Springfield, Lamar, Eads, Kit Carson, Hugo and Limon), making a six-hour trip turn into a 10-hour-plus haul. The trip to Aurora was always exciting; I was on the edge of my seat, filled with anticipation to see the parent I had been missing and to open more presents. The second part was more melancholy, knowing I wouldn’t see that parent again for months, when I would board the bus for summer break.

The bus was usually stocked with other children of divorce, recently released prisoners, and down-on-their-luck folks trying to make their way home. More than once, we were stopped by police looking for someone. The bus drivers usually knew me and kept an eye out for me. No passengers hassled me, but I was offered liquor and cigarettes on a few occasions. I sat next to lonely people who would talk to me the whole trip. One time, a tired mother handed me her baby so she could sleep. I spent the few dollars I had been given to buy food from the vending machines at the Lamar stop to share with people who had nothing.

Looking back, I’m grateful I learned to be independent and empathetic on those trips. There were a lot of people going through tougher times than I was. But I was always excited to step down from that bus into the arms of a loving parent who was happy to see me. That was the best part of my Christmas. — TJ Hutchinson

A winter sangria

A former colleague liked to fix a batch of sangria and then just kept adding wine to the fruit in the pitcher as it got empty. When the holidays arrive, we change it up in favor of a more wintry mixture like this one from Bobby Flay. It’s easy: Just boil 1 cup of sugar and a cup of water with two cinnamon sticks until the sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature. Add a cup of cranberries and let that sit in the fridge for  2-24 hours. Strain and add 2 bottles of fruity red wine, 1/2 cup of orange-flavored liqueur. Add a thinly sliced apple, pear, orange and tangerine. Refrigerate for at least four hours and serve. — Lee Ann Colacioppo

Reading and snuggling

My husband, Jay, learned of an Icelandic tradition where people give each other books on Christmas Eve. They call it Jolabokaflod, or “flood of books.” We love to read, so we adopted this one during the pandemic. What better night to snuggle on the couch with a new book, hot tea and cookies? — Noelle Phillips

Strike up the sounds

There’s no better time to pull out an acoustic guitar and pass around some shakers and percussion instruments than after dinner on Christmas Eve. (Or any winter holiday, for that matter.) “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” and “Feliz Navidad” have kept my family occupied for years, whether we’re singing, banging on a tambourine or plinking keys on a piano. And if you’ve ever been to a posada, in which Hispanic families re-enact the nativity story, you know Christmas singalongs are as inevitable as the make-your-own pozole station. — Miguel Otarola

Make your own traditions

When you live a couple of states away from close family, the holidays, with memories of shared yearly traditions, can leave you feeling kind of adrift. So you start making your own traditions.

My husband and I started one on a whim. One Christmas Eve several years ago, we decided to drive downtown to take pictures of Denver’s City and County Building all decked out in lights. Dave wanted to try out a new lens, but I wasn’t too excited. I thought the whole display was a bit over the top.

Now I think it����ap magical. It gets better every year. You see all kinds of people — kids in coats over pajamas, families taking selfies, vendors selling lighted whirligigs. The addition of the 110-foot-tall Mile High Tree with more than 60,000 lights and the Christkindlmarket have turned Civic Center into a holiday town square, a community gathering place. A visit there has become an annual family tradition. — Judith Kohler

Watching all the Christmas flicks

My holiday traditions do not include favorite recipes, rides to see displays or drinking cider. Movies make up some of my favorite memories, and when my family wasn’t watching sports, it was the flicks for us. These are my favorite Christmas-themed movies (with a few screwballs thrown in):

“Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journal” (2020): There are not enough words to describe this Netflix holiday film: whimsical, steampunk, classic and more. Forest Whitaker stars as Jeronicus Jangle, whose brilliance as a toymaker is dulled when his apprentice betrays him. His granddaughter Journey enters his life decades later, and Jeronicus is in the shadow of his now-rival. Although it has many tropes seen in holiday movies, “Jingle Jangle” has stunning costumes and set designs and original music to keep viewers bopping.

