Southwest Adventure Vacations News

Backcountry Camping Safety and Low-Impact Practices for Southwest Canyons

Pack smarter, pick campsites above drainage lines, and use stoves over campfires — these are the safety and low‑impact habits Southwest Adventure Vacations guides insist on for canyon and high‑basin trips.

Sam Ortega•6 min read•03:52 AM

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Updates

Colorado Highway 3 closes March 9–20 for rockfall mitigation; trailheads, businesses accessible

Colorado Highway 3 in Durango will close 24/7 for rockfall mitigation on a roughly 0.6–0.65 mile stretch between US 160 (near Walmart) and the southern Sawmill Road junction from March 9–20.

Sam Ortega2m read

Updates

Glen Canyon, Concessioners Coordinate Plans for Low Lake Powell Visitor Access

If you plan to boat or launch at Lake Powell in 2026, expect coordinated contingency planning by Glen Canyon managers, concessioners and state partners as reservoir elevations trend lower.

Jamie Taylor3m read

Updates

NPS Ends Arches Timed-Entry Program for 2026, Splitting Grand County Officials

NPS ends Arches timed-entry for 2026, splitting Grand County as a $60,000 Gardner study remains due April 30.

Nina Kowalski3m read

Updates

Seven Basin States Miss Post-2026 Deadline as Reclamation Releases Draft EIS

Seven Colorado River Basin states missed a Feb. 14, 2026 deadline to agree on post-2026 rules, shifting the focus to Reclamation as its Draft EIS opened a comment window through March 2, 2026.

Jamie Taylor3m read

Analysis

Experts Recommend the Best Hiking Boots of 2026 for Southwest Trails

Salomon Quest 4 GTX tops Yahoo Health’s roundup for all‑around Southwest trail duty, while Hoka Kaha 3 and Salomon X Ultra 5 split the support‑vs‑lightweight tradeoffs you’ll actually feel on steep, sandy routes.

Nina Kowalski7m read

News

Analysis of 259 U.S. National Parks Reveals Widespread Transformational Climate Risks

A Conservation Letters analysis of 259 contiguous-U.S. park units finds two-thirds highly exposed to at least one major threat and that 77% are highly vulnerable to transformational climate impacts.

Nina Kowalski3m read

Analysis

Moab in February 2026: Winter Trails, Events, Races and Deals

Moab offers winter solitude, a music week and the Red Hot Ultra on Feb 28, plus deals, guided tours and detailed race logistics for February visitors.

Jamie Taylor4m read

Releases

ULUM Moab Opens Massage Cave and Expands Desert Wellness for 2026

ULUM Moab opened a stone-carved "massage cave" tucked just steps from Looking Glass Arch and rolled out three plunge pools, yoga, sound baths and Aesop‑oil treatments for its 2026 season.

Sam Ortega2m read

Community

Moab’s Red Hot Ultra Draws Robust Fields for 50-Mile and Shorter Races

Moab's Red Hot Ultra ran Feb. 24, 2026, drawing robust entry lists across the 50‑mile, 55K, 33K and 15K races.

Nina Kowalski2m read

Updates

Grand Canyon Updates Noncommercial River Trip Calendars, No Commercial Launches in March

Grand Canyon noncommercial river-trip calendars now list March 1–31 entries and show a March 2, 2026 update; commercial operators do not launch in March, per the river-permits portal.

Jamie Taylor3m read

Updates

San Juan National Forest refreshes website, posts updated conditions and closure alerts

San Juan National Forest refreshed its website and on Feb 23, 2026 posted updated current-conditions and active alerts for seasonal road and trail closures.

Nina Kowalski1m read

Updates

Arches National Park Drops Timed Entry Reservations for 2026, Opens Without Tickets

Visitors can drive into Arches without a timed-entry ticket this year; Arches announced Feb. 18, 2026 it will not require vehicle timed-entry reservations for 2026.

Jamie Taylor3m read

Analysis

Visit Zion Canyon This Winter While Shuttle Service Is Paused

Shuttle service pauses for winter, opening the 15-mile Zion Canyon Scenic Drive to private cars; beat the crowds but prepare for icy trails, limited parking, and winter-only gear.

