What we literally have in common – own in common – are our public lands, our national parks and forests. In the West especially, glance at the photo library on your phone and it will probably look a lot like the person’s next to you in the coffee shop. Your parents’ and grandparents’ faded photo family albums probably have similar pictures too. That¶¶Ňőap because our public lands shape us. They hold our uniquely American stories.

Memories of that backcountry trip. High meadow lakes. Campfires. A bird dog, smiling next to a grouse. A successful deer hunt. A first fish. A family picnic. Close your eyes for a second, and you can probably see your own moments in a wild place.

All of this comes from the wild public lands we all still own. Which is why it is so unsettling that the administration continues to try to hand those places over to the highest bidder. And why it¶¶Ňőap so disturbing that they are pushing deeper into our forests, threatening future generations’ freedom to experience what we have been lucky enough to know.

It¶¶Ňőap hard to keep up, but the direction is clear: sacrificing our wild public lands.

Recently, the president from Presidents Nixon and Carter that formed the foundation for how agencies manage recreation on our public lands. The process is called travel management planning, and it helps identify the best places for ATVs, dirt bikes, horses, hikers and mountain bikers so people can enjoy public lands safely, responsibly and without undermining each other’s experiences. We have enough public land to support many different ways of getting outside, but only if we plan carefully.

These agreements can be hard to forge, but they help protect access, reduce conflict and keep public lands healthy for all. By ending the basis for them, the administration has left many public land users rightfully nervous about what will happen now.

Meanwhile, the media reported that the administration plans to direct the Forest Service to open lands recommended for . Through an ongoing review, the administration has also signaled it plans to take a similar approach to more than 100 million acres of wildlands managed by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The result would be permanent and intentional: wild places degraded so badly that they would no longer qualify for wilderness designation. Because once wildness is gone, you can’t bring it back.

Most troubling of all is the largest proposed rollback of conservation protections in American history. The administration has announced it intends to and instead allow roads to be punched into some of our wildest public lands.

Here’s what happens when roads get built: they bring wildfire. They pollute streams. They harm wildlife. In my home state of Montana, 97% of summer elk habitat is on unroaded forests, away from civilization, high in the mountains, in cool, deep cover. Such forests also provide clean drinking water for millions of people. They are where people go to hunt and fish and camp and hike — where memories are made.

So why these attacks on our wildest forests? Why steal from future generations? Why open remote places to development when there is an enormous and urgent need to manage the forests near communities, to protect them from wildfire? Why develop wild lands when we could instead put people to work improving access and maintaining trails?

Our country is blessed with lands that are still wild, where wildlife can roam freely, cold creeks still flow, and a person has the freedom to wander. These lands are our common ground. They are where we go to remember what freedom feels like. In a way, conquering them conquers us.

One force can stop this: the people who own these lands, all of us. We can demand better of our elected officials now, and at the ballot box in the months and years ahead. Future generations are counting on it.

Tracy Stone-Manning is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to lively conversation about the West. She is president of The Wilderness Society and The Wilderness Society Action Fund.

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The Snyder, Gold Mountain, Ferris, Willow and Aspen Acres fires have consumed 94,189 acres as of Tuesday evening.

While fire officials said crews made good progress, firefighters are also facing terrain that’s often extremely steep or inaccessible as well as high temperatures, low humidity and gusty winds.

Aspen Acres fire in Custer and Pueblo counties

Driven by 100 mph winds, the Aspen Acres fire has consumed 28,362 acres — roughly 44 square miles — since it sparked Monday, destroyed at least 100 structures and forced evacuations, according to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.

Damage assessment teams are still working on getting to the structures destroyed by the wildfire and will contact property owners directly whenever possible, Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero said during an update Tuesday afternoon.

Fire activity picked up Tuesday night, leading Pueblo County officials to issue new evacuation orders for people living in the North Creek area, including Central Road to the Custer County Line.

“DO NOT WAIT. PLEASE EVACUATE NOW,” the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on X.

Mandatory evacuations in the Beulah, Rye, San Isabel Lake, Aspen Acres, Lazy Acres and Bishops Castle areas and surrounding roads are still in place.

