Friday, October 16, 2026

Winter makes its first appearance in Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park posted this on their social media today:
Following recent winter storms, trail conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park are beginning to change as the season transitions from fall toward winter. Be prepared for some ice and snow on trails when hiking in areas above 9,000 feet in elevation.

🥾It's a great time to dig out your traction devices. Traction devices and hiking poles are recommended when traveling on high elevation trails.

When hiking in lower elevation areas of the park, trails may be dry, wet, or muddy.

For the latest weather forecast specific to Rocky Mountain National Park, visit https://www.weather.gov/bou/rmnp

See the latest trail conditions report at https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/trail_conditions.htm.




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Saturday, October 10, 2026

Work on Bowen Gulch Trail completed

Rocky Mountain National Park posted this on their social media earlier this week:
As part of Rocky's National Public Lands Day celebration, on Saturday, September 26, an incredible group of 14 volunteers came out and worked side by side with NPS trail crew members on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. They installed three new log foot bridges on a section of the Bowen Gulch Continental Divide Trail (CDT) Connector.

This was a project supported by the Headwaters Trails Alliance and the CDT Coalition. Thank you to everyone for sharing your time and helping to make a real difference out on the trail!

This important project will help future hikers experience an easier stream crossing during the high-water season in spring and early summer. Way to go!




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Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Glacier Gorge Trailhead has reopened

Rocky Mountain National Park posted this on their social media today:
Rocky Mountain National Park Trail Crew staff have completed a project at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. The Glacier Gorge parking area and trailhead have reopened, and shuttle bus operations have resumed at this location.

Thank you to all crew members for their hard work this week and for accomplishing this project ahead of schedule!

Visitors interested in hiking to destinations like Alberta Falls, Mills Lake, and The Loch can start their hike from either Glacier Gorge or Bear Lake Trailheads.




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Thursday, October 1, 2026

Tips for using a Satellite SOS

Glacier National Park posted this on their social media a couple weeks ago. If you have a satellite-enabled smartphone, you may want to read this before heading out on your next backcountry adventure:
Satellite SOS Can Save Your Life. The Glacier National Park dispatch team is here to help you know how to use it before you need it!

Satellite-enabled smartphones have become an important safety tool for visitors during real emergencies. But an SOS activation is exactly that: an emergency activation.🚨

In Glacier, approximately 50–70% of phone-generated SOS and crash alerts are ultimately determined to be accidental or non-emergencies. Every activation must still be evaluated. If dispatchers cannot confirm your safety, many personnel, from law enforcement to search-and-rescue resources, may need to respond. Some tips:

😵‍💫Know what can trigger Emergency SOS, Crash Detection, and other emergency functions on your device. Keep your phone secured so you don’t accidentally trigger an emergency activation.

📱Practice before your trip. Some smartphones allow you to practice connecting to a satellite to see how the system works without contacting emergency services. Practice ahead of time so you won't be learning the process during an actual emergency.

🆘Read the screen carefully. Make sure the information you select accurately describes what is happening. If you accidentally activate SOS, don't just turn off your phone. Stay connected and tell the emergency responder that the activation was accidental. Closing the loop can prevent an unnecessary emergency response.

🛰️You can also check in with family on supported phones by sending messages via satellite. This is separate from Emergency SOS.

If you really do need help — use SOS. Provide accurate information, remain available for follow-up questions, and follow the instructions on your device.




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Monday, September 28, 2026

The first modern travel guide and its role in helping to promote hiking

The following is an excerpt from Ramble On: A History of Hiking:

Among the more significant events that would help spur growth in the budding endeavor of walking for pleasure was the publication of one of the first modern travel guides. In 1778, an English priest by the name of Thomas West published A Guide to the Lakes, which detailed the landscape and scenery of the Lake District in northwestern England. While many say the guide marked the advent of modern tourism, the book also helped to promote the idea of walking for leisurely purposes. Perhaps more importantly, it also advanced the emerging concept of seeking out sublime and picturesque viewpoints, or what he called “stations,” for purposes of appreciating natural landscapes. Modern historians contend that this was a new way of understanding nature and mountains, which in a few years would become an integral part of what is now known as Romanticism. Instead of looking at mountains with fear or as obstacles, the Romantics proposed they should be seen for their rugged beauty, and as sources of profound awe and spiritual inspiration. West underscored this notion by declaring:

Whoever takes a walk into these scenes must return penetrated with a sense of the creator’s power in heaping mountains upon mountains, and enthroning rocks upon rocks. And such exhibitions of sublime and beautiful objects cannot but excite at once both rapture and reverence.
Learn more about Thomas West and how the Romantics inspired people to take walks in nature for pleasure in Ramble On: A History of Hiking.



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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.


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