“Folks with breathing-related ailments like me — we looked forward to breathing a little bit easier,” Ard-Smith testified before the Senate’s Transportation and Energy committee. “I’m concerned that the progress we’ve made as a state and as a city will be thwarted.”

Colorado Springs Utilities, which operates the Ray D. Nixon Power Plant in Fountain, about 85 miles south of Denver, isn’t alone in prolonging the life of its coal-fired plant. Providers that operate two other such plants — one on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains in Craig, and one on the eastern side in Pueblo — did not shut them down on Dec. 31, as planned. State law and replace it with cleaner-burning alternatives such as wind and solar.

Emergency orders from the Trump administration kept the Craig unit from retiring, while equipment malfunctions and transmission grid constraints contributed to the postponed shutdowns of coal-fired units in Pueblo and Colorado Springs, respectively. Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility, and Colorado Springs Utilities requested these delays and were supported by the state.

Residents like Ard-Smith, consumer advocates and doctors statewide agreed that allowing these three coal-fired power plants to stay open beyond their scheduled closure dates will worsen public health, contribute to more deaths and increase costs for ratepayers. The tab is alone to keep the Craig Generating Station online, according to one report.

Coal is and dirtier to combust for power generation than renewable energy. Colorado’s are among the state’s worst polluters and major sources of that obfuscates world-famous views in Rocky Mountain National Park.

These plants are also ringed by communities with lower median incomes and greater proportions of people of color who suffer higher rates of .

Per unit of energy, coal-fired power plants belch more fine particulate matter, mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and  than any other energy source. These generators also release millions of pounds annually of greenhouse gases that warm the atmosphere, causing more intense and extreme weather events such as heat waves, floods and hail.

And that����ap not all: Several of Colorado’s remaining coal-fired plants did not install modern pollution controls in anticipation of their replacement with cleaner energy sources. Their continued use led Gov. Jared Polis to admit in May that the state won’t reach his goal of 100% renewable-powered electricity by 2040, relative to 2005 emissions levels. Utilities will, however, hit — required by law — in 2030, he added.

Keeping the three coal-fired plants open will also exacerbate the state’s air quality, which already , as well as increase hospital visits, missed school time for children with asthma and pregnancy complications, physicians and public health researchers told Capital & Main.

“If we think about our three core functions, we have lungs that keep us breathing, a heart that keeps our blood circulating, and a brain that is the circuit board that runs the body,” said Dr. Sara Carpenter, a pediatrician and executive director of Healthy Air and Water Colorado, a nonpartisan nonprofit comprised of healthcare providers.

“Air pollution, and coal in particular, are lethal to all three of those systems,” she added.

Discontinuing coal use leads to measurable health improvements. Scientists at Colorado State University found in  published in GeoHealth that closing coal-fired power plants would reduce deaths in disproportionately impacted communities.

Conversely, keeping them open will increase mortality, said Sheryl Magzamen, a professor in the environmental and radiological health sciences department at Colorado State University and the study’s lead author.

“Ultimately, the longer these plants operate, people will get sick, and people will die,” the epidemiologist said.

More coal plants kept open across nation

The prolonged lifespans of three coal-fired units in Colorado put them among left open in spite of planned retirements since the president took office for a second time in January 2025. He doubled down on his support of what he calls “clean, beautiful coal” this month when he announced $700 million in federal funding, in part to build the first new such plants in the U.S. in more than a decade in Alaska and West Virginia.

Tapping power from such generators is necessary to help meet escalating electricity demand stemming in large part from data centers that fuel artificial intelligence, his administration said.

Colorado’s attorney general and other state litigators filed suit against the federal government����ap emergency energy orders, claiming that leaving such plants online threatens to unwind hard-fought progress toward a clean-energy economy. About a third of the average global temperature increase since preindustrial times is attributable to coal combustion, according to the International Energy Agency.

The federal orders also prompted Polis to sign into law on June 4  that institutes a cap on greenhouse gas emissions allowed from coal-fired power plants operating past their planned retirement dates.

Backsliding isn’t happening only in the United States, where the White House is actively discouraging investment in wind and solar energy. Worldwide, more than 70% of coal units slated for shutdown last year were kept online, according to from Global Energy Monitor, a nonprofit that tracks global energy use. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projected that retirements scheduled for this year .

A resurgence in coal use was partially to blame for a 2.4% increase in planet-warming emissions in the U.S. last year, after two years of decline, researchers from the Rhodium Group, an independent data provider, revealed in .

In Colorado, power plants continued to use coal as officials warned residents to prepare for the annual “ozone season” — the days between May 31 and Aug. 31 when the state’s unusual topography and unpredictable weather conspire to worsen ground-level pollution.

“Fossil fuel combustion generates a lot of precursors for ozone and they have a pretty substantial rate of spread,” said Jonathan Buonocore, an assistant professor of environmental health at Boston University.

“Air pollution from these things can be cross-continental,” added Buonocore, who worked with other researchers to build a dataset for  published in November in Environmental Research Letters that found that Colorado’s population is among the nation’s most exposed to fossil fuel infrastructure.

Health impacts from smog and ozone

Smog forms when heat and sunlight react with toxic gases released by vehicles, oil and gas rigs, and fossil-fuel-fired power plants, among other sources. Ozone pollution in metropolitan Denver routinely exceeds federal standards throughout the summer, prompting public health officials to issue that direct older residents, children and those with respiratory and other ailments to stay inside.

Colorado’s ozone problems also contribute to failing grades from the American Lung Association for areas near, and within the same region, as coal-fired power units.