“A Christmas Story” (1983): You’ve watched the marathon on TV between the football and basketball games or while preparing dinner. For years, when I worked the holiday shift in past newsrooms, I made my co-workers watch with me and annoy them by quoting the comedy classic and offering witty commentary like it was “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” I’d like to point out that I had similar gift-wrapping paper featured in the Christmas morning scene and that I didn’t finish it until 2001.

“A Diva’s Christmas Carol” (2000): Every Christmas, there are three guarantees: a new version of “A Christmas Carol,” a new layer of schmaltz and a ridiculous song. This offering debuted on VH-1 25 years ago, and I remember watching it repeatedly. Vanessa Williams is Ebony Scrooge, an R&B diva who has lost her holiday spirit. It follows the old Charles Dickens formula but for a “modern” audience. One word, “Heartquake.”

“Enter the Dragon” (1973): In my house growing up, watching the Bruce Lee actioner on Christmas morning was a family tradition. It����ap my father’s favorite film, and we would make a trek to the video store to rent a copy. He was stubborn and didn’t want his own copy. Having time to watch the martial arts film was enough. Once, he mixed things up with “The Matrix.”

“Die Hard” (1988): Let����ap settle the debate once and for all: “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. It����ap about a cop (Bruce Willis) who wants to fix his fractured marriage while his wife attends a holiday party. It����ap all about overcoming corporate greed and wealth and thugs with iced-over hearts. Doesn’t this sound like “A Christmas Carol?”

Honorable mention: “It����ap a Wonderful Life” (1946), “The Holdovers” (2023), “The Best Man Holiday” (2013), “Feast of the Seven Fishes” (2019), “A Christmas Tale (Un conte de Noël)” (2008) — Tamara Dunn

Making Apple Cider Caramels (recipe)

There’s a chapter in Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” where Violet Beauregarde steals a piece of gum from Willy Wonka’s factory that transforms into an entire meal as she chews it, overwhelming her taste buds with a feast of flavors … before turning her into a giant blueberry.

That����ap the best comparison to the experience of eating these apple cider caramels – like a slice of buttery, cinnamon-laden apple pie was concentrated into one small bite, but without the Wonka-esque consequences.

I first made this recipe by Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen for family Christmas gifts about 10 years ago, and now get requests to make them every holiday season. The hardest part is not having to work with hot sugar, but cutting and wrapping the individual caramels in slips of parchment paper — especially if, like me, you end up quadrupling the recipe.

The second hardest part is deciding whether or not to keep them all to yourself once you realize how addictive these little squares of sweet-tart-salty goodness are. — Katie Langford

Source: “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook,” by Deb Perelman (Knopf), edited for length.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups apple cider (Colorado-grown ciders like Talbott����ap or Big B’s are ideal)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, or less of a finer one

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

Neutral oil for the knife

DIRECTIONS

Boil the apple cider in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over high heat until it is reduced to a dark, thick syrup, between 1/3 and 1/2 cup in volume, about 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch, straight-sided square metal baking pan with two long sheets of crisscrossed parchment and set aside. Stir the cinnamon and flaky salt together in a small dish.

3. Remove the reduced cider from the heat and stir in the butter, both sugars and heavy cream. Return the pot to medium-high heat with a candy thermometer attached to the side, and let it boil until the thermometer reads 252 degrees, only about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it. (Don’t have a candy or deep-fry thermometer? Have a bowl of very cold water ready, and cook the caramel until a tiny spoonful dropped into the water becomes firm, chewy, and able to be plied into a ball.)

4. Immediately remove caramel from heat, add the cinnamon-salt mixture, and give the caramel several stirs to distribute it evenly. Pour caramel into the prepared pan. Let it sit until cool and firm — about 2 hours, though it goes faster in the fridge.

5. Once caramel is firm, use your parchment paper sling to transfer the block to a cutting board. Use a well-oiled knife, oiling it after each cut, to cut the caramel into 1-by-1-inch squares. Wrap each one in a 4-inch square of waxed or parchment paper, twisting the sides to close. Caramels will be somewhat on the soft side at room temperature, and chewy/firm from the fridge.

Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls (recipe)

My family has lived in Texas for 30 years, but my parents were born and raised in the Ohio hills. Our Christmas morning tradition reflects that clash of culture: tamales from Texas’ favorite grocer, H-E-B, and my dad’s beloved potato-based cinnamon rolls. The rolls take more than a day (and a pound of potatoes) but the effort is always worth it. Now that we’re all of drinking age, mimosas often accompany the mishmash meal. Or, if you’re my mom, just champagne. — Elise Schmelzer

Source: Greg Atkinson, Bon Appétit magazine.

Mashed creamy Yukon Gold potatoes keep this take on classic cinnamon rolls extra moist.

Makes 12 rolls.

INGREDIENTS

For the dough:

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

3 large eggs

4 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)

3 1/4-ounce envelopes active dry yeast (scant 2 tablespoons)

Elise Schmelzer’s version of her dad’s cinnamon rolls from Christmas 2023. (Provided by Elise Schmelzer)2 tablespoons sugar

For the filling:

1 1/3 cups (packed) golden brown sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature

For the glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons (or more) whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

For the dough:

Combine potatoes, 2 cups water, and 1 tablespoon coarse salt in a large saucepan. Boil until potatoes are very tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Mash potatoes with water in a pan (do not drain water). Add butter and mash until butter is melted. Whisk in eggs, then 1 cup flour; mash until very smooth. Let potatoes stand until barely lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, pour 1/2 cup warm water into a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; stir in yeast and sugar. Let it stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add potato mixture to yeast mixture; mix on low speed until well blended, 2 minutes. Mix in 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well. Beat until sticky dough forms.

3. Spread 1/2 cup flour on the work surface. Scrape dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 8 minutes.

4. Coat large bowl with butter. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make filling:

5. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in medium bowl. Using fork, mix in butter.

6. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface. Roll out dough to 24×16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling evenly over dough. Starting at 1 long side, roll up dough jelly-roll style, enclosing filling. Using large knife dipped in flour, cut roll crosswise into 12 pieces. Transfer rolls to baking sheet, spacing rolls about 3/4 inch apart. Cover baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes (rolls will be very puffy).

7. Bake cinnamon rolls until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool rolls 10 minutes on baking sheet.

Meanwhile, make glaze:

8. Whisk powdered sugar, melted butter, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and coarse salt in small bowl. If glaze is too thick to spread, add more milk by 1/2 teaspoonfuls as needed. Spread glaze over warm rolls.

Lightning-sparked wildfires forced the closure of the entire park on July 10. The North Rim reopened on July 30, but the South Rim gained only partial access on Aug. 29 as crews continued to address hazards.

On Nov. 19, the crews had completed enough work to open up the Oak Flat Trail and portions of the Uplands Trail to the public. The first trail covers 1.56 miles and the second 0.75 miles. All previously closed burned-over areas are now accessible to the public.

Because of damaged facilities, unstable rock and falling trees, the following trails and campgrounds remain closed:

• The Rim Rock Trail
• The Uplands Trail between the Rim Rock Trail and the South Rim Road junction
• East Portal Campground
• South Rim Campground
• The Gunnison and Tomichi wilderness routes

The National Park Service urges visitors to the Black Canyon to use caution when hiking in the park due to soil damage from the summer fires, which this time of year can result in muddy and unstable conditions due to added moisture from snow.

Colorado has four national parks: Rocky Mountain, Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Mesa Verde. Keep in mind that timed-entry reservations are still required at Rocky Mountain, and it’s likely to be a busy day because of elk bugling season and leaf-peeping travelers.

Reservations are required for all of the park except the Bear Lake Road corridor from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. That reservation includes access to Trail Ridge Road. Reservations for all of the park including Bear Lake Road are required from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reservation requirements will end on Oct. 13 for all of the park except Bear Lake, and on Oct. 19 for all of the park including Bear Lake.

Most reservations are secured weeks in advance, but a few are held back until 7 p.m. the night before the arrival date. These are likely to be snapped up quickly, though.

Reservations are free, except for a $2 processing fee, and must be bought in advance .

Annual free entry days at national parks

• Jan. 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• April 19: First day of National Park Week
• June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
• Aug. 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
• Sept. 27: National Public Lands Day
• Nov. 11: Veterans Day

While this year’s not-yet-complete fire season already dwarfs that of recent years, it����ap come nowhere close to the destruction of the 2020 wildfires, said , an associate professor who studies wildfires at Colorado State University.

