As summer peaks in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, summer is not only a bustling season for hiking, summiting the state’s famous 14ers and enjoying the great outdoors. It’s also the busiest time of year for lightning strikes.

Lightning is one of the most powerful forces in nature, and while it is beautiful to watch it is also extremely dangerous, according to the National Parks Service. The National Weather Service reports that on any given day in July, there are 5,350 lightning flashes in Colorado.

“No place outside is safe from lightning,” the Colorado Search and Rescue Association wrote in a recent social media post. “So watch the forecast when you’re planning a backcountry outing and stay alert for signs of an impending thunderstorm, regardless of the forecast, while you’re out.”

Last year, 14 people in the U.S. died from lightning strikes, according to the National Weather Service. While nobody was killed by lightning in Colorado in 2023, an early morning lightning strike frightened two hikers climbing Quandary Peak, a 14,000-foot peak, ahead of the Fourth of July last year.

Earlier this year, a lightning strike killed a cattle rancher in Jackson County, marking the first lightning fatality in the state since 2020.

Still, the National Lightning Safety Council reports that Colorado has among the most lightning deaths in the country, ranking 3rd in the nation for fatalities between 2006 and 2023, with 24 fatalities in that time. For a state known for its outdoor recreation industry, that isn’t too surprising since outdoor leisure activities are among the most common activities people are engaged in when they are hurt or killed by lightning.

Between 2006 and 2023, fishing was the activity that contributed to the most U.S. lightning fatalities, with 41 deaths, or just less than 10% of all lightning deaths, according to the National Weather Service. Farming or ranching, camping and boating each accounted for about 25 lightning deaths in that timespan.

When recreating, no place outdoors is safe from lightning, but making the right decisions can reduce the risk of being harmed by a lightning strike. Since lightning can strike outward as far as 10 miles from a thunderstorm, being within earshot of thunder is a good indication that the storm is within striking distance.

Mountain summits, high-Alpine terrain and wide open areas, including water bodies, are among the most dangerous areas and should be avoided if there are any signs of thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service. Being near tall objects, such as trees that are taller relative to other surrounding trees, is also especially dangerous.

No one should ever take cover from a thunderstorm in a cave or beneath an overhang or cliff, as lightning can travel through the rock, according to the National Parks Service. Objects like tall trees, fences, power lines, windmills or poles that could conduct electricity should also be avoided.

Before a storm hits, people recreating in the backcountry should leave high-risk areas including mountainsides, descending through gullies rather than on ridgelines, if possible. When outdoors, getting below treeline is among the safer options for those climbing in the mountains, while low-lying depressions in the ground can also provide more safety than open areas.

But nothing is as safe as getting back inside a modern building or inside a metal-topped vehicle. The National Weather Service has a motto for that: “When thunder roars, go indoors!”