As multiple wildfires burn throughout the state, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is aiming to remind the Colorado outdoor community that the Colorado Trail Explorer, or COTREX, mobile app offers free details on active fire alerts including wildfires and prescribed burns.
COTREX offers data on 45,076 miles of trails across Colorado, contributed by more than 236 land managers. The app is completely free, providing authoritative trail information across local, state, and federal agencies. More than two dozen agency partners across Colorado post real-time advisories including wildfire closures, safety hazards, and other trail alerts on the COTREX app.
Recreators can use COTREX to plan their routes, see allowed us types like hiking, biking, and OHV, download maps for offline use, and see recommendations from participating partners across the state. All of it, including the offline map downloads, is completely free.
“COTREX is a powerful tool for planning your next trip. We’re committed to increasing the amount of official information we can provide to help the public recreate safely and responsibly around the state. Even if you use other trail apps, we always recommend checking COTREX for alerts or closures and downloading a free map in case of poor cell service.” – State Trails Program Coordinator Joe O’Brien.
COTREX provides daily wildfire and prescribed burn alerts from sources including inciweb and the National Interagency Fire Center. Alerts appear automatically on the website and app and wildfire and prescribed burn information is checked and updated daily by COTREX. Agencies that don’t report to inciweb or NIFC can also post alerts directly to COTREX.
With the COTREX app on use, outdoor recreationists can make solid, informed decisions when exploring the wilderness. While information can vary in accuracy and timeliness, users can be confident that information is coming from a trusted source.