The dozens of large wildfires that sent up smoke across Colorado in 2020 consumed roughly 677,520 acres and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings, according to a for the .

Three 2020 fires — the Cameron Peak, East Troublesome and Pine Gulch fires — are Colorado’s three largest on record, according to the state’s . Another two, the Grizzly Creek and Logan fires, also rank in the state’s top 20.

So far this year, nearly two dozen large wildfires have charred roughly 218,000 acres in Colorado, mostly on the Western Slope. The flames have destroyed at least 66 buildings, including 14 homes and 52 other structures, according to the .

That’s more than the acres burned each year from 2021 to 2024 combined, according to data from the center’s . More buildings have also been destroyed this year than in each of the years during that time frame.

The below-average snowpack and lack of rain fueled extreme drought across western Colorado this year, allowing fires that sparked to spread rapidly, Stevens-Rumann said.

Fire behavior analysts previously said the Western Slope’s drought put brush and other vegetation in the area into dormant, winter-like states, making it easier to burn.

Increased snowpack, especially later snow into the spring and summer, limits the fuels available for fires to burn, Stevens-Rumann said.

“You might still have the light, flashy fuels like grass ready to burn, but … if the trees are still holding water, it limits the fire’s spread,” she said.

The Lee fire, which is burning on 137,758 acres between Meeker and Rifle, started in Rio Blanco County on Aug. 2 before exploding in size throughout the following weeks. At one point, the flames raced across 8 miles in a single day. It is now the fifth-largest wildfire ever recorded in Colorado, according to .

The fire season was also worsened by a late and sporadic monsoon season, said Nikolai Balashov, a meteorologist for the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.

“That allowed the drought to start escalating through late May, June and July,” Balashov said. He said the storms weren’t wet enough to produce rain, but they were strong enough to create lightning, which sparked most of the fires on Colorado’s Western Slope this year.

The Lee and Elk fires west and east of Meeker, the Derby fire in Eagle County, the South Rim fire in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, the Sowbelly fire in in the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area, the Turner Gulch and Wright Draw fires on opposite sides of Unaweep Canyon and the Stoner Mesa fire in San Juan National Forest were all started by lightning this year, according to .

Each of those fires has burned thousands of acres. Lightning sparked many more incidents across the state that firefighters were able to contain to a few hundred acres or less.

“And we’re still in the heart of our core fire season,” Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center manager Travis Hartsburg said. It����ap very likely more fires will start across the state before the main fire season ends in October, though how big they’ll grow remains to be seen, he said.

Wildfires in Colorado have increased in both frequency and size over the last 30 years, but especially in the past decade, according to a from Colorado State University’s Regional Economic Development Institute.

Colorado has fire potential year-round, but the main fire season is June through October. The state’s fire season has grown by more than 70 days since the 1970s, and the danger is only continuing to grow, Stevens-Rumann said.

The 4,232-acre sparked during a lightning storm on July 10, forcing evacuations and .

Operations on the national park’s north rim returned to normal on July 31 while firefighting activity continued on the south edge.

Now, just over two weeks later, some of the south rim will reopen to the public, according to a Thursday news release from the National Park Service.

Park officials said the visitor center and park store, Tomichi and Gunnison points, Rim Rock Trail from the visitor center to Tomichi Point, and the Red Rock Canyon wilderness route will reopen Monday morning.

The south rim, about 15 miles northeast of Montrose, will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with the entrance gate locking at 6 p.m., park officials said.

The following areas will remain closed until further notice, according to the park service:

• East Portal Campground and the East Portal Road
• South Rim Drive beyond the visitor center to all traffic, including pedestrians and bicyclists
• The South Rim Campground
• All trails and wilderness routes accessed from the South Rim and East Portal
• All burned areas in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Those closures remain in effect so park staff can repair fire damage, according to the news release. Violators may be cited.

The rest of the park along South Rim Drive will open in stages as repairs are completed and deemed safe by the superintendent, park officials said. Burned land areas will remain closed indefinitely.