Rio Blanco County, located south of the Craig Generating Station, received a “D” grade from the nonprofit for its air quality. Moffat County, where the power station is located, is without monitors that allow the organization to monitor its atmosphere for pollutants.

In , and again in , the U.S. Department of Energy issued a 90-day emergency order that required Unit 1 at the Craig Generating Station, slated to close Dec. 31, to remain operational. Since December, Unit 1 has been fired up for only 16 days to help the regional power authority cope with outages and grid uncertainty, said Mark Stutz, a spokesman for Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.

The facility includes two other coal-fired units. Unit 2 is slated for closure Sept. 30, 2028, and Unit 3 on Jan. 1 of that year, he added.

Tri-State operates Units 1 and 2 with several other providers as part of a co-op that must pass along to ratepayers repair expenses for Unit 1, which needed repairs when the federal government ordered it to remain operational, Tri-State CEO Duane Highley said in a Jan. 29  on the order.

About 300 miles southeast in Pueblo, a coal-fired unit at Xcel Energy’s Comanche Generating Station continues to operate until the end of 2026. The state’s Public Utility Commission approved a request from the utility and state officials of Unit 2 to allow for the repair of Unit 3, which was “extensively damaged” and out of service.

Postponing closures, even for a year, matters for children’s health because their developing lungs are sensitive to air pollution from coal-fired power plants, said Carpenter, the pediatrician.

“Puberty has such big growth spurts, and the lungs really increase in size,” she said. “A study in Southern California found that between 1994 and 2011, as air pollution decreased, lung function development in adolescents increased — it was a statistically significant change.”

Thirty miles north in Fountain, Colorado Springs Utilities will be allowed to keep the Ray D. Nixon coal plant  after Polis signed a bill in May. The three-year extension of the unit����ap life was necessary to allow the utility to meet its clean energy goals as required by state law, Travas Deal, the utility’s chief executive, testified in April at the state Senate’s Transportation and Energy Committee.

The utility needs greater transmission capacity to add renewables like wind and solar, he added, and its customers cannot afford another rate increase beyond the 6.5% a year jump that����ap already in place. The region’s service area led the state in the number of low-income energy assistance program applications in 2025.

“Over the past several years, energy bills have risen faster than wages,” Nicole Means, the utility’s energy assistance program director, told lawmakers. “When energy costs rise, they don’t just strain household budgets, they ripple outward — higher utility bills mean less money for groceries, childcare and healthcare.”

This article was by Capital & Main and is republished here with permission. is an independent, nonprofit investigative news publication that reports on inequality, climate change and other issues.

The reported aggressive behavior is normal for cow elk during this time of year if people get too close to their babies, said Rocky Mountain National Park Public Information Officer Kyle Patterson in an emailed statement, adding that it is currently elk calving season.

The mother who made the report to the National Park Service said that the elk chased her and her daughter Wednesday morning after they walked past her newborn calf near Alberta Falls, which is a waterfall that can be reached by numerous trails near Bear Lake and Glacier Gorge in Rocky Mountain National Park, according to the emailed statement.

She also reported that numerous visitors continued to approach the cow elk and her calf instead of turning back, which Patterson said was unfortunate, and further agitated the elk. Patterson said no injuries were reported.

“In May and early June, some cow elk will separate from the herd and travel solo. This is a sign that an elk might be ready to give birth or she might have a young calf nearby,” Patterson said in the emailed statement. “New mothers of all species can be very aggressive and will act to protect their young.”

The encourages visitors to avoid and be cautious of all known calving areas during calving season. The bird sanctuary along the Lake Estes Trail and the Stanley Park area are common places for elk births, although they can take place anywhere in the park, the .

Patterson said that people should not approach wildlife, especially mothers with young.

She also wrote that newborn elk are born scentless, which she said helps protect them from predators. Patterson added that elk mothers may hide their young in a sheltered area while foraging for food, and that these calves are not being abandoned.

“Always give wildlife plenty of space,” Patterson said in the emailed statement. “Ask how far you should stay away … not how close you can get.”

For more information on viewing wildlife, including tips on how to keep safe and take photographs from a distance, visit

in Grand County, crossing the Continental Divide and topping out at 12,183 feet. Plow drivers began clearing snow in mid-April.

The Alpine Visitor Center and store near the summit also are open.

Although the road is a federal highway (U.S. 34), travelers are required to pay $30 for a one-day vehicle pass or secure another valid park entry pass. Timed-entry . Non-U.S. residents are required to pay an additional $100.

Adverse weather in the alpine environment can cause temporary closures of the road. Visitors can check road status by calling a recording at 970-586-1222.

There were waits of up to 90 minutes at park entrances, and once people got inside, they found the parking lots full, according to media reports and social media posts. A long line of hikers formed at the upper section of the hiker’s route on iconic Half Dome, just below the summit — a section so steep, there are steel cables for protecting hikers against falls.

Timed-entry requirements also were dropped this year at Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, after local county commissioners sent a letter to the park superintendent withdrawing their support for the reservation system. They cited an 18% decline in visitor spending since the imposition of reservation requirements in 2022. Glacier National Park in Montana and Mount Rainier National Park in Washington also got rid of their reservation requirements.

Supporters of entry reservation requirements, including conservation groups and some elected officials, have blamed the Trump Administration for pressuring the parks to remove them. It’s the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the National Park Service, which includes staffing cuts, mining expansion and an executive order that required the parks to remove exhibits that “inappropriately disparage Americans,” which critics said is an effort to whitewash history.

