Colorado’s Mount Blue Sky is a popular destination for tourists looking for a low impact way to summit one of its famous 14,000 foot peaks. Mount Blue Sky can be accessed The Scenic Byway which is the highest paved road in North America and once you park your car, it’s just a short walk to the top a 14er.
Mount Blue Sky is home to a healthy population of mountain goats but unfortunately some have been habituated to humans and no longer avoid their presence. This habituation is likely from people feeding wildlife and getting far too close while taking pictures.There are signs posted warnings visitors to avoid the goats and that they can become aggressive but apparently they had little effect on these folks.
In some instances it can be quite difficult for visitors to avoid close encounters with mountain goats on Mount Blue, especially around the bathrooms where space is limited and the goats tend to congregate. Wildlife Biologist Lance Carpenter recommends doing your best to give the goats proper space to keep this population wild. Using “The Rule of Thumb” visitors can quickly gauge if they are too close. Simply stick your thumb up at arms length and point it at the goat. If your thumb completely covers the animal you are far enough away, if not you should back away.
Please Follow Rhese Guidelines To Keep Goats Wild:
- Keep your distance! Stay at least 50 yards away from them – half the length of a football field.
- If a mountain goat approaches, slowly move away from it to keep a safe distance.
- If it continues to approach, chase it off by yelling, waving a piece of clothing, or throwing rocks.
- Never surround, crowd, chase, or follow a mountain goat.
- Do not feed the mountain goats or allow them to lick your skin or backpack.
- If you need to urinate while hiking, please go away from the trail to avoid leaving concentrations of salts and minerals near the trail.