Fire Information for Travelers

Montana is 93 million acres of spectacular unspoiled nature. Because of our diverse landscape and weather, wildfires happen as a natural part of Montana’s ecology. Sometimes a fire occurs near a popular destination, but there’s no reason to let it stop you from enjoying your Montana experience!

Below you’ll see information about current fires with potential impacts on travel. If a fire is occurring near your destination, remember it’s being managed by experts whose top priority is public safety. If an area is open, it’s safe.

If you have questions or would like assistance with your Montana itinerary, feel free to call a travel counselor at 800.847.4868 or go to VisitMT.com to start a live chat.

Latest Activity

Updated August 17 at 6:14 pm

BEESKOVE FIRE 
The lightning-caused Beeskove Fire burning on the Lolo National Forest near Missoula has temporarily closed portions of the popular Rattlesnake National Recreation Area to provide for public safety as heavy machinery and crews move into the area and continue operations. Many areas in the Rattlesnake remain open like Sawmill Gulch and the Rattlesnake Wilderness. Additionally, the Woods Gulch trailhead and the Marshall Canyon area remain open. On August 17, 2019, the majority of the closure for National Forest Lands within the Beeskove Fire area will be lifted. The Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, including the main trail corridor, and adjacent National Forest Lands and trails will again be open for recreational use at that time. Four roads will remain closed due to ongoing suppression operations, equipment movement, and for public and firefighter safety. 

The following areas are temporarily closed: 

• East Fork Rattlesnake Road NFSR #2112
• East Twin Creek Road NFSR #2117 
• Mineral Peak Lookout Road NFSR #2120 
• Upper Twin Creek Road NFSR #2119

Find the full list of temporary closures on InciWeb.

During this time of high fire danger in the Missoula area, people are reminded to be careful with all fires, be sure to extinguish campfires completely and keep motorized vehicles on cleared roads and trails. 

HORESEFLY, BLACK DIAMOND AND NEVADA CREEK FIRES
Due to the proximity of these fires to the Continental Divide Trail, a portion of that trail is temporarily closed. US Highway 279 is closed to bicycle traffic from the intersection of Montana Highway 200 to Stemple Pass road. Due to the proximity of the fire to the Continental Divide Trail, that trail is closed from Stemple Pass south to Dana Spring and an alternate route has been identified. User should follow Stemple Pass road into Lincoln (northbound) or Highway 279 south to Marysville (southbound).

For more information and to view maps of temporary closures due to these fires, see below: 

Nevada Creek

Horsefly

Webcams

See the view before you go from a variety of webcams across the state.

NOTE: The following links go to websites maintained by third parties.

Montana Department of Transportation

• Camera Summary Page

National Park Service

• Big Hole National Battlefield
• Glacier National Park
• Little Bighorn National Battlefield
• Yellowstone National Park

Air Quality

If smoke is heavy or you’re sensitive to it, you may wish to consider adjusting your itinerary until air quality improves.

Try exploring a different area (see things to do at VisitMT.com), or enjoy one of Montana's indoor activities:

Even if you see smoke, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re close to a fire. Sometimes smoke blows in from hundreds of miles away.

For up-to-date air quality conditions from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, click here.

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services maintains a website with health information related to wildfire smoke. To access it, click here.

Fire Restrictions

To help reduce the risk of a fire, restrictions may be in place. Before you go camping, please check for any current restrictions.

For a list/map of current restrictions, click here.

Additional Resources

• InciWeb (interactive map of active fire incidents across Montana)
• Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks - Restrictions, Closures & Reopenings
• Montana Department of Transportation - Travel Conditions/Alerts, Closures & Incidents
• Resources for the tourism industry (regions, CVBs, visitor information centers, etc.)