But in Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park was allowed to keep its six-year-old peak-season timed-entry system, which took effect this year on Friday, May 22, and will run into October. That’s because Interior Department officials went along with the recommendation of superintendent Gary Ingram to continue with its two-tiered reservation system. And when Interior Secretary Doug Burgum met with community leaders last month, they expressed their support for the policy.

“There were a lot of businesses and other groups around the table, and it was pretty much universal that the [9 a..m. to 2 p.m.] timed entry for the vast area of the park — not counting the Bear Lake corridor — is not a deterrent to visit,” recalled Estes Park mayor Gary Hall.

“The timed entry in Rocky is not a substantial impedance. Most people agree with that in town,” he added.

People are much happier

Timed-entry at Rocky began in 2020 as a response to the COVID pandemic, but park officials were already evaluating potential strategies to prevent overcrowding at what was then the fourth busiest of the nation’s 63 national parks. Timed entry was retained as a trial “pilot” program from 2021 through 2023 and was adopted permanently in 2024.

Rocky was the sixth busiest national park in 2025, when Yosemite bumped it out of fifth place.

As in previous years, reservations for 2026 are required from 5 a.m. until 6 p.m. for the popular Bear Lake corridor, while reservations for the rest of the park are required from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Ingram, who has been in charge since 2023, is aware of what happened at Yosemite this month after its reservation system was eliminated.

“I can’t speak for the other parks,” Ingram said. “The key aspects we’re looking for are maintaining positive visitor experiences. The safety aspect has always been key to me. When you have gridlock going up to Bear Lake, or any one of these areas, it����ap hard to get emergency vehicles to someone who has fallen and hit their head at Rock Cut or having some sort of episode up at AVC,” a reference to the Alpine Visitor Center high on Trail Ridge Road.

“The other thing is that it protects the resources,” Ingram said. “We can manage people a heck of a lot better when we spread out that visitation through the day.”

In the four years before timed entry, Rocky averaged more than 4.5 million visitors annually. In the past four years, it averaged just over 4.25 million.

“When timed entry was first launched six years ago, it was a very difficult year following many difficult years of visitors and park employees being incredibly frustrated with crowding in the park,” said Estee Rivera Murdock, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, which is the park’s non-profit partner. “Fast forward six years, and the local community largely understands the value of timed entry. They see that they have a better experience.

“The local business community was really concerned in the beginning,” she added. “Now that we’ve had years of sales tax (data), they know people are much happier, rather than sitting in standstill traffic for two hours.”

At Yosemite, superintendent Ray McPadden said in an announcement that he decided to scrap the reservation system after conducting an analysis of last year’s traffic patterns, parking availability and visitor use.

“We are committed to visitor access, safety and resource protection, and will continue active traffic management strategies to ensure a great visitor experience,” McPadden said. “While reservation systems are one valuable management tool, our data demonstrates that a season-wide reservation requirement is not the most effective approach.”

John Buckley, executive director of the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center, strongly disagrees, citing frequent incidents of vehicles parked illegally between trees in Yosemite Valley along roads packed with cars.

“I’ve frequently seen vehicles parked along the edges of meadows where parking is not allowed,” Buckley said. “When visitor numbers are spiking, I’ve often seen sensitive habitat areas such as riverbanks along the Merced River in Yosemite Valley get so crowded that riparian vegetation gets trampled and stream banks suffer.”

Buckley is one who suspects pressure from the Trump administration and a local lawmaker were behind the decision to eliminate timed entry.

“The local congressman, Tom McClintock, has consistently promoted unlimited visitation to ensure higher profits for Yosemite region gateway businesses when there are maximum levels of tourism,” Buckley said. “He’s repeatedly expressed strong opposition to any limits on vehicles or visitors to the park, and he has publicly taken some of the credit for the administration choosing this year to abandon any day-use reservation system in Yosemite Park.”

McClintock has been a longtime advocate of expanding public access to Yosemite and opposing reservation requirements.

“The 750,000-acre national park can welcome many more visitors than it does today without restricting access,” he wrote last year in a column on his official website. “All that is missing is a visitor-friendly attitude by Yosemite Park management and a willingness to be a good neighbor to the gateway communities and businesses that depend on tourism.”

“Logical arguments”

If the decision to eliminate reservations at Yosemite came from the top in Washington, as critics allege, that doesn’t explain why Rocky was allowed to continue its approach.

“I can’t speak to their decision to approve this,” Ingram said. “I can tell you, since day one of my arrival here, it was all about the adaptability and flexibility that our timed-entry program has. It gives an opportunity for the short daytrippers who want to come in before 9, or just want to come up and see a sunset, they’ll be coming after 2. Even at Bear Lake, you can still get in there before 5 o’clock in the morning or after 6 (in the evening).”

Hall, the Estes Park mayor, suspects Rocky got approval for retaining its policy because of Ingram’s relationship with his superiors.

“You could call this speculation, but I’ve seen enough signs that I feel he makes good logical arguments, and it has been accepted,” Hall said. “I do believe that Mr. Ingram has a good relationship with Interior, that he has a good argument for why the 9-to-2 is not draconian, and why it does really help management of the park. I think his arguments got through and make sense to Interior, and he’s allowed to do it.”

In Moab, Grand County (Utah) commissioner Brian Martinez sees the decisions at Rocky and Arches as an indication that the Interior Department is sensitive to community sentiment.

“It sounds like the Department of the Interior listened to the local communities and gave them what they wanted,” Martinez said.

