Bear activity near Vail has prompted the White River National Forest to ban soft-sided camping at Gore Creek Campground, effective immediately and running through October 4th, 2026.
Under Forest Order 2026-08, signed by Forest Supervisor Brian Glaspell on June 9th, tents, pop-up trailers, soft-sided slide-out or pop-up campers, and rooftop tents are all prohibited within the developed campground on the Holy Cross Ranger District. Campers arriving with any soft-sided shelter will not be permitted to stay.
Violations of the order are punishable as a Class B misdemeanor, carrying fines of up to $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, or imprisonment of up to six months, or both. Gore Creek Campground sits along Gore Creek just east of Vail, a heavily trafficked corridor in one of Colorado’s most popular national forests. The restriction applies to all National Forest System lands within the developed campground boundaries.
The order comes as fire danger is rated High across all five ranger districts in the White River National Forest, adding another layer of risk for backcountry and front-country visitors heading into the summer season. Campers planning to visit Gore Creek should arrive in hard-sided units such as travel trailers, fifth wheels, or hard-sided truck campers. Those with questions about whether their rig qualifies can contact the Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District at (970) 827-5715.
Black bears are the only bear species currently living in Colorado, marking the largest carnivore in the state. The largest populations live in areas where there’s Gambel’s oak and aspen near open areas of chokecherry and serviceberry bushes. Despite not being naturally aggressive, at least a few are euthanized every year because they become so unafraid of people. Keeping your campgrounds and homes clean and bear proof is vital to preventing these cases.
For the latest updates on food storage regulations and current alert status at Gore Creek and throughout the White River National Forest, visit the forest’s alerts page at fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/alerts.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Bear Camping Guidelines:
Campgrounds are a perfect place to enjoy the outdoors, enjoy food and drinks around a campfire and make memories. Bears have strong campground memories too — that they’re good places to sneak a meal from unwary campers, that is. When visiting a campground:
- Use bearproof food lockers where provided and make sure kids know how to close them properly.
- If using your car or RV for storage, keep all doors locked and windows closed.
- If your vehicle doesn’t have a trunk, consider covering coolers and baskets with a spare blanket — bears near campgrounds know very well what coolers are for.Â
- Use bearproof trash cans or dumpsters at the campsite, ensuring latches or locking devices are fully engaged.
- Don’t burn trash in your campfire: Any remnants of food may attract bears
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