As of Thursday, fire officials said the wildfire remained 52% contained.

The number remains low because there’s no safe way for fire crews to physically check the canyon walls of the national park, where the fire was partially burning, . Firefighters confirm containment by placing their hands in the dirt and ash.

There’s “very little risk” of the fire spreading outside its current footprint, according to fire officials.

The four still-spreading wildfires in western Colorado have largely slowed as firefighters increase containment around their borders and weekend rainstorms increase humidity.

Multiple fires saw overnight containment increases or are expected to see jumps in containment throughout the day Sunday, according to fire officials.

The 2,274-acre , which hasn’t grown since last week, was also 66% contained Sunday, fire officials said.

Three of the four active fires were sparked by lightning during the same July 10 storm. The Sowbelly fire also started during that storm. The fifth fire started in Utah and spread across the Colorado border.

Together, the fires burning on Colorado’s Western Slope have consumed nearly 25,000 acres.

Jump to: Turner Gulch fire������Wright Draw fire | Deer Creek fire ����South Rim fire

Turner Gulch fire and Wright Draw fire near Gateway

Colorado’s largest wildfire, which has burned more than 15,000 acres, is 34% contained, fire officials said.

As of Sunday morning, the had burned 15,737 acres, a 324-acre increase from Saturday. Containment did not increase overnight.

Most of the containment lies along Colorado 141 and the fire’s northern edge, Operations Section Chief Rob Powell said in a .

Crews on Sunday were working to clear brush and debris from residential areas north of the contained fire line, Powell said.

Colorado 141 remains closed in both directions between 7.40 Road and 16.10 Road at mile marker 124, .

“I’ve got some really good news to report on Wright Draw,” Powell said in the Sunday briefing. “On tomorrow’s map, we’re going to start showing a lot of containment on the west side of the fire.”

While the 466-acre hasn’t grown much over the past few days, it’s yet to see any official containment because of how difficult it is for firefighters to access the burn area, .

Crews headed out Sunday to solidify containment lines on the Wright Draw fire’s western edge, which is burning near the Turner Gulch fire on the opposite side of Unaweep Canyon, Powell said.

Rain in the area has increased humidity and slowed both fires’ spread, but since it hasn’t rained directly over the fires, dry fuels remain, fire officials said. Both fires are burning on a mix of dry trees, brush and grass.

Deer Creek fire near Paradox

A more than 16,000-acre wildfire burning across parts of Colorado and Utah was 22% contained Sunday morning, up from 17% Saturday, .

The , which sparked in Utah on July 10, had spread to more than 2,000 acres of Colorado land as of Sunday morning, fire officials said.

It was last mapped on 2,098 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in Colorado, but is also believed to have spread to several hundred acres of U.S. Forest Service land, officials said.

In Colorado, the fire is mostly burning on land north of U.S. 90 and south of U2 and T2 roads in Montrose County, about 3 miles west of Paradox, .

The fire has scorched 16,340 acres, according to a from fire officials. Most of the contained area is along the fire’s western and southwestern edges in Utah.

More than 550 people, six helicopters, five dozers and 32 fire engines were battling the flames across the Utah-Colorado border on Sunday.

“In areas of the fire that are contained, suppression repair activities have been initiated,” fire officials stated in the update. “This includes the restoration of disturbed land from dozers and handlines.”

Crews are working Sunday to build containment lines on the fire’s southeastern edge, in Colorado, Operations Section Chief Jesse Schmidt said in a .

South Rim fire near Montrose

The burning in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park saw minimal overnight growth again Sunday, and fire officials estimate it’s 21% contained.

As of Sunday morning, the Montrose County wildfire had scorched 4,252 acres, up only one acre from Saturday night.

The 21% containment is a 7% increase from Saturday, and more containment jumps are expected throughout the day Sunday, Operations Section Chief Tyler Nathe said in a .

Flames continue to burn down into the bottom of Black Canyon, which is too steep for firefighters to access directly, but there’s “no threat for those to be coming back out and creating issues,” Nathe said.

More than 500 people, six aircraft and 24 fire trucks are battling the wildfire on Sunday, .

The fire has damaged or destroyed several buildings and other areas in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. That includes a welding shop, the facility management building, the Western National Parks warehouse and the South Rim campground.