Timed entry at Arches cost Grand County businesses $40-$50 million per year in lost revenue since it was introduced in 2022, according to Martinez, plus about $10 million in county and state tax revenues.

“Over the last three years, Arches National Park visitation has been reduced to 2015 visitation levels,” the county commission wrote in its letter to the superintendent last year. “This is having a detrimental impact on Grand County’s economy, negatively impacting Grand County’s working people and the ability of the Grand County Commission to provide services to the local community.”

Community leaders in Moab have been working with park officials to create a shuttle system from town to manage traffic and parking issues in the park.

“When I look at the problem of the crowding that they talk about at Arches, it����ap not a people problem, it����ap a car problem,” said Martinez, who expects the shuttle service to begin this fall. “It����ap not that we have too many people, we just have too many cars, and we don’t have the infrastructure and the road to deal with them.”

While community leaders in Estes Park voiced support for timed entry when Burgum visited last month, they did raise concerns over conflicting messages coming from the Trump administration last year regarding national parks staffing in the wake of Elon Musk’s DOGE cost-cutting.

“Last year we lost a lot of potential business because people didn’t know what the status was going to be after those firings, rehirings, furloughs and various other things,” Hall said. “Consistency of messaging was the single biggest issue that was discussed around the table. The secretary seemed to accept that as a valid point.”

Ingram said his more than 33 years as a park ranger, which taught him how to deal with life-and-death situations, also helps him navigate the uncertainty coming from Washington.

“It taught me to be flexible and limber and always try to find solutions in worst-case scenarios,” Ingram said. “Whether it was a high-angle rescue, a swiftwater rescue, a car over the edge, a violent person in a campground, we’re always going to give it our best shot to find a solution.

“Whenever a new administration comes in, there’s always change,” he added. “I have counted on my ability to be flexible and to respond in a positive way that will have the least amount of impact to the park, the park employees and the visitors.”

The snowstorm that swept through the region Monday and Tuesday dumped more than a foot of fresh snow at high elevations in the park, according to park officials. By Wednesday morning, Rainbow Curve along Trail Ridge Road on the east side of the park had recorded more than 12 inches of new snow, with additional snow expected in the coming days.

As a result, officials said it remains unclear when Trail Ridge Road — the nation’s highest continuous paved highway — will reopen for through travel. The road is currently closed at Many Parks Curve on the east side of the park and at the Colorado River Trailhead on the west side.

Park officials cited continued snowfall, high winds and changing weather conditions at higher elevations as factors complicating snow removal efforts and reopening plans.

Visitors can monitor current road conditions through the park’s official website, , social media accounts, @RockyNPS, and the Trail Ridge Road recorded status line at 970-586-1222.

The park is set to begin its 2026 timed entry reservation system on Friday continuing its strategy to reduce congestion and improve visitor experiences during the busy summer season, according to a news release from the park.

The reservation system, finalized through the park’s Day Use Visitor Access Plan in 2024, “manages day use visitor access in a way that maintains positive visitor experiences, promotes safety, protects the park’s resources, and supports the park’s ability to maintain daily operations,” according to the release.

As in 2025, two types of reservations will be offered. One reservation covers the Bear Lake Road Corridor and provides access to the entire park from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. A second reservation applies to the rest of the park, excluding Bear Lake Road, and is required from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors may enter and access the park, excluding Bear Lake Road, before 9 a.m. or after 2 p.m. without a timed entry reservation.

To make a timed entry reservation, visit or by using the Recreation.gov mobile app, calling the reservation line at 877-444-6777, calling the reservation line (international) at 606-515-6777, or calling the reservation line (TDD) at 877-833-6777.

Reservations allow visitors to enter during a designated two-hour window, with no set departure time. The only fee associated with the reservation system is a $2 processing charge through Recreation.gov.

The Bear Lake Road reservation requirement will remain in effect through Oct. 19, while the rest-of-park reservation system will end Oct. 13.

Additional reservations will be released in phases throughout the summer, with monthly booking windows opening on the first day of each month beginning June 1.

Park officials encouraged visitors to prepare carefully before traveling into the mountains, warning that weather conditions in the Rockies can shift rapidly, even late in the spring season.

A will be in effect from late Sunday night to 6 p.m. Monday for Colorado’s mountains, according to the weather service. The advisory covers parts of Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Grand, Jackson, Larimer, Park and Summit counties.

Roughly 3 to 15 inches are expected across the warning area, according to the advisory.

As of Sunday morning, :

• 3 inches in Nederland, with up to 10 inches possible
• 4 inches in Georgetown, with up to 12 inches possible
• 6 inches in Winter Park, with up to 11 inches possible
• 7 inches in Eldora, with up to 14 inches possible
• 9 inches on U.S. 6’s Loveland Pass, with up to 14 inches possible
• 10 inches on Colorado 14’s Cameron Pass near Walden and U.S. 34’s Milner Pass in Rocky Mountain National Park, with up to 21 inches possible
• 12 inches on U.S. 40’s Berthoud Pass near Winter Park, with up to 20 inches possible
• 12 inches on Mount Zirkel, the highest summit of the Park Range of the Rocky Mountains, with up to 24 inches possible

No snow is expected to accumulate in Denver, though trace amounts could fall in the southern metro area, according to the weather service.

Snow was expected to start in the mountains early Sunday and intensify overnight, with accumulating snow likely through Wednesday morning, according to .