Snyder fire in Mesa County and Utah

Colorado’s largest wildfire saw a small amount of growth overnight Monday and into Tuesday as firefighters worked on building lines along eastern and southern edges to prevent more spread.

, which killed three firefighters and injured two others Saturday, scorched 30,209 acres, or 47 square miles, with 10% containment as of Tuesday evening.

The wildfire’s footprint grew about 200 acres between Monday night and Tuesday afternoon, mostly by smoldering and creeping along the eastern edge, said in an update posted on social media.

Lighter winds have helped firefighters in the past few days, Ostrom said, but National Weather Service forecasters on Tuesday issued a for critical fire weather conditions that are expected until at least Thursday.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials on Tuesday closed the boat ramp to the Colorado River in the James M Robb State Park for firefighter safety.

Gold Mountain fire near Ouray

A complex incident management team took over the Gold Mountain fire near Ouray on Monday night as the wildfire continued to burn across “very steep, inaccessible country.”

Fire officials mapped the wildfire at 12,376 acres, or almost 20 square miles, as of Tuesday night, up from 7,103 acres on Monday.

Ouray County officials ordered more mandatory evacuations on Tuesday afternoon, including Lower Cow Creek east of county roads 12 and 12A to the Owl Creek U.S. Forest Service Boundary. Previous mandatory evacuation orders for other areas of Ouray County are still in place, sheriff’s officials said, and part of .

Ferris fire in San Juan National Forest, near Dolores

The lightning-sparked continued burning on 21,495 acres, or 33 square miles, with no containment northwest of Dolores, but firefighters managed to stop it from spreading into a nearby subdivision despite strong winds and low humidity.

Mandatory evacuations are still in place for people living north and east of the wildfires, including the Glade Ranch subdivision, according to the .

Firefighters are focused on protecting homes and the historic , operations section chief Pat Seekins said in an update.

Federal and state wildlife officials have closed public access to lands near the fire for safety, including the Bradfield Bridge Campground, Lone Dome State Wildlife Area and surrounding roads.

Willow fire near Leadville

People living near Turquoise Lake west of Leadville remained under mandatory evacuation on Tuesday as crews continued fighting the Willow fire.

The wildfire is burning on 2,011, or 3 square miles, with no containment in the San Isabel National Forest near the Leadville National Fish Hatchery.

Firefighters are focused on building lines to stop the fire from moving west, toward homes near the Halfmoon Diversion Dam, and east toward Leadville, Operations Chief William Dudley said Tuesday night.

Campgrounds around Turquoise Lake, the Colorado Trail and Hagerman Pass into Pitkin County are also under evacuation orders, Lake County officials said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

“Apps can definitely enhance your outdoors experience,” said Britt Mowen, a programs coordinator at in Fort Collins. Mowen uses a variety of digital tools to deepen her connection with the landscape, and Colorado State University Extension agent Karim Gharbi agrees that technology can actually enrich a user’s interactions with nature.

Note: A lot of the apps here don’t function offline, so plan accordingly. Download critical safety and wayfinding material (maps, for one!) before leaving home.

Ready to incorporate tech into upcoming treks? These are the tools local experts can’t live without.

Finding your next trail

When it comes to route-scouting apps, AllTrails () is the app that everyone knows for hiking.

I used AllTrails while researching my first guidebook, and was generally pleased with the results. The popular mobile app features a massive, user-reviewed database packed with hundreds of thousands of curated trail maps and real-time feeds offering detailed trail information (think: length, elevation gain, dog-friendliness), along with user reviews and photos showcasing terrain and current conditions. Offline navigation is also an option (with a paid subscription).

Some reviews are more helpful than others since things like difficulty and aesthetic value are obviously subjective. Still, AllTrails is great for discovering new trails, and the AI-powered search bar is fun to mess around with. (I got 20 results when I tried “inline skating routes with wildflowers great for dogs!”)

For local precision – and real-time safety advice – you might want to try the (COTREX) mobile app. Colorado Parks and Wildlife statewide public information officer Bridget O’Rourke highly recommends it — which is no surprise since CPW developed the app several years ago to give Coloradans a leg up on the outdoors.

