On this day in hiking history: The Kinder Scout Mass Trespass

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

The “right to roam” is the concept that every individual has a right to walk through open country. In general, this means being able to access privately owned land and undeveloped wilderness areas for recreational purposes. Of course there are certain exclusions and protections for landowners, depending on the laws and customs of each country. For instance, most, if not all, countries restrict the general public from walking in close proximity to homes, or through the cultivated fields of farmers. For the most part, the right to roam has never really been an issue for hikers in the United States. However, individuals have been restricted as to where they can walk in much of Europe. With the exceptions of Scandinavia and a few other northern European countries, much of Europe developed out of feudalism, which meant that vast swaths of land were owned by the nobility classes. As the Industrial Revolution took root, especially in England, workers living in large cities began seeking the countryside to gain relief from pollution and congested urban centers. In response to what they saw as trespassing, wealthy land barons began fencing people out. In 1604, the British Parliament passed the first in a series of laws that would become known as the Enclosure Acts. By 1914, they had enacted more than 5200 enclosure laws that effectively closed off 6.8 million acres, or roughly one-fifth of England’s total landmass, thus making it illegal for the general public to walk across areas that were previously considered common lands. Exacerbating the situation, large publicly owned spaces were extremely rare throughout much of Europe, especially in Great Britain. By 1900, American hikers had access to tens of millions of acres in national parks and forests. On the contrary, the first national park in Great Britain wasn’t established until 1951. France designated its first national park in 1963, Germany in 1970, while Austria didn't establish its first national park until 1981.

To combat what they saw as an infringement on their basic right to roam, hikers in Great Britain began organizing and committing acts of civil disobedience. By 1824, the first of several associations were formed to advocate for public access to local forests and other common and undeveloped lands. In 1874, the Liverpool YMCA Rambling Club was formed, which became the first of several rambling clubs to organize during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Most of these clubs actively campaigned for the right to roam, sometimes resulting in violent conflicts with landowners. One group in particular, the Sunday Tramps, was known for purposely trespassing on private lands during their weekly excursions. The group was formed in 1879 by Sir Leslie Stephen, one of the most famous British climbers during the Golden Age of Alpinism, who also served as the fourth president of the Alpine Club in the mid-1860s. Other mass intrusions would follow, including the Kinder Scout mass trespass on April 24, 1932, which resulted in the arrests of six of its leaders. It’s estimated that roughly 400 ramblers were involved in this incident. Although it was considered a highly controversial tactic at the time, the conviction and subsequent imprisonment (between 2 and 6 months) of some of its participants led to wide public outrage, which helped to increase support for access to open lands. This event is widely recognized as a turning point in the establishment of the right to roam. During the ensuing decades, several laws have been passed that have improved walkers’ rights to access open lands, culminating with the passage of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act in 2000. However, the battle between hikers and landowners continues to this day, each asserting their rights that conflict in one way or another with the other side.

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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.

Biologists set to begin 2026 grizzly bear captures for research purposes in Yellowstone National Park

As part of ongoing monitoring efforts to document recovery of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with Yellowstone National Park, is working to inform the public that pre-baiting and scientific capture operations are once again about to begin within Yellowstone National Park. Agency biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will begin the field captures May 1 and continue through Oct. 15. Capture operations can include a variety of activities, but all areas where work is being conducted will have major access points marked with warning signs. It is critical that all members of the public heed these signs.

Monitoring of the grizzly bear population is vital to ongoing research and management of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. To attract bears, biologists use natural food sources such as recently road-killed deer and elk. Potential capture sites are baited with these natural foods and if indications are that grizzly bears are in the area, culvert traps or foot snares are used to capture bears. Once captured, bears are handled in accordance with strict safety and animal care protocols developed by the IGBST and approved by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Whenever bear capture activities are being conducted for scientific purposes, the area around the site will be posted with brightly colored warning signs to inform the public of the activities occurring. These signs are posted along the major access points to the capture site. It is important that the public heed these signs and do not venture into an area that has been posted. For more information regarding grizzly bear capture efforts call the IGBST trapping hotline at 406-994-6675. Information about the grizzly bear research and monitoring is available from the IGBST website.



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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 the history of hiking is available on Amazon

The Early Days of Appalachian Trail Construction

Several years ago, the Appalachian Trail Museum published this historic instructional trail construction footage from the early 1930s. The video was taken by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, likely within the boundaries of the future Shenandoah National Park. It shows how the trail was marked, cleared, measured, signed and blazed. It also shows the construction of the Sexton Shelter. The AT Museum published the video in a three-part series.












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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 the history of hiking is available on Amazon

Glacier National Park Remind Visitors About 2026 Shuttle System and Logan Pass Access Changes

As the summer season approaches, Glacier National Park is reminding visitors about important changes taking effect for the 2026 season. These changes, first announced in February, include the elimination of vehicle reservations anywhere in the park this year, as well as a new reservation-only shuttle system and three-hour parking limits at Logan Pass.  

To help visitors plan ahead, Glacier has created a dedicated page with everything you need to know about 2026 access and shuttle changes: Visiting Logan Pass in 2026 - Glacier National Park.   Here are key highlights to expect for a summer visit to visits to Glacier this year: 

What’s New for 2026: 

* Glacier’s shuttles on the Going-to-the-Sun Road to Logan Pass will run on a reservation-only system during the summer season. 

* Shuttle tickets will be available on Recreation.gov. Tickets will be released during two booking windows. A portion of tickets will be available 60 days in advance beginning May 2, 2026, at 8 a.m. MDT, on a rolling basis. The remaining tickets will be released daily at 7 p.m. MDT, beginning June 30, for next-day shuttles.

* No vehicle reservations are required anywhere in the park this year. 

* Parking at Logan Pass is limited to three hours starting July 1 (weather permitting). 

* There will not be a Glacier National Park operated hiker/biker shuttle this spring, but local commercial operators with park permits will offer bicycle rental and transportation services during the hiker/biker season.

* All Sun Tours and Red Bus tours that previously departed from the Apgar Visitor Center will now depart from the newly designated Quarter Circle Parking Lot. 



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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 the history of hiking is available on Amazon

The Father of Rocky Mountain National Park

Mills Lake is among the most popular hiking destinations in the Bear Lake area of Rocky Mountain National Park. It's named for Enos Mills, the man commonly referred to as the "father of Rocky Mountain National Park." Mills became the area's first naturalist, and made great contributions to the field that would eventually lead to the profession of interpretive park rangers. He also established a guide service that led tourists to the summit of Longs Peak. At the age of 15 he made his first ascent of the park's highest peak, and over the course of his life, would make the trip 40 times by himself, and nearly 300 times as a guide. The photo below shows a very young Mills (on the right) making his first ascent in 1885.

Mills most significant contribution, however, was spending numerous years lecturing across the nation, lobbying Congress, and writing thousands of letters and articles that would eventually lead to the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park. By the early 1900s, Mills was beginning to worry about the increasing number of visitors in the Rocky Mountains, many of whom were not respecting the natural environment. His advocacy for protection of nature and wilderness eventually caught the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt, who appointed him to the position of Government Lecturer on Forestry. During his tenure in this position, between 1907 to 1909, he gave 2118 addresses!

Although he advocated for a national park that would extend from Wyoming to Pikes Peak, covering roughly 1000 square miles, the original park that was authorized on January 26, 1915, protected only 358 square miles. Today, the park protects roughly 415 square miles.

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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.