The mountain snow, combined with up to 45 mph wind gusts, will create hazardous travel conditions, forecasters said in the advisory.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

The app is especially important to Colorado, it turns out, because the state placed second to California for the most navigations (activities recorded by app members) and elevation gained, according to 2025 data released by the company. Colorado was also third for hiking distance with 11.6 million miles logged, following Oregon and California.

But not all trails on AllTrails are created equal. Here are the 10 most popular hikes in Colorado, listed from most to least navigated using AllTrails last year. Routes range from easy to strenuous, and all are within a two-hour drive of Denver.

10)

Arapaho National Forest, Dillon

Hike length: 6.6 miles out and back

Elevation gain: 1,758 feet

This short but challenging stretch of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) is especially popular during peak wildflower season. Rosy paintbrushes and blue and white columbines line the path in July, followed by golden willows in autumn. The start of this hike is especially steep, as is the last half-mile to Herman Lake, but the views are unparalleled. Plan to start early, as this trail ascends above treeline.

9)

Roosevelt National Forest, Eldora

Hike length: 4.2 miles out and back

Elevation gain: 830 feet

A popular day trip and backpacking destination, Lost Lake is located just west of Eldora. A free shuttle operates between the town and the Hessie Trailhead on select dates between May 22 and Oct. 11, as parking is limited. This moderate route features several waterfalls and wooden bridges over Boulder Creek, along with eight designated campsites around the lake. Note that moose are often seen on this trail.

8)

Mount Evans Wilderness, Idaho Springs

Hike length: 7.3 miles out and back

Elevation gain: 2,736 feet

Many summit Mount Bierstadt as their first fourteener given its distance from Denver and lesser degree of difficulty. Still, this Class 2 trail demands serious effort. From the trailhead, a wooden boardwalk leads to steep switchbacks and some scrambling near the 14,064-foot peak, which offers panoramic Front Range views. Arrive before dawn to secure parking and to beat summer’s afternoon storms.

7)

Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park

Hike length: 5.2 miles out and back

Elevation gain: 1,112 feet

Located in Rocky Mountain National Park, this extension of Colorado’s most popular trail connects four alpine lakes: Nymph, Dream and Emerald, as well as Haiyaha. To reach the last in the series, take the side trail on the east end of Dream Lake, passing Longs Peak views before reaching Lake Haiyaha. Trout swim in its brilliant turquoise waters, while elk and sunbathing marmots are often seen from the path.

6)

Mount Galbraith Park, Golden

Hike length: 4.3-mile lollipop loop

Elevation gain: 921 feet

With its easy access, moderate difficulty and expansive views, the Mount Galbraith Loop is appealing. Follow the narrow Cedar Gulch Trail, then veer left at the junction to ascend the circuit clockwise, admiring Golden scenery and the distant Denver skyline. Though rocky, the loop’s descent is shaded by pines, unlike much of this otherwise sunny hike. Be wary of rattlesnakes in the warm months.

5)

Arapaho National Forest, Idaho Springs

Hike length: 1.7 miles out and back

Elevation gain: 508 feet

Past the town of Idaho Springs, drive up forested Fall River Road to this short but famous and much-loved trail with its grand views. The route gains steady elevation to the glistening shore of Saint Mary’s Lake, which is set beneath a semi-permanent snowfield. Many hikers cool off on this patch of frost before returning the way they came. Be sure to arrive early, as lots fill quickly during peak season; there is also a $20 parking fee.

4)

Pike National Forest, Manitou Springs

Hike length: 4.1-mile loop

Elevation gain: 1,978 feet

Despite its heart-pounding difficulty, the Manitou Incline is the state’s fourth busiest trail. Railroad ties of a former cable car track create its steep staircase, which ascends around 2,000 feet in less than a mile. Downhill hiking is not permitted on the Incline, but three bailout points help ease concerns. Those who reach the top return via the Barr Trail’s switchbacks. Note: free online reservations are required.

3)

Clear Creek Canyon Park, Golden

Hike length: 2.5-mile lollipop

Elevation gain: 239 feet

Located west of downtown Golden, the Gateway Trailhead provides hikers access to this easy lollipop route, which features a short segment of the paved Clear Creek Trail (previously known as the Peaks to Plains Trail). Around the one-mile marker, cross the sturdy Welch Ditch suspension bridge and start back towards the trailhead, following along the rugged canyon walls that often draw rock climbers.

2)

Red Rocks Park, Morrison

Hike length: 1.6-mile loop

Elevation gain: 364 feet

Visitors to Red Rocks Amphitheatre see a new perspective of the landscape on this short, moderate loop. The dusty path weaves between spiky yucca, twisted shrubs and towering sandstone formations of rusty hues. Despite the frequent crowds, mule deer are a common sighting. Hikers can start this trail at the Trading Post or from access points adjacent to the Upper South Lot.

1)

Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park

Hike length: 3.3 miles out and back

Elevation gain: 715 feet

It may come as no surprise that Colorado’s busiest trail is set in Rocky Mountain National Park. On this moderate route, hikers pass lily pad-covered Nymph Lake and dramatic Dream Lake views before reaching the edge of sparkling Emerald Lake. From May 22 to Oct. 18, timed-entry reservations are required, and the park’s free shuttle is recommended, given limited parking at the Bear Lake Trailhead.

Forecast models show a good chance of 5 to 8 inches over most of the Interstate 25 corridor and up to a foot closer to the foothills and the Palmer Divide, forecasters said Tuesday.

While snowy roads will cause headaches for commuters on Wednesday morning, tree damage will likely have a bigger impact, according to the agency.