The app works directly (and exclusively) with land managers at parks and open spaces to ensure that all the information on the platform comes from reliable, trusted sources, O’Rourke pointed out. To date, more than 236 land managers have contributed data on 45,076 miles of trail across Colorado. What¶¶Ňőap more, O’Rourke added, “We have a designated person who manages the app at CPW; it¶¶Ňőap his full-time job to make sure everything is correct.”

There’s still a social component to COTREX since users can follow one another and log personal field notes. They can also discover new routes, view allowed-use types (such as hiking, biking, OHV and snow sports), download offline maps, and see trip recommendations from participating partners.

If COTREX sounds like AllTrails, well, the apps are definitely similar, with a couple of notable differences. COTREX is totally free; there’s no subscriber-only content. What¶¶Ňőap more, COTREX posts real-time advisories for safety hazards and essential trail alerts – a mountain lion or aggressive moose in the area, for example, or maintenance closures. The app displays active fire alerts, too, including wildfires and prescribed burns in covered areas. If a trail is closed, or a lot is full, COTREX users can view surrounding areas. (AllTrails also generates a list of nearby trails for last-minute pivots.)

For a third option, check out the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s app, with over 40,000 miles of trail nationwide. That app is a lot like AllTrails and COTREX but focuses on rail-trails, which are decommissioned railway routes that have been converted to multi-use trails.

Backcountry safety

For those intending to explore Colorado’s wide swaths of wilderness, a safety app is a smart idea. I’ve had great experiences using , a mapping and navigation app that’ll track your route as you go. While it certainly isn’t as flashy as the competition, Gaia GPS is perfect for detail-oriented hikers who might be interested in, say, stacking map data like a deli sandwich, overlaying public land boundaries with slope-angle shading in order to steer clear of dangerous terrain.

Outdoors enthusiast Orion Aon, founder and owner of, uses , which, he said, launched as a mapping tool for hunters but now provides excellent data sets for backcountry hikers and off-roaders. Similar to Gaia GPS, OnX has offline tools for those recreating in remote places. “It¶¶Ňőap a paid service, but well worth it,” Aon added.

Of course, even the best app is one dead battery or dropped signal away from total uselessness. For serious treks, where the stakes are high, Coloradans should get into the habit of packing a dedicated satellite messenger like or . These communicators bypass cell towers entirely.

Plant ID apps

A handful of Colorado plant gurus all shared a similar message: use or its kid-safe imprint, Seek by iNaturalist, for … literally everything.

At its core, iNaturalist is essentially a social network for citizen science. It¶¶Ňőap also an excellent entry point into plant identification. Here’s how it works: Upload photos you’ve captured in the field,  then connect with other users who can help you ID the plants, fungi, and animals you’ve discovered.

“The app has three very useful features,” Gharbi said, pointing to its built-in identification algorithm, vast network of users, and expert oversight. (He once direct-messaged the preeminent millipede expert of the West, who responded almost immediately.)

“There are entomologists and botanists and ornithologists who check people’s postings,” added Kristine Johnson, a Colorado native plant master and Wild Ones Boulder regional co-coordinator.

Johnson also uses iNaturalist in “the reverse way,” she said, to find specific flowers that other users have observed in an area. “If you’re looking for a rare bird – or trying to find a new foraging spot of leaf-peep destination – this is especially valuable,” Gharbi noted.

Mowen tries not to rely on one specific app alone. “I always verify my findings with a second app and then cross-reference with a book,” she said, explaining that plant ID apps struggle to differentiate between closely related species.

Beyond iNaturalist, there’s always , an AI-driven search tool that comes pre-installed on most modern Androids. (It¶¶Ňőap also available for iPhone users via the Google app.)

Depending on where you’ll be recreating, you might check out , a free shrub and tree identification app from experts at CSU. The is a one-stop resource for all things wetlands-related.

Foraging for shrooms

When it comes to foraging mushrooms – a hot-ticket item for many a Coloradan – Aon likes , a paid app developed by a friend of his for foragers nationwide. The calendar-based app leverages a user’s location to recommend local species that are currently in season, explained Aon, noting that the app is for “the what, when, and where side of wild food.”

For identification, uses a modified version of a dichotomous key to help foragers narrow down mushroom identifications, Aon said. “It’s certainly better than using algorithms and photos,” he said before cautioning, “I wouldn’t recommend relying solely on an app if you’re planning to eat the wild food you find.”

