Colorado Parks and Wildlife reopens Meeker Area office and two State Wildlife Areas

Rachael Gonzales
Northwest Region Public Information Officer
970-773-8587 / [email protected]
Twitter: @CPW_NW
Colorado Parks and Wildlife reopens Meeker Area office and two State Wildlife Areas

Aug. 20, 2025

MEEKER, Colo. — Due to decreased fire activity and an increase in fire containment lines along the northern perimeter of the Lee Fire, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has reopened the Meeker Area office.

In addition to reopening the area wildlife office, CPW has also removed the closure to Colorow Mountain State Wildlife Area and Rio Blanco Lake State Wildlife Area.

 “We want to thank everyone for their support and patience during the closures,” said Meeker Area Wildlife Manager Johnathan Lambert.  “We are grateful for all the firefighters and first responders, from across the state and the country, who have been working tirelessly to protect our community, and we appreciate their countless efforts in helping contain the Lee and Elk fires.”

The following State Wildlife Areas will remain closed for public and firefighter safety until further notice. 

• Oak Ridge State Wildlife Area 

• Piceance State Wildlife Area - Little Hills Unit and North Ridge Unit 

Gates at these properties have been left open to aid fire crews with their efforts. CPW is asking the public to respect the closures in place, not only for their safety but also for the safety of fire crews on the ground.

Area staff will continue to work with the fire’s incident command to determine when conditions allow CPW to safely reopen the remaining SWAs.

In addition to the closures at the State Wildlife Areas, the White River National Forest - Blanco Ranger District and the Bureau of Land Management - White River Field Office have issued public closures on federal lands in the areas affected by the Lee and Elk fires.

For additional information on nearby State Wildlife Areas or those throughout Colorado, please visit the Colorado Hunting Atlas online or contact your local CPW office.