Just 3 to 5 inches of wet snow is enough to break small tree limbs, while 8 inches can cause significant damage to large trees and up to a foot “could result in widespread/nearly catastrophic tree damage,” forecasters said.

plans to place crews on standby to respond to and repair any outages caused by the spring snowstorm, according to utility officials.

“If you see a downed or sagging power line, stay away,” Xcel officials said. “Never touch or move a downed power line; instead, leave the area and report it immediately by calling 1-800-895-1999.”

The storm is on track to be one of Denver’s largest May snowstorms on record, , but it won’t be enough to reverse the drought.

As of Tuesday evening, from the weather service included:

• 1 inch in Brush and Fort Morgan, with up to 3 inches possible
• 6 inches in Aurora, Arvada, Brighton, Commerce City, Denver, Littleton and Parker, with up to 8 inches possible
• 7 inches in Centennial, Broomfield, Highlands Ranch and Lakewood, with up to 8 inches possible
• 7 inches in Winter Park, with up to 14 inches possible
• 8 inches in Fort Collins, Monument Hill and Roxborough Park, with up to 10 inches possible
• 9 inches in Black Hawk and Central City, with up to 12 inches possible
• 9 inches on U.S. 6’s Loveland Pass, with up to 17 inches possible
• 10 inches in Boulder and Georgetown with up to 12 inches possible
• 10 inches on U.S. 40’s Berthoud Pass near Winter Park, with up to 19 inches possible
• 10 inches on Colorado 14’s Cameron Pass, which runs between Fort Collins and Walden, with up to 13 inches possible
• 11 inches in Conifer, with up to 13 inches possible
• 12 inches in Estes Park, with up to 15 inches possible
• 13 inches in Eldora, with up to 16 inches possible
• 17 inches at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, with up to 21 inches possible

Outside of Colorado’s mountains, where snow started falling earlier Tuesday, the heaviest snow will hit overnight and into Wednesday morning before tapering off by the afternoon, .

Most of Colorado was under severe weather alerts Tuesday evening, according to the weather service.

for heavy snow and hazardous travel were issued Monday for higher-elevation areas in Boulder, Grand, Jackson and Larimer counties. Those warnings will remain in effect until 3 p.m. Wednesday.

will be in effect for the metro area from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the weather service. That includes parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Jefferson and Larimer counties.

, which rank below winter storm warnings in , will cover parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Elbert, Grand, Jackson, Lincoln, Morgan, Park, Summit, Washington and Weld counties from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 3 p.m. Wednesday.

will also cover large swaths of Colorado — including the Western Slope, Eastern Plains, urban corridor and southern state — from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The Yampa River Basin is under an additional freeze watch for Tuesday night.

“Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,” forecasters wrote in the watch.

While not a reset for the state’s extreme drought, the spring storm will provide moisture after an unusually warm winter.

The winter storm debuted Monday with a series of cold fronts rolling in with the possibility of rain showers and thunderstorms later Monday afternoon, Danielson said.

But the weather action should really kick off Tuesday. Ditch those short sleeves and sandals as temperatures are expected to descend into the 30s by 3 p.m. A mix of rain and light snow is likely to fall throughout the day on Tuesday, but not much is expected to accumulate. By 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, the precipitation is likely to switch to all snow in Denver and across northeastern Colorado, Danielson said.

Warm temperatures should keep the snow from causing too much traffic tomfoolery on Tuesday, but by the evening, roads are likely to turn slick, Danielson said. The Wednesday morning commute may prove wicked.

“The good news with that is we’re not expecting impacts on the roads basically through Tuesday evening just because roads will be so warm despite snow falling,” Danielson said. “The Wednesday morning commute is the one that����ap going to be the worst conditions.”

The snow is forecast to continue for a decent chunk of Wednesday, Danielson said, but the May sun will help melt the worst of it during the day in the metro area, according to NWS. The snow is likely to be heavy and wet, NWS said, so watch out below for overburdened tree branches and sagging power lines. Power outages are a possibility.

On Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a freeze watch across swaths of the state — east central, north central and northeast — including Boulder, Golden, Greeley, Littleton, Denver International Airport, Fort Lupton and Castle Rock.

The freeze watch is in effect from Wednesday night through Thursday morning as sub-freezing temperatures as low as 23 degrees are possible, according to NWS.

Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing, NWS warned.

Meteorologists warned folks should take steps now to protect their plants from the cold.

As of Monday morning, included expected totals of:

• 2 inches in Greeley and Fort Collins with up to 5 inches possible
• 3 inches in Denver, Commerce City and Brighton with up to 5 inches possible
• 5 inches in Aurora, Highlands Ranch, Broomfield and Castle Rock with up to 9 inches possible
• 6 inches in Parker, Centennial, with up to 11 inches possible
• 7 inches in Boulder and Castle Rock with up to 11 inches possible
• 9 inches at Breckenridge with up to 14 inches possible
• 11 inches on Interstate 70’s Vail Pass, with up to 17 inches possible
• 11 inches in Evergreen, with up to 15 inches possible
• 13 inches in Black Hawk and Central City, with up to 19 inches possible
• 14 inches in Georgetown and on Colorado 9’s Hoosier Pass near Fairplay, with up to 21 inches possible
• 14 inches in Winter Park, with up to 25 inches possible
• 17 inches in Estes Park, with up to 21 inches possible
• 17 inches on U.S. 6’s Loveland Pass, with up to 27 inches possible
• 18 inches in Nederland, with up to 22 inches possible
• 20 inches in Eldora, with up to 27 inches possible
• 20 inches on U.S. 40’s Berthoud Pass near Winter Park, with up to 33 inches possible
• 25 inches on Colorado 14’s Cameron Pass near Walden, with up to 36 inches possible
• 27 inches at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, with up to 35 inches possible

The precipitation is much needed as extreme drought plagues the state, Danielson said.

