Reading the air number

AQI is the EPA’s 0–500 air-quality scale — lower is cleaner. Under 50 you’d never know; past 100 sensitive folks should take it easier; past 150 everyone should.

GoodModerateSensitive groupsUnhealthyVery unhealthyHazardous

For a familiar anchor, right now: Denver AQI 56 (Moderate) · Boulder AQI 36 (Good)

Updated just now · straight from the official feeds AirNowWFIGS · NIFCNPSNWS

A heads-up, not an official source — verify with NPS/NWS before you travel.

Campsite Ranger

Want alerts like this for your own trip? I’ll email you when a sold-out Colorado campsite or permit opens up — and for RMNP trips, when fire, smoke, or a closure moves in on your dates.

Start watching a campsite — free

Text version of the board

14 areas · as of Oct 19, 6:02 PM MT

Rocky Mountain National Park: AQI 48 (Good) · no active wildfires within 25 mi · no park alerts · 37°–53°, slight chance rain showers
Maroon Bells: AQI 10 (Good) · no active wildfires within 25 mi · no park alerts · 27°–35°, chance snow showers
Great Sand Dunes: AQI 15 (Good) · no active wildfires within 25 mi · no park alerts · 39°–61°, mostly sunny
Brainard Lake: AQI 48 (Good) · 1 wildfire within 25 mi (nearest: Horseshoe, 20 mi) · no park alerts · 33°–49°, slight chance rain showers
Mount Blue Sky: AQI unavailable · 1 wildfire within 25 mi (nearest: Horseshoe, 17 mi) · no park alerts · 25°–34°, slight chance snow showers
Conundrum Hot Springs: AQI 10 (Good) · no active wildfires within 25 mi · no park alerts · 32°–47°, slight chance t-storms
Leadville & Twin Lakes: AQI 10 (Good) · 1 wildfire within 25 mi (nearest: Willow, 9 mi) · no park alerts · 29°–55°, chance showers and thunderstorms
Dillon & Summit County: AQI 9 (Good) · no active wildfires within 25 mi · no park alerts · 34°–58°, chance rain showers
Black Canyon of the Gunnison: AQI 17 (Good) · no active wildfires within 25 mi · no park alerts · 41°–61°, chance showers and thunderstorms
Blue Mesa & Curecanti: AQI unavailable · no active wildfires within 25 mi · no park alerts · 36°–64°, chance showers and thunderstorms
Durango & the San Juans: AQI 12 (Good) · no active wildfires within 25 mi · no park alerts · 39°–60°, slight chance showers and thunderstorms
Poudre Canyon & Red Feather: AQI 38 (Good) · no active wildfires within 25 mi · no park alerts · 42°–62°, sunny
Steamboat & Hahns Peak: AQI 15 (Good) · no active wildfires within 25 mi · no park alerts · 33°–56°, slight chance rain showers
Pikes Peak & Woodland Park: AQI 19 (Good) · no active wildfires within 25 mi · no park alerts · 38°–62°, mostly sunny

Sources: AirNow (EPA), WFIGS/NIFC, NPS, NWS. Refreshed about every ten minutes. “Within 25 mi” is straight-line distance from the area’s center to the nearest edge of an active wildfire’s mapped perimeter. Prescribed burns and fires that are out or fully contained don’t count; their smoke still shows in the air reading.