And The Denver Post’s readers love to dig into those stories. This year, as always, skiing was one of the top topics of discussion, especially Epic Pass sales and a resort ranking. But hiking and camping were also big, especially when it came to Rocky Mountain National Park.

We also had an unusual sighting, literally, in our top 10. But we’ll let you see that for yourself. Here are our 10 most-read outdoor recreation stories of the year, with the number-one story at the end.

Bad drivers in the backcountry are a big problem

The sheriff in San Miguel County called a group of people who slid off Black Bear Pass in their truck “ass clowns,” which is funny. But the problem is real: More and more people, who lack skills or experience or proper maps, are driving on backcountry roads they can’t handle in Colorado — or simply ignoring closures — resulting in more rescues.

First-of-its-kind hiking permit proposed for Blue Lakes

The gorgeous Blue Lakes in the San Juan Mountains near Telluride have become so crowded in recent years that the U.S. Forest Service wants to require permits just to hike there during the day — as well as to camp. The goal of the plan, which would be the first in Colorado of its kind on forest service land, is to reduce the environmental impact of recreation.

Colorado’s oldest chairlift will be retired at age 70

Sunlight Mountain Resort’s Sunlight chairlift began its long life at Aspen in 1954 before being relocated in 1973. Since then, it has faithfully served skiers at Sunlight. The relic of ski history engineering is still safe, but is scheduled to be put out to pasture this spring.

High-alpine lake is one of Colorado’s most spectacular hikes

Nearly 2,500 feet below the summit of Long’s Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park is a beautiful alpine tarn called Chasm Lake. The 4.2 hike to get there is strenuous, but the steep rock walls soaring into the air above the water make it one of the most beautiful payoffs in Colorado.

Another hassle awaits Rocky Mountain National Park visitors

Rocky Mountain National Park has been feeling the heat. Not only will its busiest campground, Moraine Park, be closed into this summer (see below), but visitation continues to soar, resulting in what will likely be a permanent ticketing system. To make things worse, one of its two Estes Park-area entrances, Fall River, was under construction all summer and fall.

Epic Pass prices increase, early bird on sale for 2023-24 season

Vail Resorts announced its early bird prices in March for this season’s Epic Passes — and Denver Post readers wanted to know all about it. Of course they did. The pass, which includes Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge and Crested Butte, is one of the hottest items in Colorado. so the costs, the on-sale dates and every other detail is big news.

Colorado ski resort named the best in North America by website

Magazines, newspapers and websites love to rank things, including ski resorts, and since Colorado has some of the best in the world, they often end up on lists. In March, readers of OnTheSnow, a website, voted Steamboat as North America’s best overall resort.

Campground closure at RMNP could have ripple effect across Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park’s largest campground, the immensely popular Moraine Park, shut down last summer so it could undergo a major modernization project, meaning 244 fewer sites in the area. That figured to put more pressure on nearby campgrounds in the adjacent and already overloaded national forests. The campground will hopefully reopen in June 2024.

Coloradans may see Northern Lights more often in coming months

Seeing the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is on a lot of people’s bucket lists. So, how cool would it be to be able to see them from Colorado rather than having to travel to the Arctic? Space weather predictors say there is more of a possibility of that happening in 2024 with increasing solar storm activity — something that happens in an 11-year cycle.

Bigfoot may have been caught on camera from Durango train

In October, a Wyoming couple was looking for elk while riding the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in southwest Colorado when they spotted, well, something that looked like Bigfoot. The story made national news after a video taken by another passenger went viral online. Was it really the famed but elusive cryptid? We’ll let you judge for yourself. See our story, with video, here.

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“Campground fees have remained unchanged since before 2016, while boat launch fees have not changed since at least 2003,” according to a statement from the National Park Service. Fee  money is used to pay for new projects and ongoing maintenance of park facilities; recent projects included trail rehabilitation, marina improvements and an amphitheater upgrade.

“The new pricing structure will bring the parks into closer alignment with nearby and comparable campground and boating services. The increased fees will provide additional revenue to fund operations and deferred maintenance projects,” the agency added.

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2024, it will cost $20 per night to stay at the North Rim Campground and in loops A and C in the South Rim Campground at Black Canyon. That is a 25% increase over the previous $16 fee. Loop B, which includes electrical hookups will go from $22 to $34.

Camping in the Stevens Creek, Ponderosa, Dry Gulch, Red Creek and East Portal campgrounds at Curecanti will rise from $16 per night to $20, while camping at Elk Creek, Lake Fork and Cimarron will go from $16 to $24. Electrical sites at Elk Creek will rise from $22 to $34.

As for boating, the permitting system has been streamlined. Seasonal permits are up by $10 to a total of $40, while 7-day passes are $20. (There are no longer 2-day or 14-day permits.)

In 2022, visitors spent $70.2 million in the areas around Black Canyon and Curecanti, the park service said. “These expenditures supported a total of 799 jobs and $85.9 million in economic output in local gateway economies surrounding” the two natural areas.

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While some business owners aren’t sweating it, John Agnew has a less sanguine view of the effect REI’s presence may have on his snowboard and outdoor gear shop on Main Street once it opens in early 2025. The Seattle-based chain has 181 locations and reported nearly $4 billion in revenue last year.

“They’ll eat up a lot of goggle, helmet and snowboard sales,” said Agnew, who founded The Boarding Haus in downtown Durango in 1995. “I had to fight for many years to get the brands I want.”

REI, which has several locations in Front Range cities, has expanded its mountain market footprint in recent years, opening outposts in Dillon and then Glenwood Springs. The next-closest REI to Durango is an older location in Grand Junction, 170 miles away.

In the eyes of Kendrick Williamson, who oversees operations at Gardenswartz Outdoors just a couple of blocks south of Agnew’s store, the opening of REI there is not a direct threat to his nearly century-old downtown business.

“We’re not going to be losing a lot of customers — there’s not a lot of overlap,” Williamson said, as customers browsed a wide selection of fishing poles, Stetson hats and knives on an early fall afternoon. “People are pretty loyal to the local concept here.”

Gardenswartz sells hunting rifles and ammunition, which are not available at REI. Plus, Williamson noted, the new REI location will be on Durango’s south side — away from the tourist-heavy Main Street in the city of 20,000.

“They’re not in the epicenter,” he said.

The epicenter is the 10-block stretch of shops and restaurants, where hundreds of people empty out of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad depot daily in the warm season to stroll and shop in the city’s historic district.

Tim Walsworth, executive director of the Durango Business Improvement District, said he’d been monitoring the situation on behalf of the businesses his organization represents.

There are more than a dozen sporting goods stores already in the city, which is surrounded by square mile upon square mile of wilderness that beckons campers, anglers, rafters, skiers and hikers.

The improvement district recently crunched the sales numbers for the sporting goods sector in Durango. It found that more than $23 million worth of merchandise was sold last year, down just slightly from $24 million-plus in 2021, Walsworth said. Those figures compare to less than $19 million in pre-pandemic 2019.

The state’s outdoor recreation industry generates $37 billion in consumer spending each year and contributes 511,000 direct jobs, according to data from the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade.

“Our existing local sporting goods stores are concerned, of course, but also have spent many years cultivating their customers and providing good service and products,” Walsworth said. “They know they will have to step up their game.”

Similar competitive concerns cropped up when Walmart and Home Depot came to Durango, but Walsworth said the two national chains “did not cause local businesses to close.”

“We are worried that this could impact the viability of some of our existing sporting goods stores,” he said. “But again, they have years of local experience and tons of local customers, plus better visibility by being located in the heart of our town.”

“Even so,” Walsworth said, “we expect REI to take some market share due to their name recognition and that they already have members here.”

When the improvement district first heard about REI’s interest in Durango, it reached out to a sporting goods store in Flagstaff, Arizona, and learned that REI claimed about 20% of the market during its first year in town — and about 10% annually after that.

REI currently has 9,000 members in the Durango area, according to REI spokeswoman Megan Behrbaum. Durango will be the co-op’s 10th location in Colorado.

“Product assortment will broadly include camp, cycle, run, climb and snow sports — also similar to other stores in the state,” Behrbaum said. “The store will also have a section dedicated to Re/Supply, our used gear and apparel offering.”

REI can co-exist peacefully in markets with established outdoor retailers, she said.

“We don’t believe it is a simple scenario of big retailers driving out smaller retailers, but we do recognize our presence can create competition,” Behrbaum said.

Corry Mihm, a project manager with the Summit Economic Partnership in Summit County, said the opening of REI in Dillon in 2017 has produced no definitive negative impact on local outdoor recreation businesses.

“We have seen a couple of mom-and-pop sporting goods stores close, but it is difficult to say exactly why — it could be pandemic impacts, aging and tiring of the owners or landlord renewal issues,” Mihm said. “We have seen all of these issues impact local business but don’t have specific store-by-store information.”

But Agnew, The Boarding Haus owner, cringes at yet another big-box retailer setting up shop in Durango, which sits just a half-hour north of the New Mexico line.

He worries about what it’s doing to Durango’s character — and to its sense of self-identity.

“Part of the charm was the mom-and-pop businesses,” Agnew said. “This is another tick towards wiping that out.”

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The agreement ends an eminent domain dispute that rankled residents of Coal Creek Canyon, 40 miles northwest of downtown Denver in far northern Jefferson and Gilpin counties.

In 2021, the Axton family donated its 448-acre ranch to Denver for use as the city’s 23rd mountain park and its first new mountain park since 1939. The area includes expansive meadows, ponds and a trail built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

What the city did not acquire then is access to the only road leading to that property.

Beth Eden Baptist Church in Wheat Ridge owns Camp Eden and Camp Eden Road, which runs through the camp for a quarter mile, ending at the entrance to Axton Ranch. The Axtons have been able to use the road due to a handshake agreement they have with the church.

When it came time for Denver to buy public access to the road, the church balked.

On May 31, Denver’s finance director sent a letter to Beth Eden offering $20,000, according to a copy of that letter BusinessDen obtained in a records request. The church declined.

On July 3, an assistant city attorney sent a second letter that contained what he called the city’s “LAST AND FINAL WRITTEN OFFER”: $100,000. Beth Eden turned that down too.

The church, which has declined interview requests about its negotiations with the city, told a local Facebook group in July that it was concerned about illegal activity, increased traffic and that it could be held liable for injuries on the road if it granted access.

That same month, Denver sued Beth Eden and asked a Jefferson County judge to let it take access through eminent domain. Meanwhile, the two sides kept negotiating.

On Oct. 30, the Denver City Attorney’s Office informed Judge Jason Carrithers that a settlement had been reached and asked him to close the case. He did so the next day.

That settlement calls for the city to pay $100,000 to Beth Eden; to snowplow and otherwise maintain the road; to put up “No Trespassing,” “No Parking” and “Slow – Children at Play” signs; and to be liable for injuries that occur, according to a copy of the deal obtained in a records request. In exchange, the church grants Denver an access easement.

The agreement was signed by Mayor Mike Johnston and Beth Eden’s top deacon. City and church officials declined BusinessDen’s requests to discuss their deal last week.

Denver was represented in the case by Senior Assistant City Attorney Ed Gorman. Beth Eden’s lawyer was Christopher Loy of the firm Hatch Ray Olsen Conant in Denver.

Axton Ranch will not become a public park immediately. It is a conservation area for now and will remain so until the city determines what infrastructure, if any, is needed there. Conservation areas are open to small school groups and surveyors but not the general public.

Word of the settlement has drawn mixed reactions from Coal Creek Canyon residents who worry about the effects a public park will have on cleanliness, traffic and fire risks.

“I am so happy Beth Eden won their battle but this of course means the burdens on our neighborhood are about to be realized,” said Jessica Gregg, who lives south of Axton Ranch. “I can only hope Denver does a better job at community engagement this time around.”

Joel Furnace, who lives just up the road from Camp Eden and Axton Ranch, said residents still want to see a ban on fires and overnight camping, plus better communication.

“While the City and County of Denver has addressed certain concerns related to Beth Eden’s private land, such as maintenance and liability,” he said Friday, “there remains many notable omissions in addressing the key concerns voiced by local residents.”

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Our neighbors have long been the stewards of these lands, which are as diverse as they are breathtaking and which hold a tapestry of natural wonders, cultural treasures, and a rich historical legacy. Grand Junction is a gateway to these special lands and we welcome visitors from the world over.

Today, I write to you, my fellow Coloradans, and to our statewide elected leaders with an impassioned plea to support protecting the northern portion of the Dolores River Canyon Country as a national monument. Taking this step will preserve a magnificent place, it will bolster rural economies of western Colorado, and it will conserve a trove of cultural, historical, and natural treasures for generations to come.

The Dolores River Canyon Country, which includes public lands in Mesa County, is a testament to the grandeur of our state and the enduring spirit of its inhabitants. It is a place where vivid red rock canyons tower over meandering rivers, where Indigenous cultural sites are a reminder of the communities who have called these lands home since time immemorial, and where the echoes of our state’s mining history can still be heard among the rugged cliffs. The Dolores River itself sustains a unique riparian environment and is a sanctuary for numerous species of plants, birds, and aquatic life. It is a place of profound ecological significance and a refuge for residents and visitors seeking solace in the natural world.

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet has introduced legislation to designate a National Conservation Area that could conserve 68,000 acres of the river corridor through the Ponderosa Gorge, championing the conservation for the southern portion of the Dolores River Canyon Country. However, the northern portion, in Mesa and Montrose counties, remains vulnerable to impacts from development, misaligned management and stresses from a changing climate. Designation of a national monument for these lands would cap a 50-year effort to conserve the Dolores and complement the legislation to the south championed by Sen. Bennet.

This year, while flows were high, the Dolores River offered world-class boating, attracting visitors from across the nation. The Unaweep-Tabeguache Scenic Byway provides easy access to stunning views ensuring that everyone can enjoy these lands, not just those with expensive equipment or the physical ability to hike far into the backcountry. The protection afforded by a national monument would ensure recreational opportunities remain accessible and untarnished for the enjoyment of all.

The Dolores River Canyon Country also holds a remarkable historical legacy. The remnants of mining operations are present throughout the region, serving as a tangible reminder of the intrepid individuals who once toiled in these rugged landscapes and whose descendants live here today. This history is an essential part of our story and our country’s security, and it deserves recognition and preservation for future generations to explore and understand.

By protecting this incredible place as a national monument, we can strike a balance between a variety of interests with a stake in the future of these public lands while building strong and resilient rural economies. A national monument is a flexible tool that protects existing rights and uses, like livestock grazing, while safeguarding important values of the land, like clean water, healthy wildlife, and outdoor recreation opportunities. Uranium mining has long played a role in the economies of western Colorado; a national monument will conserve important lands and honor the local mining history and would specifically exclude the lands with the highest mining potential. The lands would continue to be managed by the BLM, and no one is proposing entry fees or gates.

Our state has a long and proud tradition of conservation and stewardship of our natural and cultural resources, from Great Sand Dunes National Park to the Colorado National Monument in my community’s backyard.

I urge my fellow elected leaders, including Colorado’s senators, governor and other officials, to heed the call of our community and support the designation of a national monument. Let us come together to protect this extraordinary landscape and ensure the Dolores River Canyon Country stands as a testament to our enduring commitment to preserving the splendor of western Colorado. We can spur economic redevelopment of rural communities near the Dolores and welcome visitors to Grand Junction as a base camp to explore Colorado’s newest national monument.

In doing so, we honor our past, safeguard our present, and invest in a future where the natural beauty of Colorado continues to inspire and enrich the lives of all who call this beautiful state home. A vision for a national monument to complete the conservation for the Dolores is a vision we can all embrace — a vision that transcends political boundaries and differences, a vision that unites us in our shared love for the majestic landscapes of our beloved Colorado.

Anna Stout has lived in Grand Junction since 1988. She was elected to the city council in 2019 and has served as mayor since 2022. Anna is the CEO of Roice-Hurst Humane Society and is a certified Spanish interpreter/translator. She grew up hiking, camping, climbing, and recreating on public lands in and around Mesa County.

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In fact, they’ve become so popular over the last decade that the United States Forest Service is proposing a plan to limit the number of visitors who can go to the lakes each summer, in hopes of reducing the environmental impact of recreation.

The plan, unveiled Tuesday, would require not only that overnight campers secure permits May through September, but daytime hikers as well. The day-use permit would be the first of its kind instituted in a national forest in Colorado, said Dana Gardunio of the federal agency’s Ouray Ranger District.

Other strategies to curtail damage to the plants and wildlife habitat caused by visitation include banning camping above treeline, eliminating dispersed camping near the Blue Lakes trailhead, and reducing the number of campsites at Lower Blue Lake.

The plan outlines additional efforts the Forest Service will take to address increased visitation and stewardship of 16,200 acres near the Mount Sneffels Wilderness that’s been divided into five different zones: the Lower East Dallas Zone, the Blaine Basin Zone, Yankee Boy Basin Zone, Mount Sneffels Zone (including the summit) and the Wilderness Zone, which encompasses the Blue Lakes.

Gardunio said the number of people hiking to the Blue Lakes and Mount Sneffels has gradually increased over the last decades with significant spikes in visitation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Forest Service estimates about 35,000 recreate in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness annually, the vast majority of which come from June to October.

In 2021, the Blue Lakes Trail saw its highest number of visitors on Sept. 5 when 509 people hiked there, according to a visitor use study released last year. Gardunio believes a permit system would slash the number of visitors to about 8,000 people per summer.

Upticks in recreation have caused significant damage to the natural environment. According to an environmental impact report, the most common issues are improper disposal of human and animal waste, overrun vegetation and threatened wildlife habitats due to the proliferation of dispersed campsites and user-created trails, campers building fires illegally, and frustration among visitors caused by crowding at the trailhead.

“We’ve already started to feel some of these places we love are getting loved to death,” Gardunio said. “So we’re going to try and make sure to keep that experience high quality for people who are visiting and also help care for the landscape itself and wildlife and the other resources that live out there.”

The Forest Service released its first draft of this plan in spring 2022 to solicit feedback from the public. Local communities were overall supportive of the need to better manage tourism to the Mount Sneffels Wilderness, Gardunio said. The agency is now opening the plan up for another comment period, which will last 45 days. It expects to make a final decision on its strategies by early 2024.

Here are the highlights of the Visitor Use Management Plan, which you can view in full here.

Permits required to visit the Blue Lakes

The Forest Service’s plan calls for implementing a permit system for hiking and camping at the Blue Lakes from May 1 to September 30.

Similar to how recreators need a permit to stay overnight in the White River National Forest near Maroon Bells, hikers would need to reserve a day-use permit or an overnight camping permit to access the Blue Lakes Trail.

The Forest Service is proposing to issue up to 40 day-use permits per day, which hikers would reserve at recreation.gov. Every individual would need their own permit.

The agency is also proposing to issue up to 24 overnight permits per night, but only for four designated campsites. That means each campsite could have up to six people.

Hikers would need either a day-use permit or an overnight permit – not both. That means up to 64 people per day would use the trail.

The Forest Service landed on those numbers using an internal standard that evaluates the number of other people a hiker should expect to see in a primitive wilderness area like the Uncompahgre National Forest. The agency may opt to increase or decrease the number of permits after monitoring the trail’s capacity and visitor impact.

The permit system will not be in place for summer 2024, Gardunio said. The earliest that permits would be required is May 1, 2025. Permits will not carry a fee at first, Gardunio said, but she expects eventually it will cost money to reserve one.

Details, such as when date-specific permits will become available for purchase, will be decided at a later date, she added. Anyone hiking to the Blue Lakes without a permit would be subject to a ticket and fine.

Mountaineers would not require a permit to climb Mount Sneffels if they approach from the Yankee Boy Basin trailhead, Gardunio said.

Changes to camping rules

The Forest Service proposes banning dispersed camping in four out of the five zones noted in its plan. Instead, camping would be permitted only in designated sites that the agency plans to build out with fire rings, signage and other infrastructure.

Camping would be permitted only at designated sites along the Blue Lakes trail, including at the trailhead and at Lower Blue Lake.

The agency plans to reduce the number of camping spots at Lower Blue Lake to four and remediate the rest of the 144 sites that currently exist there. Access to those would be available exclusively to permit holders. Campsites at the trailhead would be available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

The only zone in which dispersed camping would be permitted is the Blaine Basin Zone.

Additionally, the plan prohibits all camping above treeline and/or in alpine tundra. Anyone who camps in the backcountry would also be required to bring bear-proof food storage under the plan.

Current regulations prohibit open fires in the Wilderness Zone, where the Blue Lakes are, and that restriction will remain in place.

Pack it out

While recreators are currently allowed to bury their poop, the new plan prohibits that in most of the national forest and instead requires trail users to pack it out using “wag bags” or some other container.

The only zone where burying waste would be permitted is in the Blaine Basin Zone.

The Forest Service has received a grant to build a second toilet at the Blue Lakes Trailhead, but it does not plan to build others in the Wilderness Zone.

New parking lots at two trailheads

Under the plan, the Forest Service would better delineate parking spots at both the Blue Lakes trailhead and the Yankee Boy Basin trailhead.

Parking would not be permitted along roads or elsewhere that’s not an official parking spot. This seeks to limit capacities at trailheads, reduce vegetation damage and deter trespassing on private lands that border the recreation areas.

Closing “social” driving and hiking trails

Yankee Boy Basin is one access point to reach the Mount Sneffels summit. It’s also a popular area for off-road driving. However, several trails were made by drivers and do not follow the state-approved Motor Vehicle Use Maps.

The Forest Service plans to close those so-called “social trails” with signage and remediate them. The same is true of the social trails at Lower Blue Lake and other areas within the forest.

The Forest Service wouldn’t close any existing, designated trails — just the ones that are not official thoroughfares for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and off-road driving.

Drivers who navigate off designated trails are and would still be subject to fines.

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But disposing of those canisters once empty can prove tricky in the Denver area. Small propane tanks are considered hazardous waste and cannot be thrown away in regular trash. They also shouldn’t be refilled unless specifically marked as refillable.

Denver doesn’t have a program that accepts propane canisters, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure spokeswoman Nancy Kuhn said. They’re not accepted in the city’s normal recycling or through the hazardous waste program, she said.

Aurora doesn’t accept them, either, and neither do Lakewood, Thornton, Arvada or Westminster. Some municipalities and counties, however, partner with companies to provide discounted or free recycling.

Denver-area residents can drop off canisters at the following locations:

• Rooney Road Recycling at 151 S. Rooney Road in Golden accepts the canisters by appointment between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. There is no fee for the canisters. To book an appointment, visit rooneyroadrecycling.org or call 303-316-6262.
• Metro Gas at 790 W. 64th Ave. in Adams County accepts small propane canisters for a fee of 25 cents per canister, to be paid in cash. The facility is open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment is needed, but the facility manager recommends calling ahead.
• AAA Propane at 7405 W. 44th Ave. in Wheat Ridge accepts used small propane cylinders for free without an appointment. The facility is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
• Veolia’s Colorado Recycling Center at 9131 E. 96th Ave. in Henderson accepts canisters by appointment for Adams County residents between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. The cost for recycling is a $26 facility fee plus $1.25 per pound.
• Boulder County Hazardous Material Management Facility at 1901 63rd St. in Boulder accepts propane canisters from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Residents of Boulder County, Broomfield and Erie can use the facility for free but residents of other areas will pay a $45 fee.