Low snow in the Colorado mountains during the exceptionally warm winter has led to below-average flows in the waterways that supply metro Denver — around 18% of the norm last week in the Colorado River Basin and 2% of the norm in the South Platte River Basin, according to Denver Water measurements.

While the snow is “exactly what the doctor ordered,” Danielson said it’s not enough for a miraculous drought reversal.

“It����ap great, but when the northern mountains and northwest Colorado are in the worst category of drought… it won’t make a significant impact on that level of drought,” Danielson said. “But it is a huge help, and we’re thankful for this moisture coming our way.”

The weather service also issued for parts of Adams, Arapahoe, El Paso, Elbert, Jackson, Lincoln, Park, Summit, Teller and Weld counties. Those advisories will be in effect from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Wednesday.

If snow falls in the metro as predicted, it will mark Denver’s latest measurable spring snow since 2022, . The latest spring snow ever recorded in Denver was on June 2, 1951.

For those lamenting the snow, don’t fret for too long. Warm weather is expected to return by the end of the week. In true Colorado fashion, Thursday’s forecast is sunny with a high near 67, according to the National Weather Service.

As a yearslong stalemate in negotiations persists between the seven states that share the river, it’s become increasingly likely that the federal government will impose its own long-term plan, choosing from a range of proposals officials have outlined in recent months.

But experts and water managers across the 250,000-square-mile Colorado River basin are raising the alarm about the five plans, questioning if any of them hold up under the new climate reality. They say the federal plans won’t keep the system from crashing in critically dry years — which are becoming more frequent — and could wreak chaos on the pivotal lifeline for 40 million people in the American Southwest.

“In every one of those alternatives, under what they call critically dry hydrology, the system is failing,” said Andy Mueller, the general manager of , a taxpayer-funded agency based in Glenwood Springs that works to protect Western Slope water. “And critically dry hydrology is what we have continued to see consistently in the basin in the last 25 years and what we should expect going forward.”

Climate change and persistent drought have already sapped hundreds of billions of gallons of water from the river’s annual flow. Officials from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Friday to add more water to Lake Powell — one of the system’s two major reservoirs downstream of the river’s headwaters in the Colorado mountains — after updated projections showed that spring flows into the already-low reservoir could be less than a third of average.

Federal water managers over the next year will release hundreds of millions of gallons of water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Wyoming and Utah to keep Lake Powell above “minimum power pool” — the reservoir elevation needed to send water through hydropower turbines. Without access to the turbines, water released from the dam must flow through much smaller bypass tubes that are , choking flow from one of the West’s largest water banks.

Emergency decisions like those taken Friday illustrate some of the risks of failing to prepare for intense drought, experts say.

In extremely dry years, the longer-term plans under consideration by Reclamation would allow the water levels of the system’s two main reservoirs to repeatedly fall below minimum power pool. Federal officials then would be forced to make recurring emergency cuts to the water supplies of the three states downstream of the reservoirs, creating uncertainty for millions of people and a massive agricultural industry.

For more than two years, negotiators from the seven states that rely on the river have tried and failed to agree on that runs from Colorado’s high country to Mexico. The technical nitty-gritty of the disputes is wonky, but the key issue underlying the schism between the states is simple: Who should be forced to use less water — and how much less — as the Colorado River’s flows shrink?

Reclamation officials on Friday said they are preparing to implement their own plan this summer if the states can’t agree on answers to those questions. In January, federal officials released five potential operational guidelines — called “alternatives” in federal jargon — and asked for input.

They , including critiques from across the basin asserting that none of their plans would function well in dry years. That criticism also applied to the only plan the Bureau of Reclamation can implement without consensus from the basin states or without gaining new legal powers.

Letters from a number of Colorado entities — including the , , the Western Slope’s and county commissions from a vast swath of the state — urged federal officials to present at least one plan that would hold up in extremely dry years.

“Sound science dictates that Colorado River management must evolve to handle a permanently drier future,” Tina Bergonzini, the general manager of the Grand Valley Water Users Association, . “The current federal preference for predictability is an atmospheric impossibility given that studies indicate rising temperatures have already slashed river flows by a fifth.”

Bureau of Reclamation officials declined an interview request for this story. But they have publicly acknowledged the risk.

“In critically dry periods, all of the alternatives have unacceptable performance,” bureau engineer Rebecca Smith said during . Even imposing large cuts to water usage in those years would not keep the major reservoirs at functional levels, she said.

The conflict on the Colorado is likely one of the world’s first major water policy overhauls to grapple with the reality of climate change, said , a senior water and climate research scholar at Colorado State University’s .

In the past, Colorado River managers made operational tweaks and short-term deals to address drought. This time, it’s different.

“We’re not looking at an incremental step here,” Udall said. “We’re looking at a complete redo of how we operate this resource that affects 40 million people.”

‘Downright scary what����ap going on’

The West first wrestled with divvying up the powerful Colorado River in 1922, when delegates from each of the seven states met in Santa Fe and signed .

At its most basic, the compact divides up the 18 million acre-feet of water then estimated to be in the river — including 7.5 million acre-feet reserved for the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico, and 7.5 million acre-feet for the Lower Basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada. An acre-foot of water is the volume of water it takes to cover an acre of land in a foot of water — about 326,000 gallons — and is generally considered the annual water consumption of two families.

