Community Resources

Campfire Information

As the District includes three separate counties, each with their own regulations regarding campfires on private property, following the below instructions will keep you in compliance with regulations in all three counties:

  • Campfires must be within an established fire pit or ring which is no greater than 3’ in diameter and have flame lengths no greater than 3′
  • Fire pits or rings must have 3’ surrounding them cleared of all combustible materials
  • Fire pits or rings must be a minimum of 25’ from any structure
  • Campfires must be attended at all times with the ability to readily extinguish the fire
  • Campfires must be fully extinguished when not attended
  • Only clean, natural materials may be burned (no trash or building materials)
  • No campfires are permitted during High Wind Warnings & Watches, Fire Weather Watches, Red Flag Warnings, or Fire Bans
  • Regardless of which county you reside in, contact Boulder County Communications at (303) 441-4444 to inform them you will be having a campfire

If you observe a campfire which you believe is unsafe, please have the Fire Department notified by calling Boulder County Communications at (303) 441-4444.

Specific regulations for the county in which you reside can be found by following the corresponding link below:

Boulder County
Gilpin County
Jefferson County

Fire Mitigation

Wildfire mitigation is the best way for you to protect your property from wildfire. Unfortunately Coal Creek Canyon Fire does not provide Wildland Fire Mitigation Assessments.

There are many great sources of information on how and why to perform mitigation, and here are some useful links:

Home Safety Checklist
Quick Guide
Boulder Wildfire Mitigation
NFPA Firewise
NFPA Interactive Firewise

Saws & Slaws is a local volunteer fire mitigation service.

Emergency Notifications

An Emergency Notification System allows emergency services to reach out to residents. Typically examples are in case of evacuations due to wild-fire, or noticed to stay inside due to hazardous material incident, and so on. In the days of land lines (where phone numbers were tied to a residence) things were simpler and emergency services could know phone number/resident information from telecommunications providers, but that is no longer the case.

Today with mobile phones and Internet telephony there is no easy way to know all the phone numbers in an area. Further, electronic communications (such as e-mail or TXT) are valuable for some people, especially when they are away from home (e.g. at work.) These new communications approaches are valuable but the resident now needs to register with their local emergency services organizations. This is typically done by county.

Note: Jefferson County has migrated to a new system in early 2022. Please re-check your sign-up, and add all your device numbers.

Register for Emergency Notifications

Boulder County
Gilpin County
Jefferson County

Canyon Driving

Drive safely on your journey through Coal Creek Canyon:

  • Beware of black ice! Do not allow dry roads at the middle or top of the canyon to lower your guard about ice in the lower canyon.
    • At times, especially in spring, the roads can be clear and dry at the top of the canyon leading to a false sense of security, and inappropriately fast speeds. Roads lower in the canyon, in the shadow of the steep canyon walls, can remain icy including with black ice. Roll-over accidents are commonly a result of black ice and most commonly occur in mornings and early afternoons.
  • Beware the soft shoulder! If you do slip into one,  don’t panic. It is not ideal (and can lead to a flat tire) but more typically the soft shoulder is no worse than a bumpy ride. DO NOT over-correct to get back (see below)! Take time to ease back onto road. (The soft shoulder, however, cannot support the weight of heavy vehicles.) 
  • Beware the creek drop offs! Due to rapid reconstruction after the Coal Creek Flood of 2013, the roadways have steep rocky/concrete drop-offs that threaten motor vehicle accidents that may result in additional damage to vehicles and injury to victims.
  • Do not over-correct! Do not turn you wheel suddenly if you slip into the soft shoulder, slip on black ice, or to avoid additional hazards, such as wild life
    • Attempting to rapidly turn the wheel can result in roll-over accidents and head on collisions.
  • Slow Down! Spring mud can be slippery. Make sure to slow down especially around corners. 
  • Maintain Your Vehicle! Especially your tires. Understanding your vehicle how to handle it is essential is handling adverse weather conditions. 
  • Keep a safe distance and do not pass when conditions are abnormal! Refrain from tailgating as your reaction times will need to be greater during adverse weather. Passing should only be done in legal passing zones, but avoided during hazardous conditions. 
  • Do not drive distracted. Do not engage in anything other than driving.
  • Yield in a safe place for emergency vehicles! Do not yield partially off the road, or at a blind curve. An emergency vehicle won’t pass if it cannot do so safely.
  • Visit the Colorado Department Of Transportation FAQ page for more information:

Canyon Entrances & Exits

Prepare for unforeseen conditions by knowing the entrances and exits into the canyon.

The main entrances / exits are these:

  • East: Highway 72 to Highway 93 – the typical route down to the flat lands.
  • West: Highway 72 to Highway 119 – the main route to Nederland or Blackhawk.
  • North: Gross Dam Road past Gross Reservoir, down Flagstaff Road to Boulder.
    • Steep winding dirt roads that are maintained and typically accessible to most vehicles. Increased hazardous road conditions during inclement weather.
  • South: Twin Spruce Road to Gap Road, through Golden Gate Canyon State Park to Golden / Blackhawk, or even Nederland / Boulder.
    • Steep winding dirt roads that are maintained and typically accessible to most vehicles. Increased hazardous road conditions during inclement weather.