Wildfires Significantly Reduce Recreation and Visitation on Western U.S. Public Lands

Wed, 06 May 2026 19:58:00 +0200

Research on wildfires in Colorado and California reveals that large, high-severity fires have long-lasting effects on outdoor recreation. The Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires in Colorado, among the largest on record, caused declines in visitation that persisted for over five years. While Rocky Mountain National Park continued to attract millions of visitors, visitation at burned forested sites dropped by 8% on average in the year of the fire, with high-severity burns reducing visits by 15% to 20%. Grassland fires, by contrast, had minimal impact. In California, wildfire effects were even more pronounced, with high-severity forest fires causing a 33% drop in visitation that lasted five years. Interestingly, small fires sometimes increased visitation, suggesting local adaptation to fire-shaped landscapes. Prescribed burns, which are intentionally low-intensity, often boosted visitation in Colorado and had minor, short-term effects in California, highlighting their potential for bo