The 18 million acre-feet was likely an overestimation of how much water there was even a century ago, but today’s river provides even less than the total amounts promised to states in 1922.

“Since 2000, the flows have been radically different,” Udall said.

The 20-year average annual flow measured in 1925 was 17.6 million acre-feet, Bureau of Reclamation data show. In 2025, it was 12.7 million acre-feet.

But even that number hides the reality of recent dry years. The five-year average amounts to only 10.9 million acre-feet. Last year’s flow measured at 8.5 million acre-feet.

This year will be even lower due to record-low snowpack across much of the basin.

The conditions this year are not a one-off, Udall said, but symptoms of a larger warming trend fueled by human-caused global climate change. Hotter temperatures not only increase water loss through evaporation but also make plants and soils thirstier, reducing the amount of water that flows downstream. Evidence is also piling up indicating that climate change is reducing precipitation across the Colorado River’s headwaters, Udall said.

“I think this is quite nerve-racking — and perhaps just downright scary — what����ap going on,” he said.

The Bureau of Reclamation acknowledges the likelihood of a hotter, drier future in its draft environmental impact statement, though it shies away from using the term climate change.

“The basin is experiencing increased aridity due to climate variability, and long-term drought and low-runoff conditions are expected in the future,” the document’s executive summary states.

Expect more critically dry years

Future hydrology is the biggest and most impactful uncertainty federal officials must reckon with while crafting plans for the river, Smith said in the January webinar.

The bureau modeled hundreds of potential future conditions and then compared how each of its five proposed plans would perform under different levels of river flow over the next 20 years, broken into three categories:

• Average (12-14 million acre-feet average over 20 years)
• Dry (10-12 million acre-feet average over 20 years)
• Critically dry (less than 10 million acre-feet average over 20 years)

If average flows over the next two decades fall in the “average” category, the plans generally would be able to keep Lakes Powell and Mead — the two big downstream reservoirs — above critical levels and eliminate the need for emergency reductions in water supplies to keep them functional.

But that’s not how recent years have gone.

Since 2020, Colorado River flows have fallen into Reclamation’s “critically dry” category in four of six water years. The repeated dry years, coupled with downstream consumption that has not changed to match the reduction in inflow, have and Mead, which are now less than a third full.

“Critically dry hydrology is what we have continued to see consistently in the basin and what we should expect going forward,” said Mueller, from the Colorado River District.

Between 2021 and 2025, the river’s flows averaged 11.2 million acre-feet — low enough to fall into Reclamation’s dry hydrology category. That average was boosted by the unusually wet 2023 year when the river delivered 17.4 million acre-feet of water, while most of the other years fell into the critically dry category.

As modeled by the bureau, if critically dry years continue, Powell and Mead will more often fall so low that their will become unusable, impacting power availability for more than 1 million people. Bureau officials would more often be forced to implement emergency water cuts to try to keep the reservoirs functional.

In , the Colorado River District urged officials to add an alternative plan that would function well in critically dry periods.

“The population of the state of Colorado and the entire Colorado River basin is best served by the Department of the Interior studying alternatives that actually bring the system into balance,” Mueller said, referring to the cabinet department above the bureau. “And recognizing that those management alternatives will have some extremely harsh realities — hydrologically and politically — up and down the basin. But that����ap what we’re best served by.”

Bureau of Reclamation’s most likely plan

Without a deal between the seven states or obtaining more legal authority from Congress or the states, federal officials will be forced to implement a plan dubbed “Basic Coordination.”

The plan mandates the least cuts for the Lower Basin states and is generally less flexible than the other proposals.

In dry periods under that plan, Lakes Powell and Mead could fall below minimum power pool 30% to 40% of the time, according to Bureau of Reclamation projections. In critically dry periods, that figure rises to more than 70%.

The federal agency estimates that Lake Powell will be vulnerable to falling below that level in the first five years under the Basic Coordination plan if the average annual flows in that period amount to less than 11.3 million acre-feet. The five-year average has fallen below that level in three of the last five years.

If the federal government enacts the Basic Coordination plan, the bureau will keep scrambling to make emergency decisions to ensure Powell and Mead are operable. Such decisions could involve cuts to Lower Basin water supplies or the sending of water from federally-managed reservoirs upstream — like Flaming Gorge or Colorado’s Blue Mesa — to keep enough water in Powell.

Federal officials could also seek water from other water sources the government owns or operates in Colorado, Mueller said, such as from irrigation projects on the Western Slope or , which delivers Colorado River water across the Continental Divide to northeastern Colorado.

“Legal uncertainty and hydrologic uncertainty would erupt,” he said. “We, as good water managers throughout our state and the basin, should try to avoid that.”

Under the Basic Coordination plan, reactive chaos will erode what certainty remains on the changing river, said , the regional policy manager for , a climate advocacy organization.

“We will be right back where we are with emergency operations,” he said, like pulling water from upstream reservoirs to prop up Powell. “But you can’t do that every single year because there isn’t enough water in the Upper Basin reservoirs.”

Bureau of Reclamation officials plan to finalize new long-term guidelines by Aug. 15, in time for the Oct. 1 start to the new water year, which generally tracks with the start of snowfall.

“You don’t want to limp through with Basic Coordination, you’d want to put everything on the table you can,” Berggren said.

“We’re facing a crisis,” he continued. “We have tools available, we know what they are — we just need to implement them.”