Your Safety

Hikers with baby

Colorado National Monument contains rugged and remote landscapes. Always be prepared when hiking by carrying a map, compass, extra water, food, first aid kit and warm clothing.

• Bicyclists and motorists share the Rim Rock Drive. Please drive or bike cautiously. Bicyclists are required to ride single file at all times within the monument.
• Use bicycle lights in the tunnels.
• Watch your step and your children at overlooks, along canyon rims, and at steep dropoffs.
• Watch where you put your feet and hands. You may be sharing the land with rattlesnakes and scorpions.
• When hiking, carry a gallon of water per person per day. Use sunscreen and a hat. Wear sturdy footwear, a long sleeve shirt and long pants. Gnats (biting midges) can be a problem from May to August. Be sure to carry insect repellant.
• Let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to return.
• From April to July, seasonal pools may exist in canyon bottoms. Please do not enter these pools. Sunscreens and lotions pollute these waters that are important to wildlife.
• Avoid ridgetops and open ground during lightning storms.
• Less than ¼-inch of rain can produce flash floods. Flash floods are caused by run-off from intense, localized thunderstorms that drop a large amount of rain over a short period of time. They are most common in July, August, and September, but can occur at any time of the year. Move to higher ground immediately.