Monday, July 6, 2026

Rocky Mountain offers ranger-guided "Ecology Walks" along the Green Mountain Trail this week

Rocky Mountain National Park posted this on their social media today:
Offered daily through July 11, join us on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park for a ranger-guided Ecology Walk along the Green Mountain Trail. Take a guided walk with a ranger-naturalist and learn more about the plants, wildlife, and overall ecology of an area on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Program participants will meet their guide at the Green Mountain Trailhead, located along Trail Ridge Road 3 miles east of Kawuneeche Visitor Center. This program begins at 10:30 a.m. and is 45 minutes long. Participants will hike approximately 1 mile from the trailhead, stopping at several locations along the way.

This program is free. Park entrance fees and timed entry reservations apply.

Ecology walks are great for visitors of all ages. Participants should be prepared for a short hike. Good footwear for walking/hiking is recommended. Please bring water, snacks, and sun protection like a hat and sunscreen. There is very little shade along the Green Mountain Trail.




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Saturday, July 4, 2026

Happy 4th of July!

On this day in 1930, sculptor Gutzon Borglum unveiled the 60-foot granite head of George Washington on Mount Rushmore. More info here.
Here’s a short newsreel from the George Washington unveiling:





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Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Gold Mountain Fire prompts Ouray Ranger District closures

7/2 Update: GMUG has expanded the closure area.

For the safety of firefighters and the public, the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests’ Ouray Ranger District has implemented a fire closure area in the vicinity of the Gold Mountain Fire.

The closure area applies to all National Forest System lands within Ouray, Gunnison, and Hinsdale counties east of Hwy 550, south of Hwy 50, west of Pinnacle Ridge, north of Matterhorn Peak and Northeast of Cascade and Bridalveil creeks. A map of the area and full order details can be found here.

The closure restricts public access to all lands, roads and trails within the described area (see map), including:

* Big Cimarron Campground
* Beaver Lake Campground
* Silver Jack Boat Ramp
* Silver Jack Campground
* Jackson Guard Station

A violation of this closure order is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551; 18 U.S.C. §§ 3559, 3571, and 3581



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Tuesday, June 30, 2026

On this date in hiking history: The first hiking trail in the world

Actually, we don't know the exact date, but construction on the first recreational hiking trail in the world was completed sometime this month in 1819.

The 8.25-mile Crawford Path was cut to the summit of Mt. Washington by Abel and Ethan Crawford, which they advertised in regional newspapers to help attract travelers to their crude lodges in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Here are two photos from the trail. It's not clear when either of these were taken:
Ramble On: A History of Hiking elaborates on the father and son team who built the trail, some of the remarkable accounts of the first adventurers to hike it, as well as the profound role the trail and the Crawford family had on hiking and early tourism.




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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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Saturday, June 27, 2026

Breaking: Moose are native to Colorado

Its official, moose are native to Colorado! Honestly, I didn’t know this was up for debate, but according to a study published in the Journal of Biogeography earlier this month, moose have lived in the southern Rocky Mountains for centuries, if not longer.

Below is a short introductory video on this research from the University of Colorado Boulder. You can also read a synopsis published by the university. It contains two key passages:
Since being translocated to Colorado, these charismatic megafauna have been a source of both fascination and concern. In Rocky Mountain National Park, where moose populations have thrived, ecosystems have been changing, and moose-associated impacts have sparked renewed conversations about managing an animal labeled “non-native.”
And:
That fact was on Taylor’s mind a few years ago when Rocky Mountain National Park officials began broadly publicizing moose management issues and the discussions that were happening about them. In many of those discussions, Taylor recalls, the messaging frequently labeled moose as “invasive,” “non-native” or “outsiders,” which doesn’t align with the archaeological record and “some of the basic facts I know from my role here working as curator,” he says.






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