Jamie Taylor3m read

Updates

SUWA Sues, Seeks Emergency Injunction to Halt Garfield County Paving

SUWA sued and seeks an emergency injunction to stop Garfield County paving Hole-in-the-Rock Road, saying the work will degrade Grand Staircase‑Escalante's backcountry character.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Updates

National Parks 2026: Expanded Fee-Free Days, Digital Passes, Pricing Shifts

Digital America the Beautiful passes roll out Jan 1, 2026, new fee‑free dates include July 3–5 and other holidays, and several high‑traffic parks have changed reservation rules while pricing and residency rules remain under review.

Nina Kowalski4m read

Updates

Presidents Day Kicks Off Revised 2026 Park Fee-Free Schedule for U.S. Residents

Presidents Day (Feb. 16) kicked off the National Park Service’s 2026 fee‑free entrance days for U.S. residents, but camping, reservation and special‑use permit fees still apply.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Updates

BLM closes Arizona Strip and border routes for Wizard's Rhino Rally

Selected transportation routes on BLM lands in the Arizona Strip and nearby border corridors were temporarily closed for the Wizard’s Rhino Rally motorcycle race on Feb. 23, 2026.

Nina Kowalski1m read

Updates

NPCA Demands Interior Halt NPS Non-Resident Surcharge, Separate Annual Pass Pricing

The NPCA demanded the Interior halt new NPS non-resident surcharges and separate non-resident annual pass pricing, saying the rollout has caused chaos and will hurt parks and local economies.

Jamie Taylor3m read

Updates

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Re-seeds Thousands of Burned Acres Across Western Colorado

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is re-seeding thousands of burned acres in western Colorado to restore wildlife habitat and protect watersheds after an intense 2025 wildfire season.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Releases

Deer Valley Unveils Redemption, Three-Mile Signature Run With Conflicting Ratings

Deer Valley opened a roughly three-mile signature run called Redemption, but accounts clash on its difficulty - make sure to check conditions and the resort’s official rating before trying it.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Updates

Zion National Park Shuttle Service Resumes March 7, 2026

Zion National Park’s free shuttle service resumes March 7, 2026, restoring access to Zion Canyon while the scenic drive is closed to private vehicles.

Jamie Taylor3m read

Analysis

Plan Backcountry Camping and Lightweight Backpacking in Southwest Colorado Wilderness

Plan routes in the San Juan Mountains, Weminuche Wilderness, La Plata County backcountry and adjacent BLMs, prioritize weather windows and permit checks, and pack a lightweight kit built for high-elevation, variable conditions.

Nina Kowalski6m read

Updates

Glenwood Caverns Files Chapter 11 After Nine-Figure Judgment Over 6-Year-Old's Death

Glenwood Caverns Holdings LLC filed Chapter 11 in Delaware after a jury awarded more than $116 million in the 2021 Haunted Mine Drop death of 6-year-old Wongel Estifanos.

Jamie Taylor3m read

Updates

BLM Opens 30-Day Comment Period for 174 Colorado Parcels, 160,628 Acres

BLM opened a 30-day comment period on 174 Colorado parcels, 160,628 acres, for a June 2026 lease sale; official notices list different comment deadlines.

Jamie Taylor3m read

Analysis

Forecast Projects 2.4 Million Acre-Feet Spring Inflow, Worsening Lake Powell Outlook

CBRFC projects about 2.4 million acre-feet of spring inflow to Lake Powell, a steep drop that heightens risks to boating, hydropower and interstate water deliveries.

Jamie Taylor2m read

Updates

UDOT implements nightly one-way traffic in Provo Canyon for gravel hauling

UDOT ran a nightly one-way alternating traffic pattern on US‑189 through Provo Canyon between Island Beach Day Use Area and 3600 South in Charleston from 10 p.m.–6 a.m., Feb. 23–28, to let dump trucks haul gravel for the SR‑113 realignment.

Sam Ortega2m read

Updates

Utah delegation seeks to overturn Grand Staircase-Escalante management plan after GAO ruling

GAO found the Grand Staircase‑Escalante 2025 management plan is a "rule," opening a path for Congress to use the Congressional Review Act to rescind protections.

Nina Kowalski3m read

News

High wind and heavy snow warnings hit Colorado mountains; travel hazardous

Dakota Hill AWOS recorded gusts up to 83 mph as a storm expected to drop 5–14 inches of snow makes mountain travel hazardous.

Nina Kowalski3m read

News

Summit County team drops flashlight by drone to stranded Quandary Peak hiker

Summit County rescuers used a drone with thermal imaging to locate a stranded 19-year-old on Quandary Peak and drop a flashlight, helping him descend safely as a storm closed in.

Jamie Taylor2m read