OHIO — The Ohio Department of Agriculture issued a statewide quarantine for the invasive spotted lanternfly on Tuesday.
Previously, just 18 Ohio counties were under the quarantine. Now, all 88 counties are included.
What You Need To Know
Spotted lanternflies feed on the sap of more than 70 plant species, which can cause plants to die
ODA said the spotted lanternfly is especially a concern for Ohio’s grape and wine industry
Under the statewide quarantine, trees and nursery stock can’t be moved out of Ohio without a compliance agreement, permit or inspection certificate
Spotted lanternflies, native to Asia, tend to be beautiful, colorful creatures, but they’re toxic for the environment. They feed on the sap of more than 70 plant species, which can cause plants to die. Additionally, they excrete a substance called honeydue that promotes mold growth, according the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
ODA said the spotted lanternfly is especially a concern for Ohio’s grape and wine industry. The industry contributes $6 billion in economic activity each year, and the spotted lanternfly could threaten it. The insect was first found in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in 2014, and ODA said it’s likely it came over through imported goods.
Under the statewide quarantine, trees and nursery stock can’t be moved out of Ohio without a compliance agreement, permit or inspection certificate, according to ODA. Additionally, producers who ship those products to non-regulated areas must have stock inspected, as well as have a certificate showing their product is free of spotted lanternflies.
ODA is no longer asking Ohioans to report sightings of the inspect. Instead, it asks Ohioans to read the recommendation guide for treatment methods if spotted lanternflies are on your property.
“The spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest that is known to cause harm to Ohio’s agricultural industry,” ODA Director Brian Baldridge said. “ODA is committed to protecting and preserving our plant life, and plant health experts are working with nurseries and wineries to reduce the negative impact of SLF.”
More information on the spotted lanternfly can be found here.
SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — Summit Metro Parks is embracing history this year as its 1928 Model AA truck hits the road again.
What You Need To Know
The park’s truck faced a variety of mechanical problems, leading to it being undrivable and in need of professional work
Summit Metro Parks said its Model AA was purchased in 2001 by Friends of the Metro Parks and gifted
Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland stepped up to help repair the truck
The park’s truck faced a variety of mechanical problems, leading to it be undrivable and in need of professional work. Through a grant from the Summit Metro Parks Foundation and working with Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum volunteers, the piece of history is ready to hit the road once more.
Summit Metro Parks said its Model AA was gifted in 2001 and purchased by Friends of the Metro Parks. It has been featured in parades and on display at events such as the annual Touch-a-Truck.
“The truck symbolizes the more than 100-year history of the park district and is used in community parades and historical events county-wide,” the park said in a news release. “Even with good upkeep, the vintage vehicle needed some more involved repairs. However, finding a 100-year-old mechanic who had a shop full of specific parts was a no-go.”
Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland stepped in, starting the work almost immediately while other shops had quoted a three-year wait. Summit Metro Parks said it offered to donate its time and labor, so long as the parts were prepaid.
“After a full inspection, the incredibly knowledgeable museum volunteers got to work,” Summit Metro Parks said in a release. “There was a lot to be done, and they collaborated with other vintage car experts on the finer details.”
Work completed included:
Building a replacement engine
Rebuilding the transmission
Rebuilding carburetor
Replaced radiator
Swapped out the generator for alternator
Steering box, steering column and steering wheel were all replaced and rebuilt
Braking system was fixed
New muffler installed
The seat bottom received padding and replacement springs
Various parts were cleaned and repainted
Tires and inner tubes were replaced
New lights with an original-looking LED bulb assembles
The horn was rebuilt and installed
“The 1928 Model AA is now back in action,” Summit Metro Parks said in a release. “Watch for it in local parades or at car shows and community events.”
The truck will also be on display at the park’s annual Touch-a-Truck in August.
PORT CLINTON, Ohio — Before the sun rises on a February morning, a group of dedicated ice fishers journeys out onto Lake Erie.
What You Need To Know
Ice fishing season on Lake Erie lasts anywhere from a couple of weeks to two months
This year, ice fishers have been taking advantage after arctic temperatures froze a majority of the lake
The area near Port Clinton is known for its great walleye supply, and the islands and shallow waters help keep the ice from breaking up
Once Lake Erie freezes, locals who live on the islands near Port Clinton are entirely reliant on air travel
“You got to be a little bit crazy, you got to be a little bit obsessed, because it’s not for the faint of heart,” said John Fickert, one of those ice fishers.
As the sun starts to poke out over the horizon, Fickert makes camp.
“We’re many miles offshore, really desolate, really peaceful,” he said.
On Lake Erie, the ice fishing season lasts anywhere from two weeks to two months. During that time, Fickert goes every chance he gets.
“Probably as soon as I could walk, I was out here fishing with my dad,” Fickert said, lighting up when he recalls old memories. “Those were the good ol’ days when I’d get out of school, and he’d haul me out here.”
Ice fisher John Fickert set’s up his gear as the sun rises on Lake Erie. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O’Leary)
Using a fish finder, he puts two rods in and can see when fish are near.
“These are fish swimming across; do you see them?” he asks, pointing to two slender blobs on the screen of the fish finder.
However, after seeing a few fish, none of them wanted to bite.
“He’s there, but he just won’t quite do it,” Fickert said.
Often, it’s a waiting game, and you don’t always get lucky.
“It’s just kind of unpredictable,” Fickert explains, adding that there was one day this year when he caught nothing.
He fishes around the Port Clinton area, near Put-in-Bay and Kelley’s Island. The ice on Lake Erie drastically transforms that area both visually and economically.
No one knows that better than Dustin Schaffer, owner of Island Air Taxi in Port Clinton.
“In the winter, it’s like a light switch when the boats quit,” Schaffer said. “In the winter, it’s the only way.”
Once the ferries stop running because of the ice, all travel to and from this island have to be done by air.
“We have a lot of ice fishermen. There’s islanders, I fly teachers, there’s school kids that I transport back and forth,” Shaffer explained.
In February, fishermen’s huts dot the lake, with the area known as one of the best places to catch walleye.
Ice fishing huts dot Lake Erie. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O’Leary)
On the ground, Fickert finds a new place to set up after a couple of hours with no bites. This year, he didn’t get to come out with his father.
“He passed away last year,” Fickert said.
Fickert said he spread some of his father’s ashes across the frozen lake. Now, he uses his father’s snowmobile and gear.
Ice fishing is an activity he’ll always associate with his father, even when he’s not catching anything.
John Fickert and his father. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O’Leary)
“Not a good sign… very negative mood,” Fickert said after a fish came near his lure but quickly swam away.
After a day where there were no bites, and right before he was planning to head back to shore, a fish finally bit.
“We’ve been waiting all day for her,” Fickert said, laughing.
But ask any ice fisher, it’s not all about the fish.
“The draw to it is just the rareness of it,” Fickert said. “It’s more like a treat when you get to do it.”
CINCINNATI — While the worst of the cold seems to have passed, Cincinnati Parks is preparing for warmer weather as it kicks off a habitat restoration project in French Park.
What You Need To Know
The project will cover a 22-acre section of forested area
There are a number of invasive shrubs, vines and trees within the park including Amur honeysuckle, Buckthorn, Callery pear, Multiflora rose and English ivy
Specialized contractors will use two primary methods depending on conditions including equipment in heavily infested areas and utilizing hand-removal in areas will valuable native plants
The project will cover a 22-acre section of forested area, removing invasive plant species through a donation from the Cincinnati Parks Foundation. Park officials said the project is set to be completed this May.
