Forest Service announces proposed pilot projects to enhance recreation monitoring

The Forest Service is publishing a Federal Register notice announcing an interagency effort to monitor recreation use by implementing pilot projects across public lands. This effort is geared towards improving recreation resource management, visitor services, and planning.

The purpose of these pilot protocols is to model recreation use patterns, including low-use and dispersed recreation activities, that may not be effectively measured by existing general and opportunistic survey and monitoring protocols. The Federal Register notice is available for public inspection today and will officially publish on Monday, initiating a 30-day public comment period on the proposed pilot projects. The notice will direct the public to BLM’s e-planning website for comment collection.

“Understanding visitor recreation use patterns is important for the Forest Service to gain a better understanding of the demand so we can improve visitor experiences,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “These pilot projects will incorporate a variety of on-site techniques including activities such as manually counting visitors, summarizing trail permit data, installing mechanical counters, and providing logbooks for visitors to record their use.”

There will also be the incorporation of emerging data sources and technologies, such leveraging anonymized digital data generated by visitors to recreation sites to describe recreation-use patterns at those sites. This will include scanning social media to research photo and review sharing applications, understanding anonymized location-based services from smart phones, and incorporating remotely sensed data like aerial photography and satellite imagery to corroborate on-data pulled from recreation usage.

These pilot projects are one of the many ongoing actions identified in the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, enacted January 4, 2026, and is specifically tied to section 133.

The Forest Service is proposing pilot projects alongside the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.



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From Montana to New Mexico, the American Rockies stretch for more than a thousand miles. Within this spectacular mountain range are thousands of miles of hiking trails. With such an overwhelming number of options, how will you find and choose the most scenic and rewarding hikes?

Ultimate Hiking Guide to the Rocky Mountains takes all the guesswork out by focusing on some of the most amazing hikes across this range, and provides you with a handpicked list of options that will allow you to make the most of your trips in the Rockies:

Timber Creek Campground in Rocky Mountain National Park will not close this summer

Rocky Mountain National Park posted this on their social media yesterday:

Timber Creek Campground, located on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, will remain open through the end of the 2026 summer season.

In January 2026, the park announced the campground would close at noon on August 10, 2026, for a sewer system rehabilitation project. Following a review of updated project timelines, construction will not begin this season and the previously announced closure will not take place this year.

Campsite reservations are now available on Recreation.gov through October 4. Timber Creek Campground will close for the season at noon on October 5, 2026.

The sewer system rehabilitation project, which will replace deteriorating manholes, perform spot repairs on broken pipes, and rehabilitate existing pipes using pipe lining technology, will be rescheduled. Park maintenance staff are actively monitoring the campground’s existing sewer infrastructure and will continue to ensure safe and reliable facilities for visitors throughout the 2026 season. An updated construction timeline will be announced when available.

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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

• My new edition on hiking history is available on Amazon

Colorado Parks and Wildlife investigating reported bear attack in Jefferson County

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating a reported bear attack on a trail in Apex Park in Jefferson County. Around 5:20 p.m. Sunday, a woman hiking in the park encountered a bear displaying habituated behavior by approaching humans and following hikers. She told CPW officers the bear grabbed her backpack and made contact with her leg. She reported to CPW that the bear continued to follow her down the trail for more than 30 minutes, despite her attempts to haze the bear with sticks, rocks and loud noises. Two other hikers joined her in trying to scare the bear from the area. The bear eventually left and crossed a gully, where it reportedly started to follow a separate pair of hikers on a neighboring trail.

CPW officers responded to the area Sunday night, but were unable to locate the bear. Officers continue to search for the bear involved in the reported attack. Jefferson County Open Space closed Apex Park for bear activity on Monday. A bear was sighted in a residential area near the park on Monday morning. CPW is investigating if it is the same bear involved in Sunday’s incident. Please report any bear sighting to the Denver CPW Office at 303-291-7227 or by calling Colorado State Patrol dispatch at *277.

This is the first reported bear attack in Colorado for 2026. Bear reports to CPW are high this year, likely due to the generally warm and dry winter Colorado experienced impacting natural forage opportunities for bears. This year, it is even more important that humans not provide unhealthy, unsafe food attractants for bears.