Some plants and mushrooms can definitely kill you, and eating a mushroom confirmed by an app would be “super risky,” as Aon put it. “Never rely on an app for a final confirmation.” New foragers especially should get into the habit of cross-referencing IDs with a guidebook and knowledgeable source – possibly even an expert from the .

Bird nerds start here

Technically, bird identification is possible through iNaturalist, but the experts I spoke with use and for their bird-specific needs, since both free apps have algorithms that allow users to identify birds by their calls.

Merlin and eBird are connected to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a nonprofit institution based at Cornell University. Merlin is “definitely the number one birding app” for everyday users, said Audrey Hicks, Denver Audubon Society’s manager of conservation and research. (EBird, she explained, is less helpful with basic identification and is generally used by experienced birders.)

Merlin, Hicks said, is a great entry point for emergent birders. “Just tap a button, and the app starts recording whatever birdsong is around you,” she said. (In case you aren’t aware, many experienced birders ID solely by ear.)

If you aren’t digging sound identification, you can always upload a photo to the app – if you can get a clear one. Alternatively, try typing in descriptive information about the bird, and see what pops up. Merlin isn’t 100 percent accurate, but it¶¶Ňőap pretty good, Hicks said, explaining that the app marks (with a red circle) any species that are rare. “That¶¶Ňőap when you should question the result,” she said, noting that seeing a rare bird would be … rare.

Don’t discount the , a free, comprehensive field guide app featuring over 800 North American bird species, offering (similar to Merlin) identification tools, including photos, sounds, and maps, along with real-time sightings. “Serious birders like this one because it allows users to do a side-by-side comparison with various images,” Hicks said.

, also from the Cornell Lab, is another fun app if you ever discover a nest in your yard.

Seeing stars

Let¶¶Ňőap say you’re into stargazing, but don’t have an advanced degree in astronomy. An app can definitely help demystify the night sky. And you’ve got options!

Katherine Bond, president of the Denver Astronomical Society, uses SkyView Lite, available through Google Play and Apple. She likes this app for its accuracy and user-friendliness: “Basically, you point your phone at the sky and an interactive map will show various constellations,” she said. Other popular choices among DAS members include and mobile app. DAS astronomy night coordinator Ken Sturrock recommends .

Sturrock reminds fellow stargazers to always check the weather before heading out. Sturrock suggests , an advanced weather tool designed specifically for astronomers to track cloud cover, sky transparency and more.

If you’d like some real-live-person assistance, drop by the University of Denver’s y for one of DAS’s free monthly open houses. Details are on the astronomical society’s website, . The group also offers tours and the opportunity to view the night sky through a 132-year-old Alvan Clark-Saegmuller 20-inch refracting telescope. Be sure to sign up in advance; these events frequently sell out and require a nominal fee.

OK, maybe my penchant for paper is a bit, um, vintage. I think I’ll always enjoy the tactile feel of a physical map, and yet even a skeptic like me can see that digital companions really can help us connect with the natural world.

— one chosen by the ranch’s managers and one by Costilla County leaders — found that the extensive sections of fence were threatening wildlife by blocking their movement to food, water and safe habitat.

The 83,368-acre in the San Luis Valley provides significant habitat for wildlife like elk and mule deer, according to the report. The ranch also may be home to threatened or endangered species, including Canada lynx, American marten, snowshoe hare and Gunnison’s prairie dog. About a third of the ranch is protected under a conservation easement for elk habitat.

“Elk, mule deer, and wildlife species need to access different areas of (Cielo Vista Ranch) and beyond to get to various resources and escape from threats such as deep snow during winter and hunting pressures,” the report says. “The existing high fence can restrict wildlife movement along migration corridors, between seasonal use areas, and during daily movement to the point that it threatens the survival of individuals and the associated populations.”

The report is the most recent evolution of a yearslong dispute over the fence pitting the local community and county government against the ranch’s owner, William Harrison. Harrison, heir to a Texas oil fortune, began constructing the fence in 2021, prompting outcry from locals about erosion and water problems created by the construction. They also expressed concern about the fence’s impact on wildlife populations.