The 22-acre area where the restoration will take place. (Cincinnati Parks)
There are a number of invasive shrubs, vines and trees within the park, including Amur honeysuckle, Buckthorn, Callery pear, Multiflora rose and English ivy, which crowd out native plants, reduce biodiversity and make it harder for native wildlife to thrive, according to the parks.
By removing these plants, the habitat is improved for birds and wildlife while restoring healthy forest ecosystems
Specialized contractors will use two primary methods depending on conditions including equipment in heavily infested areas and utilizing hand-removal in areas will valuable native plants. Cincinnati Parks said invasive shrubs and small trees will be mulched and native trees will be flagged for protection.
Cut stumps will be treated to stop regrowth and crews will mark treated areas to protect soil, trails, water bodies and infrastructure.
Crews will work from Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with some possible weekend work.
Visitors should not be affected by the work, but may see crews, workers or temporary access limitations in some areas. Trails will remain open, but may have short-term closures if necessary for safety. There will be markers and signage for crews and their vehicles.
The project will be monitored by Cincinnati Parks.
OHIO — If you want healthy food, experts say to eat what’s local, organic and in-season. Those foods benefit the planet too, because they are less taxing on the soil and they don’t travel as far.
It doesn’t get more local, organic and in-season than a backyard vegetable garden.
What You Need To Know
At this time of year, many backyards across the country are still covered in snow
Vegetable gardens benefit the surrounding ecosystem by adding diverse plant life, especially where they replace grass or cover a deck or patio
Homegrown vegetables and fruits are responsible for fewer emissions than their store-bought counterparts
Gardening promotes physical health because it requires a lot of movement
At this time of year, many backyards across the country are still covered in snow. But it’s the perfect time to start planning for a garden because you’ll want to have supplies ready to start planting just after the last frost date in your area.
Below are some tips on how to plan a backyard garden and reasons why you should do it.
Homegrown vegetables have fewer emissions
Vegetable gardens benefit the surrounding ecosystem by adding diverse plant life, especially where they replace grass or cover a deck or patio. They also can provide flowering plants for pollinators.
The plants capture and store carbon in the soil, promote healthy soil by preventing compaction and can make the air cooler on rooftops and patios, according to Ellen Comeau, who chairs the advisory council for the Cuyahoga County Master Gardener Volunteers with the Ohio State University Extension program.
Homegrown vegetables and fruits are responsible for fewer emissions than their store-bought counterparts because grocery store produce typically travels long distances on trucks.
“There’s this whole idea of a zero-kilometer meal, that I don’t have to travel anywhere, except my backyard, to make food. That certainly helps the climate,” said Carol Connare, editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Gardening has health benefits
The health benefits from gardening are multifaceted, “social, emotional, nutritional, physical,” said Katherine Alaimo, an associate professor of food science and human nutrition at Michigan State University.
Gardening promotes physical health because it requires a lot of movement. The food is typically picked at the height of ripeness and eaten fresh so it tends to have more nutrients than grocery store produce.
Alaimo said most gardeners don’t use pesticides and grow their food organically. And of course, when you grow more produce, you eat more produce.
“That’s going to reinforce people eating more fruits and vegetables even in the off season when they’re not growing food. So they try new foods, they potentially increase creativity and their cooking skills,” she said.
Alaimo said gardening also connects people with nature, provides a sense of responsibility and accomplishment and encourages sharing harvests with friends. All of that can contribute to reduced stress, lower blood pressure and higher energy, she said.
Picking the right spot and budgeting
Sunlight is the biggest factor in choosing where to put your garden. Most produce wants at least six hours of sunlight per day. If sunny spots are few, save them for fruiting plants because leafy greens can tolerate more shade.
It also helps to have a nearby water source because you’ll get more food for less effort if you’re not lugging buckets of water a long way.
If you’re growing in the ground, Comeau said to start with a soil test to determine its acidity and nutrient makeup. Soil samples, once bagged or boxed, can typically be sent to a cooperative extension office at a university. The Old Farmer’s Almanac offers a list of extension offices by state. The results will give you an idea of what to grow and whether you need fertilizer or other amendments.
If you have barren soil or a concrete patio, you can buy or build raised beds with purchased soil. Connare said raised beds have advantages such as controlling the soil, but the disadvantages include the cost and the likelihood of compacting soil and eventually needing to replace it.
After finding the right spot, Comeau said the next step is figuring out how much you have to spend. That determines how big the garden is, whether you sow seeds or buy baby plants known as starts and how many supplies you can afford.
Another major investment: fencing for pests. That means digging fences into the soil to stop burrowing animals like groundhogs, making them tall to deter deer or installing netting for climbing critters.
Choosing what to grow and when to start
What you can grow depends on what falls into your region’s plant hardiness zone. Californians can grow olives more easily than Ohioans, for example.
Connare recommends finding out what plants are working for your neighbors.
“They might be able to tell you, ‘I can’t grow a Cherokee tomato here to save my life, but these tie-dye ones do great,’” she said.
Once you’ve narrowed down what can grow, pick what appeals to you. Kevin Espiritu, founder of Epic Gardening, said he used to advise people to focus on what grows the fastest and easiest, but now he also emphasizes choosing what you like to eat.
Connare also recommends adding flowers to attract pollinators. Local garden centers are good sources of knowledge about what native plants will attract beneficial insects.
Espiritu said to figure out the last frost date in your area and plan around that. Many fruits and vegetables are best planted after the frost threat has passed, but some can go in earlier. Cool-season crops like leafy vegetables can tolerate slightly colder temperatures. Seeds can get started indoors weeks before the last frost date.
Comeau said seed packet labels often provide instructions.
“The label will tell you when you can start it and when it can go into the ground. Some obviously go right into the ground and some can be started ahead of time,” she said.
OHIO — As tax season approaches, Ohioans have an opportunity to help protect their state’s endangered animals, healthy streams and unique ecosystems.
What You Need To Know
Donations are administered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and can be made by checking the Wildlife Diversity or Nature Preserves and Scenic Rivers funds
In the past, funds went toward restoring freshwater mussel, eastern hellbender, monarch butterfly and lake sturgeon populations
Meanwhile, donations to the Nature Preserves and Scenic Rivers Fund have helped support conservation work to protect habitats ranging from forests, prairies, wetlands and streamside habitats
Donations are administered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and can be made by checking the Wildlife Diversity or Nature Preserves and Scenic Rivers funds on their state income tax form. Funds go into the Wildlife Diversity Fund, which primarily relies on these donations to support Ohio’s wildlife.
In the past, funds went toward restoring freshwater mussel, eastern hellbender, monarch butterfly and lake sturgeon populations.
Funds also help benefit the bald eagle, which was restored through partnerships with zoos, universities and other conservation organizations to bring the eagle back from just four nesting pairs in 1979 to 964 active nests in 2025.
Meanwhile, donations to the Nature Preserves and Scenic Rivers Fund have helped support conservation work to protect habitats ranging from forests, prairies, wetlands and streamside habitats.
Through donations, the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves added seven new state nature preserves in 2025. The new areas protect a range of rare habitats such as sand dunes, wetlands, sandstone cliffs, and cascading waterfalls.
The division also uses donations to enhance public facilities, such as a new pedestrian bridge at Eagle Creek State Nature Preserve in northeast Ohio which helped open an area of the preserve that was closed for nearly 10 years and a new staircase in southern Ohio top open access to Shoemaker State Nature Preserve.
A new trail project recently broke ground at Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve in west-central Ohio to make a portion of the Rim Trail fully accessible, which is supported by funds.
