Babylon Fire Notice

7/22/26 Update:

The Babylon Fire remains at 95% containment.

Starting tomorrow, Thursday, July 23, Monticello Field Office of Bureau of Land Management will remove closures from all currently closed areas except those from Brushy Basin Road north to the Forest Service boundary. This information will be under BLM Fire Prevention Order: UT-CYD-2026-0. 

The Monticello Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest is removing closures from the area south of Elk Mountain/South Elk roads (Forest Service Road 50092), southwest of the Powerline road (Forest Service Road 50084), and northeast of the Hart’s Draw road (County Road B101). Additionally, Dalton Springs Campground, Buckboard Campgrounds, and Foy Lake Road (Forest service road 50101) to Foy Lake, will be opened, but all other roads and trails around Foy Lake will remain closed. 

This information will be under Monticello Ranger District Closure Order #04-10-26-05-04. Please note that this reopened area is still under Stage 2 fire restrictions. 

7/18/26 Update:
The Babylon fire is now 95% contained. 

The Monticello Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest within San Juan County, UT remains closed with the exception for Forest Service lands, roads, and trails southeast of, and including; FS50082 (Blue Mountain Ranch) and FS50084 (Recapture).

Forest lands within the Monticello Ranger District that are now open are subject to Stage 2 Restictions per Forest Order #04-10-26-00-04.

The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park re-opened to the public at 8:00am on Saturday, July 18th.  Hwy 211 has also fully re-opened. Elephant Hill, Lavender, and Davis Canyon roads will remain closed to motor vehicle traffic and bicycles. 

7/6/26 Update:
Due to the Babylon fire in San Juan County, all national forest lands, roads, and trails in the Monticello Ranger District of the Manti- La Sal National Forest are closed to the public. The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park is also fully closed.

In addition, the Bureau of Land Management has temporarily closed all BLM managed public lands west of Harts Draw Road and north through the Indian Creek Corridor to Indian Creek Falls. This closure includes area such as Shay Mesa, Beef Basin, Dark Canyon, and the Sweet Alice Wilderness Study Area. Anyone not involved in the firefighting operations must stay out of these closure areas and avoid all public lands within the boundary formed by State Route 211 to the north, US Route 191 to the east, and State Route 95 to the south.

Please visit the Manti-La Sal National Forest Facebook page (opens in a new tab) or the San Juan County Emergency Management page for updates.

All other areas of San Juan County remain open including Monument Valley Tribal Park, Natural Bridges & Hovenweep National Monuments, Goosenecks & Edge of the Cedars State Parks, the San Juan River, Cedar Mesa (Southern portion of Bears Ears National Monument), and many other areas.  

We remind all travelers to practice responsible recreation by adhering to the following fire safety rules:

• Heed Restrictions: The entire state of Utah is currently designated as having high-to-extreme fire danger. Adhere to all local burn bans and fire restrictions.
• Campfire Safety: Follow current fire restrictions. Never leave a fire unattended. Always make sure your fire is completely doused with water and smothered with dirt before leaving.
• Vehicle Safety: Do not park a hot car or machinery in dry grass, even when pulling over on the side of the road.
• Drone Safety: Never fly drones near a wildfire. Drone activity can force the suspension of vital aerial firefighting operations.
• Fireworks: Consider foregoing the use of commercially available fireworks this season and attending professional fireworks displays, which are supervised by fire personnel.

If you have additional questions, please call San Juan County Visitor Services at: 800-574-4386