Harrison said the fence was necessary to keep his small bison herd on the ranch and to keep out trespassers. Hundreds of local residents are allowed legal access to the ranch — known locally as La Sierra — for grazing and collecting firewood through rights granted to their families before Colorado became a state. Those rights-holders have said the fence is intended to intimidate them or restrict their access, but Harrison’s attorneys have said the fence is meant to ward off those without access rights.

The ranch also encompasses Culebra Peak — one of the state’s 58 mountains that reach more than 14,000 feet in elevation — and to hike to the summit.

Since construction began, the fence controversy has spurred litigation, a state-led water quality investigation, a new state law and rewritten county regulations banning large fences. Harrison stopped building the fence in 2023 after a judge ordered a halt to the project, but more than 26 miles of completed fence sections still line the ranch boundaries. Some sections of the fence span more than three miles and are located at elevations higher than 10,000 feet.

A 2024 mandated the wildlife impact study. Ranch management contracted with Durango-based ERO Resources Corporation and county leaders chose the Wildlife Connectivity Institute of Gallatin Gateway, Montana, to complete the work.

The 83-page study documents which species may live near the fence, how the fence impacts its surroundings and the wildlife, and how the ranch could make the fence more friendly to wildlife.

County officials and Harrison have not agreed on how to implement the report’s recommended changes to the fence, court filings show. A document filed last month by Harrison’s attorneys states that, after months of negotiation, the two sides could not reach agreement by the court-mandated deadline of May 15.

The judge in the case on June 3 sent the case back to the Costilla County Board of Adjustment for further proceedings to determine how much of the fence is subject to new county rules regulating high fences.

Attorneys for Harrison did not respond to questions from The Denver Post about whether the ranch planned to implement any of the recommended changes before this story’s deadline.

At a Costilla County commission meeting on June 16 — after the county — community members called on Harrison to follow the report’s suggestions.

“If Mr. Harrison decides not to follow it, that’s sad, because it’s the right thing to do,” said Joseph Quintana, a lifelong resident of San Luis who has been part of the community group leading the charge against the fence, called La Sierra Environmental Guardian Committee.

The report validates the community’s original concerns about how the fence would impact wildlife, he said. The committee would likely be satisfied, Quintana said, if Harrison would make the recommended changes and agree to abandon plans to build any new fencing.

County attorney Nicolas Sarmiento said during the meeting that ongoing court proceedings limited what he could disclose, but he said there was no ongoing negotiation about the report’s recommended mitigation measures.

The report authors listed hundreds of changes that would make the fence sections more friendly to wildlife, such as lowering the fence in places so animals could jump over it, raising the bottom of the fence so that small animals could pass through, and removing barbed wire from the top and bottom of the fence.

In some areas deemed highly important for wildlife, the authors recommended removing the fence entirely.

The fence, as constructed, is more than 8 feet tall and is topped with a strand of barbed wire — too high for many animals to jump and dangerous for those that attempt to do so. The wire grid that makes up the fence reaches to the ground, where it narrows to openings 3 inches tall. That’s too tight for many animals like turkeys, coyotes and bobcats to crawl through.

Fences that block wildlife movement keep animals from reaching water and food as the seasons change the landscape, according to the wildlife report. Animals must move as water sources dry out in the summer and snow blankets the forage they seek at higher elevations. When animals’ movement is blocked, it requires them to use more energy to meet their needs and keeps migratory species from their traditional routes.

“Animals can also die along fence lines, becoming too weak to find alternative routes to suitable habitat, water, and shelter,” the report says.

In the spring, when animals’ energy stores are low, navigating uncrossable fences can cause pregnant wildlife to miscarry and, over time, result in declining birthrates, the authors wrote. Fences can also obstruct animals’ escape routes during a wildfire.

And collisions with a fence that has small openings can cause injury or death for ground birds and low-flying birds like grouse and raptors.

Even fences with “wildlife jumps” — sections where the top section is lower so animals can leap over — can cause problems if the jump isn’t low enough for calves and fawns to clear. It might still separate them from their mothers and herds or entangle them in the fence.

The ranch installed 29 wildlife jumps across the 26 miles of completed fence sections and planned to install more before a judge’s order stopped all construction on the fence.

The report’s authors recommend modifying the fence sections so that there is a large animal jump at least every 1,000 feet, along with ground openings for small mammals every 500 feet.

“Wildlife-friendlier fences should allow wild animals to jump over and crawl under or through easily without injury,” the report says.

The cubs — who have not yet been named — arrived earlier this month from Montana after their mother was euthanized after what it called a “long history of conflicts with humans and attractants,” including recent livestock depredation in the state, the zoo announced.

“For us, it¶¶Ňőap bittersweet, because although we have high hopes that we can give these young cubs a great life here, we ultimately want wildlife to be wild,” Rebecca Zwicker, animal care manager in Rocky Mountain Wild, said in a statement. “The folks who work at these wildlife agencies are heroes in my opinion. They want the same thing – for wildlife to live safely in the wild.”

At six months old, the cubs are the youngest grizzly bears the Zoo has had in decades. The pair has white fur markings around their necks, which are called “collars,” the news release said.

The cubs are staying in the zoo’s conservation center, out of view of visitors, to help them adjust to their new environment. They are also not sharing space with the zoo’s older grizzlies, Emmett and Digger, according to the news release.

The — which lineage traces back to some of the last wild bison in North America — will seasonally graze about 150 acres of native prairie in the according to the news release.

“These bison carry forward a conservation legacy that began more than a century ago with Colorado’s first wildlife reintroduction at Genesee Park,” said Shannon Dennison, director of Denver Mountain Parks, which manages the herd, in a statement. “The Daniels Park bison are the direct descendants of the animals that helped bring the species back to the state.”

The project was announced this week by the Highlands Ranch Community Association Backcountry Wilderness Area, , and .

The groups calls the bison’s return “an important step toward restoring ecological processes that once shaped Colorado’s Great Plains landscapes.”

That wolf briefly crossed the interstate in southeastern Colorado and moved through watersheds in Pueblo, Otero and Las Animas counties before returning west of the highway, officials announced Wednesday. , released Wednesday, shows the wolf moved through watersheds surrounding the city of Pueblo.

“This activity east of I-25 highlights the broad movements made by dispersing wolves,” agency officials said in a news release. “CPW is in active communication with producers who have known wolf activity near their operations and is coordinating access to conflict minimization resources.”

For months, wolf activity has been concentrated in Colorado’s central mountains. The map released Wednesday — which depicts the watersheds where wolves wandered between May 26 and Tuesday — shows at least one wolf moved through the San Luis Valley and along the New Mexico border.

Wolves also remained present near Gunnison, Rifle, Meeker, Vail and Steamboat Springs. At least 31 wolves roam Colorado, but not all wear collars that transmit their location.

A hiker and their dogs were attacked by a moose on the Lovell Gulch Trail near Woodland Park at about 6:45 p.m. Monday, . Paramedics evaluated and released the hiker at the scene, and none of the dogs appeared to be injured, wildlife officials said.

The 5.3-mile loop is advertised as both kid-friendly and dog-friendly, . Several reviews posted by hikers in recent months mention seeing both moose and calves on the trail, as well as other wildlife.

As of Monday night, signs remained in the area to warn hikers of aggressive moose behavior, but the animal was not being pursued by wildlife officers at that time, according to the agency.

“Moose may look more friendly than dangerous to wildlife watchers not used to living with this species, but like all wildlife, moose need their space,” . “These animals move more quickly than most would think — up to 35 miles per hour — and must be given command and respect when observed in the wild.”

Hikers who spot a moose should use alternate routes or wait for the moose to leave the area before proceeding, according to the agency.

Moose calves are born between mid-May and early June, and the mothers are very protective of their young, wildlife officials said. The mothers are more likely to be aggressive toward people and dogs well into the summer, especially if approached or caught off guard, officials said.

Hikers should keep dogs on a leash and avoid moose foraging areas when recreating, like those filled with thick willows, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Signs of aggression from a moose include laid-back ears, raised hairs on the neck, a lowered head, swaying back and forth, licking the snout, cocking the head and rolling eyes back, state wildlife officials said.

“If a moose reacts to your presence, you are too close,” wildlife officials said. “If a moose displays aggressive behavior or begins to charge, run as fast as you can and try to put a large object between you, such as a boulder, car or tree.”

announced the shortly before 6:15 a.m. Monday. The park will reopen “when it is safe to do so,” county officials said.

A woman hiking in the park at about 5:20 p.m. Sunday noticed a bear approaching humans and following hikers, according to a news release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. She told wildlife officers that the bear grabbed her backpack and “made contact” with her leg.

The bear followed the woman down the trail for more than 30 minutes, despite her attempts to scare it off with sticks, rocks and loud noises, state wildlife officials said. The bear finally left after two other hikers joined in, but it started following a separate pair of hikers on a neighboring trail, according to the release.

The nearly 800-acre Apex Park offers more than in Colorado’s foothills, including several that venture up Lookout Mountain, .

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers responded to the area Sunday night, but were unable to find the bear, according to the agency. Jefferson County officials then closed the park for “aggressive bear activity” on Monday.

“This is the first reported bear attack in Colorado for 2026,” wildlife officials stated in the release. “Bear reports to CPW are high this year, likely due to the generally warm and dry winter Colorado experienced, impacting natural forage opportunities for bears.”

A bear was sighted in a residential area near the park on Monday morning. State wildlife officers are investigating whether it’s the same bear involved in Sunday’s incident.

As of June 12, Colorado Parks and Wildlife had received 1,192 reports of bear activity across the state for 2026, .

Any bear sightings should be reported to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Denver Office at 303-291-7227 or by calling the Colorado State Patrol at *277.

“Most conflicts between people and bears begin when bears gain access to food, garbage or other attractants left by people,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife Area Wildlife Manager Tim Kroening said in a statement. “Properly storing food, securing trash and pet food, and keeping campsites clean helps protect both people and bears.”

If a bear visits a campsite, campers can make loud noises by yelling, clapping, blowing a whistle or using an air horn, and they should always give the bear a clear path to leave, Kroening said. These actions can discourage bears from becoming comfortable around people and help prevent future conflicts.

State wildlife officials said last month that bear sightings are likely to increase in the Denver metro amid Colorado’s ongoing drought, which can deplete the animals’ natural food sources. When resources disappear in the wild, bears venture into human-populated areas in search of food.

“Bears have to eat, and they normally would be eating things like berries, cherries, nuts — things they can find in the wild,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife Public Information Officer Kara Van Hoose said in May. “When you have drought that¶¶Ňőap affecting the bounty of all of these, … the easiest food sources are things like human trash, bird feeders, pet food.”

This is a developing story and may be updated.

The warning comes after several people picked up or touched an injured bat near the on Sunday afternoon, according to a news release from Jefferson County Public Health. Animal control officers searched for the bat but could not find it, so the bat could not be tested for rabies.

However, several other bats found in homes or on trails in Jefferson County in recent months have tested positive for rabies, health officials said.

Anyone who touched the bat may have been exposed and should contact a healthcare provider or Jefferson County Public Health as soon as possible, officials stated in the release. Rabies is a serious disease affecting the brain and nervous system that can be deadly to people and animals if not treated right away. Treatment can prevent rabies if it is started soon after an exposure, health officials said.

Rabies is spread through the saliva of infected animals, including bats. Bats are the most commonly reported animal with rabies in the U.S., .

“Many folks want to help when they see an animal that looks hurt or injured,” Rachel Reichardt, who leads , said in a statement. “The best way we can help is to make sure that our local animal control agencies can step in.”

Signs of rabies in bats include being active during the day, being found in unusual places like inside a home or on the ground, being unable to fly or making contact with humans, according to the CDC.

“Avoid touching bats,” CDC officials wrote on the agency’s website. “Bat bites can be tiny, and you may not even know if you were bitten. If you do know that you were bitten or scratched by a bat, wash the wound with soap and water and get medical help right away. If bat saliva or brain material gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound, see a healthcare professional urgently.”

If a bat is found in a home, residents should call animal control or their local health department to capture it for rabies testing. The bat should not be released without speaking to a public health expert, and the resident should not try to touch or catch the bat themselves, CDC officials said.

Roughly 20 bat species live in Colorado, some year-round and others that only migrate through the state, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The animals “can be found in every habitat in the state, from the eastern plains to the high mountain forests and western deserts, from rural towns to downtown Denver,” .

Bats are most active during the summer and spend the winter either hibernating in underground roosts throughout the state or migrating south, .