Those looking to make an impact can donate all or part of their state income tax refund by putting a dollar amount for Nature Preserves/Scenic Rivers on line 25a or Wildlife species on 25d of the 2025 IT-1049 tax form. Contributions on the 2025 tax form filed in 2026 are deductible donations made in 2026.
A Colorado snowboarder died after crashing into the snow on a black diamond run at Keystone Ski Resort on Monday afternoon, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
The crash happened about 2 p.m. when a man from the Front Range crashed on Lower Go Devil, a black diamond run near Mountain House, sheriff’s officials said on social media.
The man was riding with several friends when he crashed and hit the snow “with force,” the sheriff’s office said. He was wearing a helmet, and investigators do not believe he hit any trees, blunt objects or other people.
Keystone Ski Patrol started medical care and brought the man to the resort medical center, where he was pronounced dead, according to the agency. His death is under investigation, and his name will be released by the Summit County coroner’s office.
Keystone officials confirmed the 32-year-old man was involved in a “serious incident” on an advanced trail on Dercum Mountain and, after receiving emergency care, was pronounced dead at the medical center.
“Keystone Resort, Keystone Ski Patrol and the entire Vail Resorts family extend our deepest sympathy and support to our guest’s family and friends,” Keystone Resort Vice President and General Manager Shannon Buhler said in a statement.
This is the second death on Keystone’s slopes this month, after a man was found unresponsive Jan. 7 on The Grizz in the resort’s Outback area.
TWINSBURG — Erica Matheny, the executive director of Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners, said protecting freshwater resources is critical.
What You Need To Know
The EPA has proposed changing which waterways are protected by the Clean Water Act
The proposal would narrow what waterways are protected
The EPA estimates the change will remove federal protections for roughly 96% of Ohio’s wetlands
The rule change would make it easier for commerical and oil and gas development to happen on wetlands
“We do a lot of work, a lot of outreach, helping to educate folks in all the communities around general environmental protections, around stormwater management,” Matheny said.
She spends a lot of time teaching people about the Tinker’s Creek watershed, the largest tributary of the Cuyahoga River.
A rule change proposed by the EPA will impact waterways around the U.S by changing what bodies of water are protected by the Clean Water Act.
“This would be the worst rollback of federal Clean Water Act protections by an administration since it was enacted in 1972,” said Jon Devine, the Executive Director of Freshwater Ecosystems at the National Resources Defense Council.
Devine said the proposal would create a stricter definition of what water is protected under the Clean Water Act – the new definition only protecting waterways that are filled for a majority of the year.
“What it would really do is really hurt those streams that don’t flow year-round, or wetlands, marshy areas,” he said.
Devine said this would open the door to commercial, oil and gas development on these wetlands.
“Really, those areas will be open to being exploited,” Matheny said.
The U.S EPA and Army Corps of Engineers analyzed the impact of the proposal – estimating that roughly 94% of wetlands in Ohio would lose protections under the rule change.
Matheny said wetlands help filter out toxins in the water and provide important flood relief.
“If you don’t have wetland protections, then there might not be places for floodwater to go as easily,” Matheny said.
Right now, the rule change is only a proposal, and Matheny encourages those who support federal protections for wetlands to make their voices heard.
“Speak up. If congress and local legislatures don’t realize people’s care, then they are less likely to act. This water is everyone’s water. It’s a resource that belongs to the people, so I think it’s really important that people pay attention,” Matheny said.
CINCINNATI — Great Parks visitors is expanding access by not requiring Motor Vehicle Permits on select Community Days throughout 2026.
What You Need To Know
These days only apply to motor vehicles, as admission to Great Parks is always free for anyone entering the park without a motor vehicle
Great Parks said the fees for Motor Vehicle Permits go toward safety and conservation efforts in Great Parks and cost $10 for Hamilton County residents and $16 for non-residents
Otto Armleder Memorial Park and Pernbank Park do not require permits
These days only apply to motor vehicles, as admission to Great Parks is always free for walkers, joggers, bikers and anyone entering the park without a motor vehicle.
Permits will not need to be displayed on the following Community Days:
Jan. 19 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb. 17 – Random Acts of Kindness Day
April 22 – Earth Day
May 16 – Kids to Parks Day
June 6 – National Trails Day
June 19 – Juneteenth
July 17 – Great Parks’ Birthday
Sept. 26 – National Public Lands Day
Nov. 11 – Veterans Day
Nov. 27 – Opt Outside Day
Great Parks said the fees for Motor Vehicle Permits go toward safety and conservation efforts in Great Parks and cost $10 for Hamilton County residents and $16 for non-residents. Permits can be purchased by clicking here or at a Great Parks location.
Permits can also be made available to certain visitors, such as active military and some armed forces veterans, participants in the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library’s Discovery Pass program, and Hamilton County residents with a valid food assistance card (Ohio Direction Card or Ohio EBT card). Students at a Hamilton County college or university can also receive a discount.
Otto Armleder Memorial Park and Pernbank Park do not require permits.
Telluride Ski Resort is planning to reopen on Monday, Jan. 5, after spending more than a week closed with its ski patrol on strike.
The resort announced on social media Saturday that it would run one lift with access to its bunny hill. Representatives were not immediately available to comment on what this means for negotiations with the patrollers’ union, the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association. The patrol remains on strike, union president Graham Hoffman said Saturday morning.
Reactions on social media were mixed, with comments ranging from relief and excitement to frustration and disappointment. Many expressed support for the patrol and called on the resort to settle the contract dispute. Meanwhile, the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association continued picketing at the gondola station in downtown Telluride on Saturday.
The union and resort have been negotiating a new contract since June, and patrollers walked off the job after rejecting an offer deemed the resort’s “last, best and final” in early December. It’s unclear if bargaining has resumed.
The resort’s closure has the potential to send the local economy, which relies heavily on tourism, into a tailspin. Most New Year’s Eve visitors kept their trips since the closure was announced with short notice, Telluride Town Manager Zoe Dohnal previously told The Denver Post, though that was expected to change as the situation wore on.
A week after the closure was announced, the number of lodging accommodations booked for the rest of the season dropped 54% year-over-year, according to the Telluride Tourism Board. Local officials have been pushing other winter activities, such as snowmobiling, snowshoeing and ice skating; however, “the reality is everyone comes to Telluride to ski,” Mayor Teddy Errico said previously.
“We only have three months left in our season. We know that the impact, if it lands, is people losing their jobs, people boarding up their restaurants,” Errico said. “But we’re doing everything in our power to mitigate those concerns.”
The owner of the land along the Yadkin River between Salisbury and Albemarle allowed public access to hunters, anglers and others for years before recently deciding to sell the property, officials with Salisbury-based Three Rivers Land Trust told The Charlotte Observer.
The Land Trust needs to raise the money to buy and conserve the land located on the Tuckertown Reservoir in Davidson, Rowan, and Stanly counties, Travis Morehead, Land Trust executive director, told the Observer this week.
Selling to developers risks “long-standing public access, wildlife habitat, water quality, and the area’s rural character,” Land Trust officials said in a news release Thursday announcing the campaign.
The owner isn’t sitting around waiting for the Land Trust to raise the money, Morehead told the Observer. “It’s a competition,” he said. “There’s no guarantee he won’t sell it to someone else.”
Raising the money “will be challenging,” Morehead said in the release. “But if we don’t try, who will? We can’t just sit by and watch these lands be decimated by development.”
If it can buy the property, the Land Trust would transfer the lands to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission “to ensure perpetual public access,” officials said.
Because they’ve hunted and fished on the property for so long, many people think the commission is the land owner, commission wildlife biologist Cody Fulk said.
Cody Fulk Three Rivers Land Trust
“Unfortunately, they are not,” Fulk said in the release. “If these lands are lost to development, public access to all users could be gone forever.”