For more information on bears in Colorado, visit cpw.state.co.us/living-bears.



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Check out our online trail guides:

• Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com

• Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com

• Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

• Ramble On: A History of Hiking

Forest Service Proposes First National Policy for Recreational Climbing on Public Lands

The U.S. Forest Service will publish a proposed climbing directive in the Federal Register and initiate a 30-day public comment period. This proposal establishes the agency’s first national direction for managing recreational climbing opportunities on national forests and grasslands that will include guidance for the use and maintenance of fixed anchors and equipment.

The updated proposal replaces a 2023 draft that was overtaken by new requirements in the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, signed into law January 4, 2025. The EXPLORE Act directs federal land management agencies to recognize recreational climbing - including certain fixed anchors – as an appropriate use in congressionally designated wilderness areas.

“Recreational climbing continues to grow in popularity, with nearly 30 percent of all outdoor climbing occurring on National Forest System lands,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “This proposed directive provides much-needed national policy for climbing activities and gives local decision-makers the ability to work with partners, tribes, climbing organizations, and others to ensure visitors are having safe, responsible and accessible outdoor experiences.”

By law, the Forest Service must develop a climbing directive, consistent with the goals stated Executive Order 14219, “Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Deregulatory Initiative.” (PDF, 162 KB)

The outdoor recreation economy continues to grow, and the Forest Service is committed to promoting and increasing access to these special sites. Nationally, it is estimated there are nearly 10.3 million climbers in the United States, of which approximately 2.3 million participated in sport or boulder climbing and approximately 2.4 million participated in traditional ice or mountaineering climbing, according to the Outdoor Industry Association’s 2022 report on outdoor participation trends.

The proposed rule can be viewed and comments submitted through the Comment and Analysis Response Application.



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From Montana to New Mexico, the American Rockies stretch for more than a thousand miles. Within this spectacular mountain range are thousands of miles of hiking trails. With such an overwhelming number of options, how will you find and choose the most scenic and rewarding hikes?

Ultimate Hiking Guide to the Rocky Mountains takes all the guesswork out by focusing on some of the most amazing hikes across this range, and provides you with a handpicked list of options that will allow you to make the most of your trips in the Rockies:

Watch out for bears while camping, hiking and backpacking in Colorado bear country

Colorado is home to a large population of black bears–estimated at 17,000-20,000 animals–and the majority of them live in areas where humans camp, hike, and backpack. This summer, CPW is reminding the public to be BearWise to avoid conflicts when enjoying our wonderful outdoors.

Most conflicts between people and bears can be traced to easily accessible trash, human food or other attractants with strong odors. A bear’s natural drive to eat can overcome its fear of humans. When bears become too comfortable around humans, they can destroy property or even threaten human safety.

As of June 12, 2026, CPW has received 1,192 reports of bear activity across the state.

“Most conflicts between people and bears begin when bears gain access to food, garbage or other attractants left by people,” said CPW Area Wildlife Manager Tim Kroening. “Properly storing food, securing trash and pet food, and keeping campsites clean helps protect both people and bears. If a bear visits your campsite, make loud noises by yelling, clapping, blowing a whistle or using an air horn, and always give the bear a clear path to leave. These actions can discourage bears from becoming comfortable around people and help prevent future conflicts.”

Bear reports are high this year, likely due to the generally warm and dry winter Colorado experienced impacting natural forage opportunities for bears. This year, it is even more important that humans not provide unhealthy, unsafe food attractants for bears.

“When camping or recreating in bear country, carry bear spray, stay alert and report concerning bear encounters to Colorado Parks and Wildlife,” Kroening said.

For more information on bears in Colorado, visit cpw.state.co.us/living-bears.



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From Montana to New Mexico, the American Rockies stretch for more than a thousand miles. Within this spectacular mountain range are thousands of miles of hiking trails. With such an overwhelming number of options, how will you find and choose the most scenic and rewarding hikes?

Ultimate Hiking Guide to the Rocky Mountains takes all the guesswork out by focusing on some of the most amazing hikes across this range, and provides you with a handpicked list of options that will allow you to make the most of your trips in the Rockies: