Montana First Day Hikes

Kick off the New Year right with a First Day Hike at a state park near you. On Jan. 1, Montana State Parks will host First Day Hikes at Flathead Lake State Park (Wayfarers, West Shore and Lone Pine units), Somers Beach State Park, Missouri Headwaters State Park, First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park, Spring Meadow Lake State Park, Lake Elmo State Park and Makoshika State Park. These fun and informative hikes are open to all ages and are family friendly.

For more information, please click here.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Actor Pierce Brosnan cited for walking onto Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces in Yellowstone National Park

Pierce Brosnan was cited for walking onto the delicate and dangerous Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces in Yellowstone National Park, according to court documents filed on Tuesday. The James Bond actor was cited for two alleged incidents that occurred on November 1st.

Yellowstone National Park rangers claim Brosnan wandered off the boardwalk and walked into closed off areas to presumably get a closer look at the thermal features at Mammoth Hot Springs. Leaving designated paths is punishable by up to to six months in jail, or a $5000 fine. The 70-year old Irish actor has a mandatory court appearance set for January 23, 2024.

According to the Livingston Enterprise, Brosnan was in the area to film scenes for an upcoming Western titled “Unholy Trinity”.

Yellowstone National Park has a long history of visitors misbehaving that dates back to its founding.

Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Wyoming First Day Hikes 2024

Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites, and Trails is pleased to announce the 13th consecutive year of its popular First Day Hikes on January 1, 2024!

First Day Hikes are part of a nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to encourage people to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. On New Year’s Day, people of all ages can kick off the New Year out of doors with access to hundreds of free guided hikes organized in all fifty states.

These events will be held at 16 Wyoming State Park and Historic Site locations statewide. Hikes are free and open to the public; all day use fees will be waived on January 1 as part of this initiative.

Once again, participants at each site will also have the chance to win a 2024 Annual Day Use Certificate and enter a statewide Grand Prize drawing for participating.

Park staff and volunteers will lead the hikes, ranging from 1 to 3 miles. Details about hiking locations, difficulty, length, and terrain are as follows:

Participants are encouraged to “know before you go” and to prepare for winter weather conditions, including dressing appropriately. Hot drinks and refreshments will be provided at most locations, however, participants are also encouraged to bring their own water and snacks.

To learn more about First Day Hike events in your area, please find individual sites on Facebook.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Pear Lake

A bluebird day at Pear Lake in the Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park:

Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Three Last Minute Stocking Stuffer Ideas For Hikers

With Christmas only a few days away I have a sneaky feeling that there are quite a few of you who haven't finished your shopping just yet. Some of you may even be at a lost for ideas! Well, if you're looking for some last minute stocking stuffer ideas for any hikers in your life, you may want to consider one of these books (or all three!) that were written by yours truly!

What hiker doesn't want to know more about their favorite outdoor activity?!?!

Ramble On: How Hiking Became One of the Most Popular Outdoor Activities in the World chronicles the rich history of hiking: its roots in alpinism and mountaineering, the societal trends that fostered its growth, some of the early hikers from the 18th and 19th centuries, the first trails built specifically for hiking, the formation of the first hiking clubs, as well as what the early hikers wore, and what some of the key inventions and innovations were that led to our modern array of gear and apparel. Ramble On also examines how hiking was able to germinate and grow as a result of Romanticism and Transcendentalism, the Industrial Revolution, the labor movement, the rise of automobiles, environmentalism, club culture, and even art. The book is available in both paperback and eBook editions.

Exploring Glacier National Park is the mobile version of HikinginGlacier.com, the most comprehensive website on the internet for hiking trail information in Glacier National Park. This book was published to provide hikers with convenient access to the information contained on our website while in the park, or on the trail, where internet access is most likely unavailable. Additionally, the format of this book will provide a much better experience for smartphone users.

Exploring Glacier National Park covers 68 hikes. Like the website, the book includes driving directions to each trailhead, detailed trail descriptions, key features along the route, difficulty ratings, photographs, maps and elevation profiles. Whether you're looking for an easy stroll in the park, or an epic hike deep into Glacier's backcountry, this book provides all the tools you'll need to make your hiking trip as enjoyable as possible. The book is available on Amazon as an eBook.

Exploring Grand Teton National Park is the mobile version of TetonHikingTrails.com, the most comprehensive website on the internet for hiking trail information in Grand Teton National Park. This book was published to provide hikers with convenient access to the information contained on our website while in the park, or on the trail. The book covers 44 hikes; including 41 hikes within the park, as well as 3 hikes in the Teton Pass area, located just south of the park boundary. Like the website, the book includes driving directions to each trailhead, detailed trail descriptions, key features along the route, difficulty ratings, photographs, maps and elevation profiles. Whether you're looking for an easy stroll in the park, or an epic hike deep into Grand Teton's backcountry, this book provides all the tools you'll need to make your hiking trip as enjoyable as possible. The book is available on Amazon as an eBook.

As always, thank you very much!



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Yellowstone National Park's winter season begins Dec. 15, 2023

Yellowstone National Park’s winter season begins Friday, Dec. 15. Annually from mid-December until mid-March, visitors can travel most of the park’s roads from the West, South, East and North entrances by approved commercially guided snowmobiles and snowcoaches and via the non-commercially guided snowmobile access program.

Currently, there is limited snowfall on roads in the eastern, western and northern parts of the park. This means that visitors will be able to travel in the park, however, the type of transportation used on park roads by commercially guided snowmobile or snowcoach tour companies will depend on road conditions. Throughout the winter season, park staff will work closely with all operators and provide updates as conditions change.

Winter travel ends in mid-March when plowing crews begin to clear a winter’s worth of snow. Roads will start to re-open to automobiles in mid-April.

For a list of the "Top Things to Know in Winter", place click here.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

New U.S. Federal funding boosts wildlife crossings in the West

Last week the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced $110 million in grants for 19 wildlife crossing projects in 17 states, including four Indian Tribes. The funding is made possible by a new program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and can support projects that construct wildlife crossings over and below busy roads, add fencing, acquire tracking and mapping tools, and more. Overall, BIL makes a total of $350 million available over five years under the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program.

Each year, it is estimated that there are more than one million wildlife vehicle collisions in the U.S. Wildlife-vehicle collisions involving large animals result in injuries to drivers and their passengers, representing approximately 200 human fatalities and 26,000 injuries to drivers and their passengers each year. These collisions also cost the public more than $10 billion annually. This includes economic costs caused by wildlife crashes, such as loss of income, medical costs, property damage, and more.

“We are pleased to announce the first round of grants under the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program to projects that will significantly reduce the number of collisions between motorists and wildlife,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt. “These roadway safety investments will ensure that motorists and wildlife get to their destinations safely and are a win-win for safety and the environment.”

Project selections in this round of grants include:

* The Wyoming Department of Transportation will receive $24.4 million to build an overpass, several underpasses, and high-barrier wildlife fencing along 30 miles of US 189 in southwest Wyoming, a rural highway corridor with a high number of wildlife-vehicle collisions.

* The Colorado Department of Transportation will receive $22 million to build a dedicated overpass on I-25 between Denver and Colorado Springs, the state’s two most populous cities. Once completed, the Greenland Wildlife Overpass will be one of the largest overpass structures in North America, spanning six lanes of interstate highway. It will help reduce vehicle collisions with elk and mule deer along I-25 and connect vital habitats on both sides of the highway from the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains.

* The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) will receive $424,242 to complete a feasibility study for installing wildlife crossings across 68 miles on I-90 between Missoula and Garrison, Montana. By identifying key wildlife migration corridors, the study will help MDT determine the need, type, and feasibility of constructing one or more wildlife crossings that will effectively accommodate both wildlife and motorists, and ultimately reduce the number of WVCs.

* The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes will receive $8.6 million to construct a wildlife overpass spanning US Highway 93 within the Ninepipe National Wildlife Management Area in Montana, an area with high rates of WVCs. The proposed project will help reduce WVCs and improve habitat connectivity for grizzly bears which will reduce crash-related mortality and improve outcomes for grizzly bears.

The Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program supports the Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), which sets a goal of achieving zero roadway deaths and serious injuries through a Safe System Approach to prevent crashes from happening in the first place. Projects funded by this program reduce wildlife crashes, which will reduce the associated economic impact (such as loss of income, medical costs, property damage, and decline in productivity and quality of life) while simultaneously improving habitat connectivity to sustain the environment and improve the overall safety of the traveling public.

The full list of project selections can be found here.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Ptarmigan Lake and Tunnel

Here's the view of Ptarmigan Lake in Glacier National Park:

Here's the view of Ptarmigan Lake from Ptarmigan Tunnel:

Finally, the tunnel itself:

Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Three national scenic trails designated as units of the National Park System

Three national scenic trails have become the country’s newest national parks, raising the total number of existing parks from 425 to 428. The Ice Age, New England, and North Country national scenic trails, all previously established by Congress and administered by the National Park Service as part of the National Trails System, are now also recognized as units of the National Park System.    

“The new status for the Ice Age, New England, and North Country national scenic trails will increase public awareness and use of these amazing pathways,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “Their combined 5,500-plus miles travel through parts of 10 states and hundreds of communities, from large cities to rural towns, providing countless close-to-home opportunities for people to easily access green space and enjoy the benefits of outdoor recreation.”   

These long-distance corridors are lined with natural beauty and history, connecting people to lakes, waterfalls, beaches, mountains, old growth forests, and historic structures. The designation will not result in any immediate changes to the size or structure of the trails which already have access points, signage, operating budgets, superintendents, staff, and dedicated volunteers. Last year, thousands of volunteers contributed more than 150,000 hours to support trail preservation, maintenance and education projects.    

The trails join three other national scenic trails – the Appalachian, Natchez Trace, and Potomac Heritage – that are already units of the National Park System. This action aligns with Congressional, stakeholder, and partner desires for clear, consistent and equitable status for all six national scenic trails administered by the National Park Service. There are five additional national scenic trails administered by the U.S. Forest Service.    

The Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Wisconsin is nearly 1,200 miles long. It’s landscape of lakes, river valleys, gently rolling hills, and ridges are reminders that just 15,000 years ago, during the Ice Age, much of North America lay under a huge glacier.    

The New England National Scenic Trail in Connecticut and Massachusetts stretches 235 miles from the shores of Long Island Sound to scenic mountain summits. It offers panoramic vistas of New England’s natural and cultural landscape, including traprock ridges, historic village centers, farmlands, unfragmented forests, quiet streams, steep river valleys, and waterfalls.   

The North Country National Scenic Trail is expected to be a 4,600-mile continuous path when completed. Traversing sections of Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin, it showcases the varied landscapes of the Lake Superior Region, Adirondacks, Ohio River Valley, and North Dakota plains.    

The 428 units of the National Park System are commonly referred to as “parks” since there are more than 25 different name designations, including national park, national battlefield, national monument, national seashore, national historical site, and national scenic trail. Collectively, the parks cover over 85 million acres in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories.  

If you wish to learn more about the National Trails System and how the thousands of miles of hiking trails came into existence over the last 200 years, please check out my new book; Ramble On: How Hiking Became One of the Most Popular Outdoor Activities in the World.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Help protect wintering wildlife in Grand Teton National Park

Winter has arrived in Grand Teton National Park – an excellent time for recreation in the snow but also a challenging time for wildlife in and around the Tetons. Wildlife biologists are asking visitors to avoid disturbing animals by following all winter closures and voluntarily avoiding bighorn sheep winter zones. In all other areas of the park, visitors should give wildlife plenty of space by maintaining 100 yards from bears and wolves, and 25 yards from other animals. Visitors can safely enjoy watching wildlife by being respectful of their need for space, staying clear of their sensitive habitats, allowing them to maintain their vital energy reserves. 

Conserving energy is especially important for wildlife as temperatures plummet, snow buries food and travel is difficult. Animals like bighorn sheep, bison, deer, elk and moose survive the winter by using the least amount of energy so they can maintain fat reserves, which is especially crucial for females to successfully produce young in the spring.

Stress from winter recreation poses a significant threat to bighorn sheep and can push these iconic animals toward starvation as they endure brutal winters high in the Teton Range. “The park is asking skiers and snowboarders to voluntarily avoid sensitive bighorn sheep winter habitat, give sheep space and help us conserve these animals by spreading the word," said Chip Jenkins, superintendent of Grand Teton National Park.

A georeferenced map of bighorn sheep winter zones is available for download at tetonsheep.org. Areas closed to the public to protect important ungulate winter range include:

* Summits of Mount Hunt, Prospectors Mountain and Static Peak: Dec. 1 through Apr. 30

* Areas around the Snake River, Buffalo Fork River and Kelly Hill: Dec. 15 through Mar. 31

* Northern portion of Blacktail Butte (the open slopes on the southwest side of Blacktail Butte and the Practice Rocks climbing area at the northern tip of the butte remain open): Dec. 15 through Apr. 30

* Wolff Ridge and a portion of the Spread Creek drainage: Dec. 15 through Apr. 30

Visit go.nps.gov/tetonclosures for more information about park closures.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Glacier National Park Adds Early Access Lotteries for 2024 Wilderness Permits

Beginning in the spring of 2024, Glacier National Park will offer early access lotteries for wilderness camping advance reservations in collaboration with Recreation.gov.

This action is consistent with public comments received in February 2023 on the transition of the park’s advance wilderness camping reservation system to the Recreation.gov general on-sale system. Lessons learned after implementing the 2023 system also support this action.

Two early access lotteries will be available; one lottery for standard groups of one to eight people and the second lottery will be for large groups of nine to twelve people. The new standard group size of one to eight campers will be an increase from what was allowed in 2023.

After the lotteries, visitors will also be able to use the general on-sale system to book advance reservation campsites not booked during the early access lotteries. The general on-sale system will be the same system used in 2023 and will be available for the remainder of the booking window, from May 1 to September 30.

The walk-in permit process and availability will remain the same as in 2023.

Early Access Lotteries

* The lotteries will be based on a fair and randomized process to provide equal opportunity for each applicant. Participants will be limited to a single reservation during the early access period but may create additional reservations during the general on-sale period beginning May 1 or by walk-in.

* On March 1, 2024, from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm mountain time (MT), lottery applications will be accepted for a chance to secure a large group (9-12 campers) advance reservation. A total of five (5) large group advance reservations will be selected from all submissions.

* On March 15, 2024, from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm MT, lottery applications will be accepted for a chance to secure a standard group (1-8 campers) advance reservation. A total of 3,000 standard group advance reservations will be selected from all submissions.

* There will be a $10 non-refundable fee to enter each lottery regardless of success. Successful lottery applicants will not have to pay an additional permit fee to book their reservations because the $10 lottery application fee will rollover to become the permit fee for bookings.

* There will not be an option to apply for the early access lotteries via walk-in.

General On-Sale Period

* The general on-sale period (first come, first served online reservation system, as used in 2023) will begin on May 1 at 8:00 am MT and run through September 30 11:59 pm MT.

* Fees for the general on-sale system will remain the same as in 2023 ($10 permit fee; $7/person per night camping fee).

* All advance reservation campsites not taken in the large and standard group lotteries will be available for online advance reservations on Recreation.gov on May 1 at 8:00 am MT.

Walk-in Permits

* Approximately 30 percent of wilderness campsites parkwide will be available on a walk-in basis (day before or day of a trip start date) from May 1 through September 30 at Wilderness Permit Office locations throughout the park; this is the same as the current system used for walk-in permits.

* Any advance reservation sites not booked during the early access lotteries or general on-sale period (more than 48 hours in advance of trip start date) will be added to the available pool of walk-in reservations.

* Lottery, permit, and camping fees will be applied to operation of the lotteries at Recreation.gov as well as funding the wilderness management and wilderness permit programs at the park.

For full details, please visit the Glacier’s Wilderness Camping Advance Reservations page. https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/backcountry-reservations.htm



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

National Park Service Announces Entrance Fee-Free Days for 2024

During this festive season of joy and giving, the National Park Service presents the entrance fee-free dates for 2024. On these days, and throughout the year, all are invited to experience the magic and wonder of national parks.

“National parks are places that awaken senses, inspire curiosity, encourage reflection, and foster joy,” National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said. “The entrance fee-free days expand opportunities for people to visit their national parks and experience the beauty and history of our country.”

The entrance fee-free days for 2024 are:

January 15 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
April 20 – First Day of National Park Week 
June 19 – Juneteenth
August 4 – Great American Outdoors Day
September 28 – National Public Lands Day
November 11 – Veterans Day

National parks are wallet-friendly options year-round. More than 300 of the country’s more than 400 national parks are free to enter every day. Also, with at least one national park in every state and most major metropolitan areas, they provide close-to-home choices for recreation and inspiration. Detailed information about things to do and see in each park is available on NPS.gov and the NPS app.

The cost to enter parks with entrance fees ranges from $10 to $35. The funds remain in the National Park Service and 80-100% stays in the park where collected. The revenue supports visitor services, including enhancing accessibility, restoring wildlife habitat, and providing ranger programs, and adding or upgrading restrooms, campgrounds, trails, and other facilities.

The fee waiver for the fee-free days applies only to National Park Service entrance fees and does not cover amenity or user fees for camping, boat launches, transportation, special tours, or other activities.

The annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass covers entry at more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks. There are also free or discounted passes available for current members of the U.S. military and their dependents, military veterans, Gold Star Families, fourth grade students, individuals with permanent disabilities, and senior citizens.

Other federal land management agencies offering their own fee-free days in 2024 are the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Redrock Falls and Lake

Though Redrock Falls is a fairly popular destination in Glacier National Park...

The real star of this hike is actually Redrock Lake, especially during the early morning hours:

Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

Ramble On (2nd edition book on the rich history of hiking)
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park