Some small butane canisters — like those used for backpacking — are accepted through some regular recycling programs if they are empty and a hole is punched in them.

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There’s an unusual piece of Colorado history tucked away next to a gentle creek in the Wet Mountains southwest of Pueblo – one that’s worth exploring. To find it, wind your way from Interstate 25 south of Pueblo along rural Colorado Highway 165, then take a right at Forest Road 382. Bump down the dirt road for 2 miles to the Davenport Campground in the San Isabel National Forest.

Built on both sides of Squirrel Creek and with a handful of log cabin-style Adirondack picnic shelters, rough-hewn tables and stone cooking in a large community shelter, Davenport, which is tent-only, was created to reproduce the feel and atmosphere of what was probably the oldest modern-style campground on forest service land in the country.

That older facility, which was called Squirrel Creek Campground, was located a few miles from Davenport. It was created around 1920 before being destroyed by a flood in 1947.

The scenery here, at about 8,500 feet, is idyllic, full of aspen, oak and spruce trees, abundant birds and wildlife and the creek, which runs through a peaceful meadow, But it has a complicated past that ties together the rise of car culture, the beginnings of wildland stewardship, health concerns and the violent clash between workers and industrialists.

According to the forest service, Squirrel Creek Campground’s beginnings took root in the aftermath of the Ludlow Massacre, during which the Colorado National Guard and security guards with the Colorado Fuel and Iron Co. – partially owned by industrialist John D. Rockefeller Jr. – responded to a group of 1,200 striking coal miners by slaughtering 21 people, including miners, their wives and children, all of whom were living in a tent camp in the town of Ludlow.

The massacre eventually became a catalyst for labor reforms, the forest service says, leading to improved working conditions and a better lifestyle for laborers by 1919 – a lifestyle that included leisure time and recreational activities in nature. And some of the closest nature to the coal and iron workers was in the Wet Mountains, which are part of the Sangre de Cristo range.

But the influx of people camping, fishing and driving in Squirrel Creek Canyon was making a mess; an inspection found “raw sewage, abundant trash, stream pollution, denuded slopes and the ever-present risk of escaped campfires,” the agency says in a display located at Davenport. In response, the forest service hired landscape architect Arthur Carhart, who had been a sanitation specialist during World War I, to come up with some solutions,

The plan that he presented in 1919-20 was an integrated network of designated recreational sites, scenic roads, wilderness areas and developed campgrounds – the first of which was Squirrel Creek Campground, which had wooden shelters, picnic tables, stone fire rings or cooking structures, outhouses, a water source and trash receptacles. That network became the model for how public agencies manage recreation today, the forest service says.

Today, Davenport Campground is a special place. It’s one of a rare few with a creek cutting through the middle of it, and it has those old-school structures, which you’ll find almost nowhere else these days. We camped there in early June — Davenport is open May through October and requires reservations — and had the place almost all to ourselves.

And when we packed up our tent, we made sure to douse the fire with plenty of water, to pick up our trash and throw it in the dumpster and to salute the campers who came before us.

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On Oct. 14, Mesa Verde National Park in Southwest Colorado will be almost directly in line with the annular solar eclipse. During this type of event, the moon comes between the Earth and the sun and blocks most of the light.

Because the moon will be at one of its furthest points away from the Earth, the moon will appear smaller than the sun and not block its light completely. Instead, the moon will appear as a black dot surrounded by what’s called a “ring of fire.”

It’s a stunning sight – one that can only be viewed safely with the aid of protective eyewear, according to NASA. That’s why Mesa Verde is expecting robust crowds during the otherwise sleepy shoulder season.

“This event might be pretty huge compared to an average October day,” said Eric Sainio, supervisory park ranger at Mesa Verde. “NASA has told us that in former annual eclipses, they’ve seen crowds something like a busy summer day plus 50%. For us, that might mean around 6,000 people.”

Because the federal government approved a temporary funding bill to avoid a shutdown, Mesa Verde’s eclipse plans will go on as scheduled, Sainio said.

The last time an annular solar eclipse was visible from North America was in 2012. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking about making the trek to Mesa Verde to witness the event.

When the eclipse happens

Starting at about 9:11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14, the moon will begin passing between the Earth and the sun, causing a partial eclipse. It’s expected to reach peak coverage – or 90% “annularity” – from 10:31 a.m. to about 10:34 a.m., Sainio said.

While Mesa Verde is technically accessible 24 hours a day, some areas close overnight. Sainio expects gates will open fully around 7 a.m. to accommodate eclipse watchers.

