Mudslides force closure of East Portal Road, campground and picnic area

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MONTROSE, Colo. - Around 5 p.m. on July 16, 2026, a thunderstorm dropped significant rainfall at Curecanti National Recreation Area, triggering at least three major mudslides on the East Portal Road. Extensive debris washed down from drainages above the roadway, covering significant lengths of the roadway with up to six feet of boulders, rocks, and mud. Debris also covered the entire East Portal campground and much of the East Portal picnic area.

The campground, picnic area, and the East Portal Road will be closed until assessments and repairs can be completed and all facilities are safe for public access. Those assessments and repairs are underway. There is currently no estimate of total damage, costs, or opening dates. The road is close to all traffic including pedestrians and bicyclists.

Twenty-one-day trippers, campers, and anglers were temporarily stranded at the bottom of East Portal Road on July 16. Responders were on scene by 5:45 p.m., and no injuries were reported.

Law enforcement from the National Park Service and facility management crews from the NPS and Bureau of Reclamation arrived, secured the area, and began clearing the roadway with heavy equipment. They were able to evacuate 18 visitors by midnight. One visitor on a motorcycle and two visitors with vehicle problems waited until the roadway was less saturated to depart in daylight and were evacuated by 9 a.m., July 17.

East Portal Road is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation and provides access to the Crystal Dam and Gunnison Tunnel. It also accesses the East Portal Campground and recreational opportunities in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area. The six-mile road has a steep grade of 16%. The road passes through forested areas burned by the 2025 South Rim Fire.

The NPS advises visitors to use extreme caution while traveling in areas with fire scars during times of rain. Soil with little vegetation cover can become saturated and trigger landslides.

Updates on road and campground status can be found on the park websites at www.nps.gov/blca and www.nps.gov/cure.

-NPS-

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