The dark green areas on this map of Tuckertown are for sale, according to Three Rivers Land Trust. The lime green areas have been permanently conserved, trust officials said. Three Rivers Land Trust
‘’One of the last wild areas available to the public”
In 2019 and 2021, Three Rivers Land Trust and the commission conserved at least 4,700 acres and 76 miles of shoreline on High Rock Lake and the Tuckertown Reservoir, officials said.
The eastern shoreline of Tuckertown Reservoir, totaling 2,420 acres and 31 miles of shoreline, was purchased and conserved in 2021.
“After permanently conserving the eastern shoreline, it’s hard to imagine losing the western shoreline to development,” Morehead said. “We have invested too much and have too much at stake not to act.”
If developers buy the land, people will no longer be able to enjoy “one of the last wild areas still available to the public,” local fishing guide Tony Sharum said in the release.
Tony Sharum Three Rivers Land Trust
“Public access gives everyone the opportunity to recreate, and everyone deserves that opportunity,” Kristin Bundy, an agriculture teacher at North Davidson High and public land hunter said. “When I die, I hope heaven looks like these game lands.”
Kristin Bundy Three Rivers Land Trust
Donate to the Tuckertown Reservoir conservation effort at Save Tuckertown.
Conservationists launched a $40 million campaign on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, to save 4,000 acres of pristine North Carolina game land from development. Three Rivers Land Trust
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
OHIO — It’s common to have plans on New Year’s Eve, but there’s not usually many parties or get-togethers set for New Year’s Day.
If you’re looking for something to do on your day off, it may be worth considering a hike outside to usher in 2026. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources offers several First Day Hikes at locations around the state.
Here’s a look at the planned events (click the links for more information):
A new study by Colorado Parks and Wildlife researchers suggests man-made whitewater parks that create “play waves” for kayakers and other recreationists are having a negative impact on fish passage.
Colorado’s rivers are well-loved by both whitewater enthusiasts and anglers. Yet, as whitewater parks have been constructed throughout the state, researchers say the potential impacts on fish and anglers have not always been taken into consideration.
“Essentially, they’re kind of at odds,” said Eric Richer, an aquatic research scientist with the state wildlife agency and one of the lead authors of the study. “Fish want slow, deep water and whitewater parks, to create the hydraulic wave, are constricting water into a steep chute or drop, often over a surface that has been grouted to try to make it as smooth as possible to get those velocities elevated.”
The state wildlife agency first began looking into the impacts of white water parks on fish passage a number of years ago after one scientist who is an avid angler was fishing near the white water park on the Arkansas River near Buena Vista, Richer said. The researcher noticed that he was catching more fish downstream of the man-made structure than he was as he worked his way upstream through the structure.
Researchers identified more than 40 white water parks across Colorado that are either already built or are in the planning stages. There are whitewater parks on the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs, the Roaring Fork near Basalt, the Ten Mile Creek in Frisco, the Pumphouse in Gore Canyon near Kremmling and dozens of other locations.
Read the full story from our partner at vaildail.com.
If you need to restock your backpacking, hiking, biking, camping, outdoor-loving gear quiver, now is a great time to do it. Below are the best deals on all our favorite tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, pads, cookware, outdoor apparel, and more.
While REI closes down for Black Friday, there are still some things on sale, plus there are sales at Backcountry and Public Lands, along with some great deals at our favorite cottage industry brands like Six Moon Designs, Zenbivy, Gossamer Gear, and more.
Updated November 29, 2025: We’ve added new deals on puffer jackets, rain jackets, merino wool and other cold weather essentials.
WIRED Featured Deals
Can’t You Just Put Links to All Your Outdoor Guides Right Here?
Sure. Here you go:
Hiking & Backpacking Gear Guides:
Camping Guides
Outdoor Apparel Guides
Winter Sports
Tent Deals
Need a new shelter from the storm? There are more tent deals right now than we usually see this time of year, giving you some great options for not a lot of money. Check out our guides to the best backpacking tents and best car camping tents for more details.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Six Moon Design’s Lunar Solo (7/10, WIRED Review) is my favorite single-wall ultralight solo tent. It’s not without its quirks (read the pitching tips), but if you want something more than a tarp, that still weighs just 26 ounces (740 grams), this one is hard to beat. It’s well ventilated for a single-walled tent, with the ability to raise up the front door when weather is nice. I also like that it only needs one trekking pole (or one pole if you don’t hike with trekking poles). You’d be hard-pressed to find a tent even half this nice at this price.
The Copper Spur UL 2 is currently our top pick for lightweight freestanding backpacking tents, and it’s been a popular choice with readers for years. This is a high-quality, well-designed tent that’s lightweight, easy to set up, and roomy enough to be livable in the backcountry. The “awning” design (with trekking poles or sticks) is a nice extra, and the mix of 15D nylon and 20D ripstop, while it feels fragile, has held up well over time. The 3-person Copper Spur UL 3 is also on sale for $450 ($150 off).
Sea to Summit’s “3-plus season” tents are capable enough in almost any weather while staying crazy light—just 3 pounds, 12 ounces for this two-person model. I used the three-person version on a five-day trip to Loon Lake in northern California in early October, a true “shoulder season” trip with daytime highs in the 80s, nighttime lows in the 40s, and overnight winds of up to 60 mph. My favorite design detail is that the pole bag is kept rigid by an insert of opaque white plastic. Clip it to the tent’s ceiling, pop in your headlamp, and illuminate your abode. —Michael Calore
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Nemo’s Dagger Osmo line of tents are reasonably light with roomy interiors and have proved very storm-proof in my testing. The three-person version has long been my tent of choice for trips with my kids. Setup is simple thanks to the single main pole design (which forks at each end) with a cross pole in the middle. There are two spacious vestibules for storing gear, and if you leave the rain fly off, the mesh room is excellent for stargazing.
The Nemo Mayfly is a three-season backpacking tent with a trail weight of 3 pounds, 8 ounces for the two-person version I tested. Split between two people, each is carrying under 2 pounds. The Mayfly uses a semi-freestanding design to keep weight down, which does mean you have to stake out the foot end. It’s on the small side as well, at 27.9 square feet of living space, with two 7-square-foot vestibule areas. I find it plenty livable for two, and the cross pole gives you a wider roof area than most tents this size. I love the white mesh (instead of black) and the super simple clips that keep the rain fly secured.
Courtesy of Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Hyperlite’s Dyneema Composite Ultamid tents are my favorite lightweight backcountry shelter for groups. I use the 4-person version (also on sale for $721 ($128 off)) with my kids as it’s the only thing on the market that can sleep 4, but weighs less than 2 pounds (22.4 oz). It’s a single wall tent, so condensation does need to be managed, but it’s pretty easy to vent. It’s also dead simple to pitch and rock solid in the wind. The pyramid design does mean there’s less room to the sides, but on the plus side it’s tall enough that I can stand up in the middle if I crouch a little (I’m 5′ 10″). There are two downsides to this tent. THe first is the price, but this sale makes it a little cheaper. The other is that it is big and requires a pretty good size space to pitch it. Also note that if you’re going to be in very buggy areas, you might want the floorless mesh insert which is $84 ($16 off).
Sea to Summit’s ultralight Alto tent (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is designed to keep weight down on your solo adventures. At just 33 ounces for a semi-freestanding tent, it remains one of the lighter options on the market, and at this price it’s hard to pass up. The mesh netting helps keep weight down, though for something warmer, the Plus version, which has less mesh, is also on sale for $412 ($137 off), an equally outstanding deal.
Goassamer Gear’s The Two is an ultralight, two-person shelter that weighs just about 2 pounds (slightly more if you account for the trekking poles you need to pitch it). Probably my favorite part of this tent in terms of ultralight performance is how small it stuffs down—to about the size of Nalgene water bottle, which means I can shove it in the side pocket of my pack. The seams are factory-taped and the dual doors make it easy to get in and out.
Merino Wool, Rain Jacket, and Shoe Deals
I live in merino wool these days. Actually, I don’t even care of its merino anymore, wool is just that good. See our guide to the best merino wool clothing, and best merino wool t-shirts for more wool goodness.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Icebreaker’s 200 Oasis base layer is a 200-gsm base layer. This is about what most of us call a mid-weight base layer, making it a good choice for everything from cool weather hiking in the fall or spring, to skiing in the front country. The 100 percent merino fibers here are not quite as soft at the Smartwool above, but they’re equally good at regulating body temperature and wicking away moisture. This is also the fastest drying merino top in our base layers guide.
The Smartwool Classic merino tee is an honorable mention in our guide to the best merino wool t-shirts. It’s a nice shirt, especially at this price which brings it down below even the cheapest options in that guide. It’s a Nuyarn blend (88 percent merino, 12 percent nylon), with the merino spun around the nylon. Mine has held up incredibly well. I’ve had it for several years and it’s still going strong. It does run on the large side, and has a looser fit, so size accordingly, but this is a great, low price way to fill out your merino t-shirt collection.
Ibex is also having a 20 percent sitewide sale. The Ibex Woolies Pro Crew, one of our Best Base Layers, is included in the sale—reviews editor Adrienne So is about to replace one of her Ibex Woolies that has lasted twenty years, which is the longevity you can expect from Ibex.
Unbound Merino is having it’s only sale of the year. We’ve got a post with the best deals, but if you get only one thing, grab this t-shirts. It makes a great gift for an outdoorsy person too. This t-shirt is incredibly soft, and because it’s 100 percent merino wool it’ll stay odor free for ages. The cut of Unbound’s crew neck s not overly technical like many merino t-shirts. This is just a regular, stylish t-shirt that doesn’t make you look like an Alex Honnold wannabe. It’s also lightweight and packs down to a tiny roll, which is perfect if you’re looking to simplify down to one bag (really, is there any other way to travel?). While I like the merino crew neck, the v-neck is also on sale for $80 ($10 off).
Courtesy of Huckberry
Huckberry’s Proof 72-Hour Merino is our favorite merino wool T-shirt. The cut and style are not overly sporty, making it more versatile than some others, from everyday wear around town to a trip to the gym. Mine is still soft after six months of wear and washing. At 87 percent 150-gsm superfine merino wool (16.5 micron) and 13 percent nylon, this T-shirt makes a great starter for those new to merino wool—there’s enough nylon that it’s stretchy, and not the least bit itchy. Note that sizes are limited here, but there are still a few of these left at this price.
I’m just going to keep singing the praises of this shirt until every WIRED reader has one. Then we can move on. If you live in a cold climate, even if it’s not quite Canada, you need this shirt. It’s your classic, ultra-warm wool shirt. Sorry, shirt jacket. Whatever it is, it’s warm, cozy, and comfy. Don’t let the wool scare you. It’s not itchy.
A little blizzard recently blew through where I love and this was the base layer I turned to when I went out in it. The 400-gsm weave of 100 percent merino is more like a sweatshirt than a base layer. The Yukon is wonderfully soft on the inside, and the seams don’t rub, even with a heavy pack on. The cut is roomy without being too baggy, and it’s machine-wash and -dry, so no babying necessary. For most people, the Yukon (or the Tanana, as the women’s version is called) is probably overkill, but if you live in the north, or if you’re a perpetually cold person, this is the ultimate heavyweight base layer.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Smartwool’s 100 percent merino Classic Thermal base layer is a nice, heavy 250-gsm merino, base layer, making it a great base layer for cold weather. It’s our top pick heavyweight base layer. It fits looser, making it feel more like a comfortable shirt. The looser fit makes it possible to use this as a second base layer over something like Ibex Woolies when it’s extremely cold (this combo is something I wear all the time here in Northern Wisconsin). The bottoms are also on sale (Men’s/Women’s).
There are tons of neck gators out there, but this is my favorite (I actually have the slightly longer version, but this is close). Like most things merino it puzzles me how this keeps me warm in the winter, and keeps the sun off my neck in the summer without making me overheat. Somehow it manages this. These make great gifts for your outdoorsy friends too.
Photograph: Adrienne So
This is a classic rain jacket. The AR (for “all-round”) is the beefiest of Arc’teryx’s Beta jackets. The combination of 40-denier fabric (with 80D reinforced areas) and Gore-Tex Pro 3L membrane make this not just highly waterproof, but very durable as well. The downside is that it is heavy at 16.5 ounces, and it doesn’t pack down super small. Still, if staying dry is you main priority, this is a great jacket.
My quest for an ultralight backpacking rain jacket came to an end when I encountered the Gaurdian Air from 7Mesh. It weighs just 212 gram on my scale (size large), packs down small, and most importantly, has held up well, keeping my dry hiking in some very heavy rains. t uses Gore-Tex ePE as its breathable, waterproof membrane, which I would call slightly breathable. Do I wish it had pit zips? Yes, yes I do. But otherwise this is a fantastic featherweight jacket.
Speaking of ultralight rain jackets, Mont-Bell’s Versalite is a legend. I’ve never managed to get my hands on one, but WIRED tester Chris Haslam love his. It’s light (6.4 ounces, 192 grams), packs down tiny (2.8 x 2.8 x 5.5 inches), and the two-layer 10-denier ripstop fabric offers seriously good protection against wind and rain. Mont-Bell has used two layers of Windstopper Gore-Tex here, which is technically rated as “water-resistant” but with taped seams and a generous DWR—it has a 20,000 mm HH rating, which is better than many. Note that this sale is on the western sizing.
When the weather gets down well below freezing, and the wind makes your cheeks burn, this is the jacket I turn to. With a base layer at the bottom, a wool sweater over that, then this jacket, I was toasty warm walking in the early morning chill of winter (usually –10 Fahrenheit in January). The shell is lightweight (20D) Pertex ripstop nylon that’s nicely windproof and water-resistant. For some reason, only the women’s jacket is on sale.
Mountain Hardwear’s Ghost Whisperer down jacket will be a pick in my next update for the Puffer Jacket Guide. It’s one of the best technical down puffers I’ve tested — thanks to the 800-fill down it’s warm, light, and packs down small. The medium weighs just about 8 ounces on my scale, though it does seem to run a bit small, I had to size up to large, the medium was a bit tight. Unfortunately the men’s version is pretty much sold out. The jacket version, without the hood, is also on sale.
Fjällräven’s hybrid fill jacket uses 700-fill-power down for most of the jacket but adds recycled polyester insulation over the shoulders to help resist moisture. That later works quite well when the snow is really coming down. The hood does a good job of keeping you warm while staying out of your way thanks to two drawcord tabs at the front, and an elastic drawcord at the back. It also, as the name suggests, packs down pretty small.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Merrell’s Vapor Glove shoes have been a perennial favorite at WIRED, topping our Barefoot Shoes guide for years. They’re quite thin (6mm stack height) and plenty flexible, allowing your feet to bend and shape to the terrain. That said, the Vapor Glove (and the Trail Glove as well) do not have the extra wide footbox you’ll find in some barefoot shoes. I find the ankle and arch fit to be spot on, but I do wish they had a wider toe box so my toes could spread out more.