Where to watch the eclipse

Mesa Verde plans to have three viewing areas throughout the park where rangers will hand out protective glasses for guests. The park will also have tents covered with solar mylar for individuals who are not comfortable wearing glasses.

Viewing areas will be located at the Chapin Mesa Museum, the Far View Parking Lot, and the Morefield Campground Amphitheater.

Sainio advised choosing your route and viewing destination in advance to adequately prepare and have ample time for parking. Because the park will likely be crowded, there may be traffic that affects the drive time.

“The deeper you go into the park, the more time it’s going to take to get there,” he said. “For instance, if you’re planning on being near the museum for the eclipse, that’s awesome and that could be really fun for you. Keep in mind with traffic that day – where it’s a drive that might take you 40 minutes or so – it may take you more like twice that time depending on traffic. “

NASA representatives will also be at the three aforementioned locations within the park sharing educational information about the eclipse. On the evenings of Oct. 13 and 14, NASA will host presentations at the Morefield Amphitheater followed by two “star parties” with telescopes and other astronomical fun.

How much does it cost to see the eclipse

Standard entry fees to Mesa Verde National Park apply. Day entry costs $25 per motorcycle, $30 per car or $55 for an annual pass.

Where to camp

Mesa Verde boasts one campground within the park and one lodge. Both are currently sold out on reservations.

Elsewhere outside the park, dispersed camping is permitted in the nearby San Juan National Forest and in the Bureau of Land Management’s jurisdiction. Sainio also suggests checking availability at Mancos State Park and local campgrounds and RV parks near Cortez and Dolores.

How to sign up for a cliff dwelling tour

Tours of Mesa Verde’s famed cliff dwellings will be canceled the morning of the annular eclipse; however, they resume at 1 p.m.

Reservations open 14 days in advance of any given date — so in the case of the eclipse, they open on Saturday (Sept. 30) for Oct. 14 — and can be booked at recreation.gov. Tours cost $8 per person to access individual areas like the Cliff Palace and Balcony House. Another option is to book the half-day 700 Year Tour ($93 for adults, $73 for children), which hits multiple attractions, through visitmesaverde.com.

Mesa Verde resumes its full tour schedule on Sunday, Oct. 15.

For more information about viewing the eclipse at Mesa Verde National Park, visit nps.gov/meve/planyourvisit/eclipse.htm

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“There’s not a single bad view on this loop,” my dad, David Fries, said multiple times as we backpacked the Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop.

You’ll see wildlife and pass waterfalls, alpine lakes and rivers while hiking over four summits above 12,000 feet that overlook colorful valleys with blooming wildflowers and those iconic red mountain peaks. If you’re a backpacker, this one must go on your bucket list.

This guide will help you plan and complete an epic Colorado backpacking trip.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

Permits

To camp overnight in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, permits are required year-round through recreation.gov. The best time to visit is between July and September. You’ll risk snow outside of that sweet spot. Campers will need a reservation for each “zone” you want to sleep in. We picked the Maroon zone, then the North Fork zone and the Snowmass Lake zone for our clockwise four-day, three-night trip. The permits allow up to four people, with a couple of the zones allowing larger groups up to 10.

Key reservation dates (subject to change for future years):

• Feb. 15, 2023: Permits opened at 8 a.m. for Feb. 15-July 31
• June 15, 2023: Permits opened at 8 a.m. for Aug. 1-Nov. 30
• Oct. 15, 2023: Permits open at 8 a.m. for Dec. 1-March 31, 2024

Each night cost $22 for a total of $66 for my three-night trip. For information on where campsites are located and where you can and can’t have campfires, click here.

Shuttle and parking

A limited number of vehicles are allowed to park at the Maroon Bells scenic area at the trailhead. Parking reservations ($10) are required May 15-Oct. 31 for day use, 24-hour parking or overnight parking for up to two nights. Because my dad and I were staying three nights, we opted to park at the free overnight Buttermilk Ski Area lot instead. There is also parking available at Aspen Highlands, where the shuttle departs, at a cost of $40 a day.

If you’re like us, you’ll be taking the shuttle up to the West Maroon Lake trailhead to start the loop. The shuttle runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and costs $16 for adults, and $10 for seniors and children if bought in advance. Day-of tickets are $20 for adults and $14 for seniors and children. If you get dropped off at the trailhead before or after the bus starts running, you can purchase a one-way downhill ticket for the return for $10.

To get from the Buttermilk Ski Area lot to Aspen Highlands, you can take the free RFTA bus. We were able to take the BRT Aspen bus three stops and then the CM Highlands bus up to the resort.