The national park remains for the foreseeable future. Multiple areas near the fire remain under evacuation orders, including Bostwick Park, .

Colorado 347 also remains closed at the U.S. 50 junction for the fire, according to .

This is a developing story and may be updated.

Four of the state’s actively growing wildfires reported minimal growth Friday into Saturday, with afternoon rain helping fire crews on Colorado’s largest wildfire, the 15,413-acre Turner Gulch fire near Gateway. 

Fire crews increased containment on the 2,274-acre Sowbelly fire to 50% as of Saturday, according to federal fire maps. The fire is burning in the Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area near Delta.

The wildfires, four of which ignited in a lightning storm last week, have burned more than 24,000 acres in western Colorado.

Jump to: Turner Gulch fire������Wright Draw fire | Deer Creek fire ����South Rim fire

Turner Gulch fire and Wright Draw fire near Gateway

A Friday afternoon storm brought enough rain to dampen parts of the state’s largest wildfire, but the Turner Gulch fire is still burning along the east and southwest edges near the Mesa County community of Gateway, fire officials said Saturday.

The fire grew 127 acres Friday, bringing the blaze to 15,413 acres with 34% containment as of Saturday.

Although fire growth has slowed considerably since flames roared across thousands of acres this week, firefighters are still trying to figure out how to access the most remote sections of the Turner Gulch fire and nearby Wright Draw fire, which is burning on 448 acres to the west, on the other side of Unaweep Canyon.

Both fires are burning through a mix of extremely dry trees, brush and grass, including gambel oak, which fire officials said is particularly volatile.

The fires have damaged at least one outbuilding and a U.S. Forest Service building.

Fire crews will continue building and strengthening fire lines with bulldozers, hand tools and strategic burning, officials said Saturday. Crews planned to fly over the most treacherous terrain on both fires to try to develop a containment plan.

The U.S. Forest Service on Saturday closed a section of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests to the public for safety concerns. The forest is closed from Divide Road to the north to County Road 24.4 to the west and along Forest Road 408 to the south and east.

Homes along Colorado 141 remain on pre-evacuation status, and the highway is still closed in both directions between 7.40 Road and 16.10 Road at mile marker 124, .

Deer Creek fire near Paradox

The wildfire in Utah and Colorado has burned 15,892 acres as of Saturday, with 17% contained — up from 6% Friday. While most of the fire has burned across eastern Utah, more than 1,800 acres of Colorado land have been torched.

Federal maps show the east edge of the fire is burning along Montrose County Road T2 and County Road U2, about 3 miles west of Paradox.

Fire crews continue to focus on building fire lines west of Paradox to create a fire break around the community, officials said

There is a community meeting at the Paradox Community Center, 21665 600 Road, at 6 p.m. Saturday, Utah Fire officials said. The meeting will focus on evacuation zones in the Paradox Valley.

South Rim fire near Montrose

More than 500 firefighters and experts responding to the South Rim fire in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park kept the fire from making any large runs Friday, with the fire’s footprint growing just 27 acres as of Saturday.

The lightning-sparked blaze is burning on 4,251 acres in Montrose County, and containment remains at 14%, fire officials said Saturday.

Fire crews are focused on building and strengthening fire lines by removing vegetation, extinguishing hot spots and strategic burning. The wildfire is still burning in the Black Canyon, which is too steep for firefighters to access directly.

When weather allows, pilots will use drones to drop pingpong-size balls of chemicals to ignite small fires around the perimeter, which helps reinforce fire lines. Using drones limits the risk to firefighters, officials said.

The fire has damaged or destroyed several buildings and other infrastructure in the national park, including the facility management building, Western National Parks warehouse, welding shop, some heavy equipment and the South Rim campground.

The national park is until further notice. None of the previously issued evacuation orders has been lifted, and several areas west, south and southeast of the fire — including the Bostwick Park area — remain under evacuation orders,

Colorado 347 is remains closed at the junction of U.S. 50. and the Blue Mesa Reservoir is closed west of Middle Bridge. The Lake Fort Boat Ramp is closed for boat launches.

This is a developing story and may be updated.