I bought this during the REI Anniversary sale in May and have been wearing it every day now that cold temps have hit. It’s slightly oversized, but very soft, stretchy, and comfortable. I mean it’s a merino wool beanie; hard to go wrong with one of those. And it’s Fjällräven, so it’s well-made and should last a very long time.
These Fjällräven pants are among my favorite hiking pants. The G-1000 fabric is 65 percent recycled polyester and 35 percent organic cotton. They’ve got pockets everywhere and extras like ventilation zippers, reinforced knees (with openings for pads), and a loop on the leg to hold a axe. Do your pants have a axe loop? Didn’t think so. Note that Fjällräven recently changed the fit, so if you’re an old school wearer of these, size up.
Backpack Deals
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
The best ultralight day hiking pack, the Cima 15 is made of 100D recycled ripstop with a wraparound UHMWPE stretch mesh that forms the two side pockets and back pocket. The straps are quite cushy and comfortable, better than most straps you’ll find on small capacity packs. You might think 15L won’t hold everything you need, but it does. I manage to cram the essentials plus my camera gear, binoculars, and more in it and it stays comfortable. There’s an internal sleeve for a water bladder that happens to fit a 13-inch laptop if you want to use it to commute to work.
This deal is on the brand new version of the Southwest, with Dyneema’s latest fully woven fabric. This is my all-time favorite pack and the pack I use when I am not testing something else. I have both the older version, which I’ve used for 6+ years now, and this new version, which I am in the process of testing. If you’re looking for an ultralight pack that will stand up to just about anything, this is my top pick. The 55L capacity is my favorite as it allows me about 5-7 days worth of food, but if you only anticipate weekend trips, the 40L is also on sale.
This travel backpack from Six Moon Designs makes it so you no longer have to pick between optimizing for air travel or carrying long distances at your destination. It’s the only bag I’ve used that maximizes your allotted carry-on space while remaining comfortable for a walk across a mid-sized European city or even a day on the trail. The bag’s square shape and suitcase handle make it easy to show the flight crew you’re compliant, but once you deplane, you have adjustable shoulder straps built by a brand that makes gear for serious backpackers. There’s also a padded harness with water bottle holders and a zipper pouches for Clif Bars or a flashlight. —Martin Cizmar
Mystery Ranch’s Coulee 30 pack is everything you need in a great hiking day pack. The 30L capacity and 2.7 pound weight (men’s L/XL) mean this is not a pack for those looking to travel light, but when I need to carry lunch, rain jackets, and other hiking gear for my family of five, no daypack I’ve tested handles the load better than the Coulee 30. The suspension is cushy and provides a comfortable carry even with heavy loads. Mystery Ranch’s Signature Y-shaped zippers offer easy access to all your gear, and there are five externally accessible pockets for things you want close at hand.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
If I were going to live out of a single bag—traveling the world for the rest of my life—this is the bag I would bring. The GR2 is a gear-hauling monster with a ton of built-in organization options. This deal is on the 40L version, which I think is the perfect size for #onebag travel. It still manages to qualify as a carry-on bag for US flights (you may have trouble with that overseas though). The 34L waxed canvas version is also on sale for $340 ($115 off). And yes, it can double as a rucker, though there are better options if that’s your main use case. See below.
This deal is only on a couple of colors, and only the X-Pac fabric, but this is the cheapest we’ve seen the GR1 go for in quite some time. The GoRuck GR1 (7/10, WIRED Review) is the pack that launched the company, and it’s still the best and most versatile of the GoRuck lineup. This deal is on the smaller 21L pack, which I think is the perfect size for rucking, everyday carry, and weekend trips. I have lived out of the 21L bag (with a shoulder bag for my camera gear) during a weeklong trip. It was a squeeze, but it worked. The 21L GR1 is deceptively large and always seems to swallow more gear than I think it can.
If rucking is your thing, this is the GoRuck to get. It’s very close to the GR1 in size, layout, and fabric options, but the Rucker adds more handles, one on each side. The handles are so that the Rucker can be used as a weight (or kettlebell) in workouts. The interior has a Ruck Plate pocket for holding weight (the 20L version can handle up to 3-pound plates while the 25L can do up to 45-pound plates). The interior pockets are the same as the GR1, but instead of zippers, you get Velcro closures.
Mystery Ranch’s take on a lightweight multiday backpack, the Radix 47 is not ultralight (it weighs 3.5 lbs), but it has a fantastic suspension system. It’s become my go-to for trips where I am hauling a lot of gear, AKA, backpacking with my kids (I would suggest the Radix 47 is comfortable with loads of 25 to 35lbs, though Mystery Ranch rates it higher). The Robic Ripstop fabric has proved very durable in my testing, and I like the hybrid approach here, taking some features of ultralight packs and marrying them with a traditional pack frame and suspension system.
Gossamer Gear makes some of our favorite packing cubes for travel and backpacking. They’re light and spacious and the dual-chamber dirty/clean cube linked to here has a “dirty” side that seals up tight and keeps everything tidy. The clear cube $15 ($5 off) is also great. It zips and has multiple mesh pockets. It works both as a clear bag for liquids when you’re going through airport security, or a tech pouch for chargers and other sundries when you’re camping.
Oddly enough, for someone who isn’t a big fan of lumbar packs, this is probably my most-used bag. It’s our top pick for all-day adventures thanks to its array of pockets. The Tour is loaded with stash spaces, allowing me to carry my camera, binoculars, snacks, rain jacket, and more. Thanks to the shoulder strap (sold separately, $14) and the ability to tuck away the belt, the Tour can also be used as a shoulder bag. I even modified mine with a couple extra loops to secure it to the handlebars of my bike.
Photograph: Adrienne SoPhotograph: Adrienne So
Nemo’s Resolve is a great pack that incorporates a low-waste footprint into the design. It uses solution-dyed fabrics, and eschews straps and buckles in favor of bungees and pull-tabs. This does make adjusting it fussier, but once you’re used to it and have the fit dialed in, it’s not an issue. The Resolve is a comfortable pack. While technically frameless, it feels like it has some structure. and it sits nice and high on your back. At 1 pound, 15 ounces, it’s also pretty light.
My kid started his hiking career in this pack, which carried him from the mountains of Colorado to the hot barren mesas of Chaco Canyon. It’s not cheap (though this deal takes some of the pain away), but it’s well-made, and, most important, stable and comfortable. It’s also the easiest kid-hiking-pack to get on and off, which you will inevitably do, a lot.
Once upon a time, in galaxy far, far away, I traveled around southeast Asia with an early version of this Osprey pack, living out of it for almost a year. It stood up well to the abuse of overland travel—more than once, I watched a bus driver tie it to the roof of a bus by cinching it down with a rope, pulling with all his weight right down the middle of my pack, like a cheese cutter. The Farpoint survived, and my gear inside did as well thanks in part to the thickly padded sides which provide considerable extra cushioning.
Camping and Backpacking Deals
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
A favorite of ultralight hikers, backpackers, bikers, and travelers, the Sawyer Squeeze filter is the gold standard in water filters for anyone concerned about weight and universal compatibility. The Squeeze weighs just 3 ounces, has a filtration level of 0.1 microns (which gets rid E. coli, salmonella, giardia, cryptosporidium, and other common problems), and claims to filter 100,000 gallons of water before it needs replacing. The Squeeze also connects to any 28-mm diameter soda bottle (your basic 20-ounce Coke bottle, for example), which means you never have to worry about damaging a bottle, since a replacement can be easily found anywhere in the world.
