Rangers at the White River National Forest near Keystone have closed two roads to camping after a series of close encounters between people and bears including instances that bears have entered tents or shredded tents.
“This emergency closure has been implemented … to ensure safety and prevent further human conflict with bears,” according to a news release by White River National Forest rangers. “The closure prevents visitors from camping in areas with dangerous bear activity, and it prevents other bears from obtaining and becoming dependent upon human food and garbage.”
An escalation in human-bear conflicts triggered the campground closings along Montezuma and Webster Pass roads just before the busy Independence Day weekend.
No overnight camping will be permitted within a quarter-mile of Montezuma and Webster roads within the first 1.5 miles to a stream crossing.
So-called “food-conditioned bears” have become emboldened and have come in contact with campers more frequently than usual between June 18 and Sunday, according to a park news release.
The bear encounters have mostly been along the Montezuma Road corridor between the towns of Keystone and Montezuma.
Part of the problem is that some people have illegally set up permanent camps on the road sites and bears have become habituated to humans and the food and trash they leave in the campsites.
The emergency closing will give bears time to find their natural foods, the news release says.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offered the following safe camping tips for the hordes of campers heading to the Rocky Mountains this weekend:
- Stash trash in bear-proof containers or double bag trash. Never leave trash outside.
- Store food, beverages and toiletries in air-tight containers and lock in your trunk. Many bears have discovered that coolers, bags and boxes are full of food.
- Keep a clean camp. Bears are attracted to odors of all kinds.
- Don’t bring anything with an odor into a tent including food, toothpaste, sunscreen, candles and insect repellent. Don’t sleep in the clothes you cooked in; store them with your food.
- Lock RVs and vehicles.
- If a bear comes into camp, try to chase it away by yelling, banging pots or pans, honking a car horn, or blowing air horns or a whistle. But when doing so, make sure the bear has an escape route.