Gear

Aside from the basics (tent, sleeping bag, water filter, etc.), be prepared for the weather. The Colorado mountains, especially those passes, can see afternoon storms that are much more brutal at 12,000 feet. If you’re a hammock sleeper, be assured that there are enough trees, even at this high elevation, to string up your bed. A paper map is a must (this one from National Geographic was a lifesaver). And unless you have knees made of steel, I would highly recommend hiking poles. If you’re looking for a great backpacking tent that won’t break the bank, the Trekker Tent 1 from River Country was awesome for me.

HIKING THE FOUR PASS LOOP

My dad and I decided to do the loop clockwise, so here’s a breakdown of each day on the trail. While AllTrails reports this loop as roughly 26 miles, we logged 28.6 miles total. The extra mileage came from finding places to filter water and looking at several campsites before settling down for the night.

Our goal with each day was to hike as far as we could to the foot of whichever pass we’d be climbing the next day, so we’d start our day with an ascent and finish with the downhill or flatter bits of trail. We also took hours-long breaks during the afternoons to avoid the hottest time of the day, while we rested our legs and rehydrated near water sources before continuing on to find a camp in the evening.

Day 1: Maroon Lake Trailhead to West Maroon Pass

• 6 miles
• 2,500 feet of elevation gain
• 440 feet of elevation loss

The first day of our trip did not include any of the four passes. We wanted to hike the loop clockwise to give our lungs and bodies time to adjust to the altitude. There is significant elevation gain on this first day but it is gradual. There are plenty of water sources as you hike alongside a creek for most of the day.

We pushed as far as we possibly could on the first day to the foot of West Maroon Pass. I’d highly recommend the last few campsites before the ascent as they are located in small groups of trees on nulls that overlook the West Maroon Valley. The sunset lights up the red mountains to a golden orange and wildlife all start coming out in the evening. We spotted a bull moose, about a dozen deer, marmots and pikas that first night.

Day 2: West Maroon Pass to North Fork

• 8 miles
• 1,660 feet of elevation gain
• 2,900 feet of elevation loss

On day two, you’ll immediately start the climb up West Maroon Pass. The views below as you climb are incredible. And there are a couple of spots for water between the last campsites and the pass. It took us approximately an hour to get to the top of the summit (12,490 feet).

Then, you’ll do a short descent before starting the climb up to Frigid Air Pass (12,400 feet). The trail between these two passes has a couple of streams for water, but there’s not much shade. I wouldn’t recommend camping in the East Fork zone but rather pushing to finish Frigid Air to camp in the North Fork zone. Frigid Air is true to its name and very windy on top. The climb is steep but also short.

Once you finish both passes, you’ll head downhill into a valley where you’ll hike along the North Fork Crystal River. There are tons of campsites to choose from in this area, but I’d recommend picking a spot past the waterfall or even the river crossing if you’re able. The river crossing requires you to swap boots for sandals. And the sunset by the river was one of the best views of the trip.

Day 3: North Fork to Snowmass Creek

• 7.5 miles
• 2,540 feet of elevation gain
• 2,010 feet of elevation loss

Get ready for a climb. This is by far the most intense day with nearly 4 miles of steep climbing. Hiking through the steep aspen groves is gorgeous, but it is a workout. And beware that there’s a false summit, so once you think you’re getting close, you’ll come to a small plateau with a lake for rehydrating before heading to the top of Trail Rider Pass (12,420 feet). At the top, you’ll get a bird’s-eye view of Snowmass Lake.

The descent is also a bit rough with steep switchbacks and a couple of scrambles over rock piles. The lake looks close, but it’s another couple miles down before you can get to the water. Snowmass Lake is the most popular camping area on the loop and feels a bit crowded. The lake is awesome for a soak or fishing, but we decided not to camp at the lake so we could have more privacy. My dad successfully did some fishing while we rested in the afternoon. We later continued on toward the Snowmass Creek campsites where we had no neighbors and were right by the water.

Day 4: Snowmass Creek to Maroon Lake Trailhead

• 6.5 miles
• 2,000 feet of elevation gain
• 3,560 feet of elevation loss

We finished off the loop with an early morning (there was weather on the horizon we were trying to beat) to climb up Buckskin Pass (12,462 feet). There are several streams for water and if you’re an early bird, you’ll hike in the shade until you reach the summit. The climb isn’t as hard as Trail Rider, but there are a few steep switchbacks at the end.

The views from the top give you an awesome look back at Trail Rider from the previous day as well as a view of the hike down back toward West Maroon trailhead. We ran into a short but intense bout of rain and hail at the top; however, it quickly passed and gave way to sunshine for the rest of our 3,000-foot descent back to the shuttle. Plenty of water and shade on the way down, but if you’re like us, you’ll be itching to get back to town for a real meal, beer and a shower.

Overall, this is a fantastic trail no matter how many days you choose to complete it in. Several trails that run through the area allow for a shorter hike, but the full loop is one of the coolest trips I’ve been on in Colorado.

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