The Katadyn BeFree Water filter is one of the lightest filters on the market (2.3 ounces, or 65 grams, for the filter and bottle) and a great option for when you want to go as light as possible, such as trail running or day hikes. The design of the BeFree is part of its appeal. The filter is inside the collapsible container. Scoop up some water into the container, screw on the lid, and drink. The BeFree is the fastest flowing filter I’ve tested. It can crank out 2 liters of fresh, clean water per minute, which means in practice that drinking out of it is no different than drinking from a bottle of water.
The argument in favor of the Lifestraw is that it’s extremely small, cheap, light, and it works. The problem is that no one wants to put their face near dirty water sources that you definitely shouldn’t drink from straight. Actually that doesn’t bother me nearly so much as the fact that you can’t use it to filter water for cooking. Still, as a personal water filter for emergencies, it’s a decent backup option to have in your kit.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
I rarely bring a chair backpacking, but if I did, the Nemo Moonlite Elite would be in my pack. At 18 ounces, it’s one of the lightest chairs around, and it packs down nice and small. It’s comfortable and reasonably stable. Nemo also solved the main problem with all pole chairs; The included base pad keeps it from sinking into soft ground.
This chair is the coziest way to hang out around camp. It is somewhat huge, heavy, and awkward to fold up and carry, but it’s all worth it once you cram everyone you love on it in front of a fire. The even bigger and more awkward three-person version is also on sale for $135 ($45 off).
If you’re headed into bear country, you likely need a bear resistant way to store your food. In my experience, the BV500 from Bear Vault is the most widely approved option (though always check with the rangers in the area you’re heading to). At 700 cubic inches, the BV500 has room for about 3-5 days of food for 2 (depending on how well you pack). It does weigh almost 3 pounds, and it’s a bummer to carry, but when you need it, you need it—might as well grab one when it’s a little cheaper.
Courtesy of Sea to Summit
I’ve noticed that, when trying to lighten their load with a smaller, lighter backpack, people then struggle to fit all their gear. The answer for sleeping bags and clothing is this compression stuff sack, which smashes anything soft down to about half the size of the same item in a regular stuff sack. This works well with sleeping bags and clothing, especially puffer jackets, but also fleece and merino wool.
The price varies by volume, but all of Hyperlite’s Dyneema roll top stuff sacks are 15 percent off right now. If you want to organize your gear a bit inside your pack, but don’t want a weight penalty for doing so, these are the stuff sacks you want. The draw string variety are also on sale, and bit cheaper and lighter, but I find the roll tops so much easier to open and close that I think they’re worth a few extra bucks.
Photograph: REI
The Petzl Tikka is the best headlamp you can buy. I’ve had the same Petzl Tikka for 14 years, and it’s still going strong. The Tikka is not the brightest, topping out at 450 lumens, but it’s plenty of light to cook by in the backcountry. There are three light modes: bright, brighter, and brightest. There’s also a red light mode to retain some of your night vision. The Tikka runs on three AAA batteries (we recommend Panasonic Eneloop rechargeable batteries), or the included Tikka Core rechargeable battery, and lasts over 5.5 hours.
I have never slept so well camping as I have on this mat. Technically I have the car-friendly model, but in terms of comfort, they’re the same. In our guide to car camping pads the Therm-a-rest MondoKing edges out the Megamat for top pick among the monster sleeping pads, but I prefer the Megamat for it’s extra warmth (it has an R-value of 8.1 to the MondoKing’s R 7.0) and the soft texture of the top. It’s comfortable enough to sleep directly on the Megamat. This was $15 cheaper during REI’s Holiday Sale, but this is still a good deal.
If you’re camping with a buddy and you want to snuggle up at night, this plush two-person sleeping pad is our top pick. The 5R rating means it’s made for cold weather, but even cinched into its included stuff sack, it’s fairly large and heavy, so it’s best for car camping, canoe camping, or any situation where you don’t have to haul it in a pack. (For summer backpacking, consider the lighter three-season 3R version, also on sale.) Each side has its own valve, so both sleepers can use the included inflation bag to pump up the pad to their desired firmness. —Michael Calore
Stove and Camp Cooking Deals
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
My favorite stove for actually cooking real food in the backcountry, the Firebox Nano is a titanium (or steel, but I highly recommend titanium) shell that you can fit with an alcohol burner like the Trangia Spirit burner, or an isobutane burner. You can also use wood to cook directly over flames the way your ancestors did, and you should. For backpacking, with its frequent and pesky burn bans, the Firebox Gas Burner with its diffusion plate is hands down the best backcountry cooking system. It won’t win you any prizes at the next /r/Ultralight get-together (the Firebox Nano on its own weighs 4.25 ounces for the titanium version), but you could be eating some delicious food in the backcountry.
The Stash is our favorite all-in-one backcountry cook system. The heat diffuser design is what speeds up boil times (Jetboil claims 2.5 minutes, which I was only able to match indoor in still air), but the real appeal here to me is the way this kit all packs down into itself. For weekend trips, this is the simplest system I’ve tested when it comes to cooking for two.
Courtesy of Coleman
REI sales are the time to grab this upgrade stove. Sure, the basic version below gets the job done, but the cast iron burners of the Cascade are so much nicer and more durable. The griddle plate is also handy, perfect for cranking out pancakes. My only gripe is that I wish there were an option to get two griddles, as I find the grill not nearly as useful.
Walk around any campground in America and you’ll likely see dozens of these, for good reason. They’re easy to use, last a long time, and aren’t all that expensive. The 10,000-BTU burners are plenty to cook on just about any pan you have (I use cast iron pans on mine), and the electronic ignition means you don’t have to keep track of a lighter.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Our favorite way to avoid those green propane bottles is this propane growler. The Ignik Deluxe is a 1.2-pound propane tank with a nice padded/insulated sleeve and a handy strap for carrying. It makes your camp setup look much nicer than a bare tank. It also saves your shins during those inevitable run-ins with cold hard steel that come from lugging around a big propane tank. This size is the equivalent of five green propane bottles.
I’m not sure this really qualifies for the “ultralight” moniker, and these pots are unfortunately marred by having a ton of fake influencer reviews out there, but they’re actually quite good. The hard-anodized aluminum is sturdy and provides good heat transfer. The ceramic nonstick coating makes for easy cleanup and the 1.3L size is perfect for cooking for two.
I used to make fun of my editor for being irrationally attached to this spoon, but then he said, why don’t you try one. So I did. And now I am also irrationally attached to this bamboo spoon. So is my daughter who keeps trying to steal it from me. Why do I like it some much? I don’t know, it’s just a really nice spoon. Perhaps it’s because I have an equally irrational dislike of long handled titanium spoons (along with the backpacking “food” in pouches which they are designed for). I have an idea, why don’t you just try this spoon for yourself. It’s $1. You spent more than that on coffee this morning.
Hiking Tech and Fitness Deals
Photograph: Kieran Alger
This is a good deal on Garmin’s most popular satellite messenger, but we always like to add the caveat that not everyone needs one. If you frequently hike alone, or do a lot of high alpine hiking and climbing, it’s probably worth carrying. As with any satellite messenger, you will have to subscribe to a safety plan, in addition to buying the device itself. If you only go on one or two big trips a year, you might want to consider a personal locator beacon (PLB) instead.
The Instinct 3 is our favorite Garmin watch and this deal makes the solar version the same price as the regular. The Instinct line has all the backcountry functionality of the Fenix watches but it’s much cheaper. This latest model includes a built-in flashlight and a metal-reinforced bezel with a scratch-resistant display and built to the durable MIL-STD 810 standard, meaning that’s undergone heavy thermal and shock resistance tests.
GoPro’s Hero 13 Black is our favorite GoPro for recording all your outdoor adventures. It has an interchangeable lens system to offer many more shooting options than other action cameras (in fairness Insta360 just added lenses to its Ace Pro 2, but we haven’t had a chance to try those yet). In addition to the standard wide angle action camera lens you can also invest in an Ultra Wide ($90), Macro ($120), and Anamorphic ($120) lens. All of these are automatically detected by the Hero 13 the minute you attach them. The camera will automatically adjust settings to match the lens and let you get back to what you were doing. It’s lots of fun and video quality is excellent.
Sleeping Bag and Quilt Deals
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Zenbivy is having a site-wide sale on some of our favorite backcountry sleeping bags. I’ve highlighted the Light Bed because it’s my favorite Zenbivy. If you haven’t tried sleeping on a Zenbivy, you’re in for a treat. This is not your typical sleeping bag, not even your typical quilt system. Zenbivy’s bed is combination of a quilt (I prefer the convertible quilt, which comes completely apart, but there’s also a version with a footbox if you prefer) and a sheet. The two parts clip together to prevent drafts and give you the feeling of sleeping at home in your bed, or at least as close to that as you’re likely to get in a tent. Note that to get the deal you’ll need to sign up for the mailing list to get a code.
Nemo’s Forte 35 is a 35-degree (comfort rated) synthetic-fill sleeping bag, making it a good choice for summer. It’s our favorite synthetic bag. What I like most about this bag, and nearly all of Nemo’s sleeping bags, is the wider cut through the torso area down to the knees. This bag is almost a hybrid of a mummy bag and your father’s good old 1970s square sleeping bag. Which is to say, this bag is roomy.
It’s no longer our top pick for side sleepers, but the Questar remains a good option for those who want more room. It uses what Therm-a-Rest calls W.A.R.M. fit, which stands for “with additional room for multiple” positions. Indeed, this bag is very roomy for a mummy design. I was able to draw my legs up when side-sleeping and spread out considerably more than with most of the other sleeping bags I’ve tested.
Photograph: Gossamer Gear
Gossamer Gear’s Thinlight Foam Pad is the best thing I’ve added to my backpacking gear kit in the last 10 years. It weighs close to nothing (3.3 ounces for the folded version I have), and I use it constantly. I don’t bring a chair backpacking. I am a sit-on-what’s-available sort of person, but these days I’ve gone a little bit soft, thanks to this pad. It’s perfect to sit on, to pile snacks on during breaks, to lie on for an afternoon siesta, and to go under my inflatable pad to keep it from slipping around at night on the floor of the tent.
Closed-cell-foam pads like the Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite Sol are a must-have. They weigh next to nothing (10 ounces for the small), fold up small enough to lash to the outside of any pack, and double as a chair, extra padding on cold nights, table, you name it. I am too old and too soft to be the sort of ultra-minimalist who gets by with just a Z-Lite, but I still have one around on almost every trip I take.
Think of a Rumpl blanket as if your sleeping bag had a baby with the coziest lap blanket that your grandma knitted for you. They’re made from DWR-treated ripstop polyester, so they’re sturdy, durable, and resist getting soaked or stained. But they’re also soft and warm enough to fall asleep under on the couch, and they come in a wide variety of colors and patterns (unfortunately only a couple patterns are on sale right now). —Adrienne So
Paddleboard and Kayak Deals
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Sure it’s odd to be buying a paddleboard in November, when there’s possibly snow on the ground (there is at my house), but a deal is a deal, and this is a good deal on one of our favorite Bote paddleboards. This large, stable SUP is great for beginners, it tracks well and despite the stability it’s surprisingly nimble and easy to steer. If you go all-in on the accessories you can end up with a two-in-one kayak/SUP hybrid, which makes it more versatile.
The Isle Switch 3 is by far my favorite inflatable that I have tested. Do you want to paddle out in glassy, still water and lie on your belly with your dog and watch fish? Then it’s a big, solid, stable paddleboard with a grippy, soft surface perfect for puppy paws. Is there a bit of a breeze and you want to put the full force of your paddling muscles in play? Slip the hooks into the eyes and tighten the straps to put on a big, comfy seat and foot brace. (I used mine as a seat for the kids behind me.) Even the paddle converts from an SUP paddle to a kayak paddle. I can’t believe I’ve never tried one of these before. This deal includes a free electric pump. —Adrienne So
The Breeze Aero inflatable paddleboard (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is well-built and durable, and it packs up reasonably small. It’s also one of the stablest paddleboards I’ve tried, making it a good choice for beginners. It’s easy to unpack and easy to use. Inflating is something of a chore with the hand pump, but once it’s deflated, it’s not hard to stow it away. This deal is on the 11’6″ model (which supports up to 355 pounds).
I have never actually tried one of Oru’s folding kayaks, but my editor and fellow gear tester Adrienne So loves them. The Inlet is one of Oru’s beginner models, but with room to grow as you you get more comfortable with it. It’s light and fast, and folds origami-style into a box that’s 42″ x 10″ x 18″, a bit like an oversized briefcase and still plenty small enough to fit a couple in your trunk. It weighs just 20 pounds and can hold one person up to 6’2″, 275 pounds.
Huckberry, purveyors of finely curated clothing and gear for the sort of person equally at home in the woods and the city, has started its holiday sale. Huckberry’s Black Friday sale covers a wide range, from the company’s own house brands to favorites from the likes of GoRuck and Peak Design. We’ve tested and love quite a bit of Huckberry’s stuff, especially the Proof 72-hour Merino T-shirt. If you buy nothing else this year, buy that. Trust me. Check out the other deals, which we’ve rounded up below.
Great Deals on Our Favorite Travel Clothes
Courtesy of Huckberry
Proof
72-Hour Merino T-Shirt
Huckberry’s Proof 72-Hour Merino is our favorite merino wool T-shirt. The cut and style are not overly sporty, making it more versatile than some others, from everyday wear around town to a trip to the gym. Mine is still soft after six months of wear and washing. At 87 percent 150 GSM superfine merino wool (16.5 micron) and 13 percent nylon, this T-shirt makes a great starter for those new to merino wool—there’s enough nylon that it’s stretchy, and not the least bit itchy.
If I could only buy one thing in this guide, this is it. Huckerry’s Flint and Tinder waxed garments are the best jackets. Multiple WIRED editors and writers have the waxed canvas trucker jacket (alas, not currently on sale), and I want basically every other waxed jacket they make, including this one, which is more of a quilted shirt, with 100 percent recycled Primaloft insulation.
I once called these darn near the perfect pants, and several years later, I stand by that. The perfect pants are understated and do not draw attention to the wearer. The perfect pants are made of natural fibers. These are not entirely natural fibers, alas (I did say nearly perfect), but they have enough pockets, and they are roomy pockets. Combined with a roomy (but not baggy cut), the main pockets are deep enough to hold my Fujifilm X70 camera, notebook, Earth’s best pencil—what else do you need? There is a downside, however. These are all inseam 31 inches, regardless of waist size. Sorry tall friends, move along, nothing to see here.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Our favorite zero-drop boot, these Lems are incredibly well made and they have that rugged leather boot look that’s otherwise missing in the barefoot shoe world. The 13-mm sole is somewhat jarring after years in 6-mm sandals, but the toe box is wide, which helps give them a different feel than your typical leather boots. When the snow has been dumping and the thermometer is just a puddle of red well below 0 degrees, these are nice to have.
Deals on Lock-Pick Kits and Other Gear
OK, truth be told, this whole guide is here just so I could link to this. It gets worse. I have not actually tested this thing, but I just bought it. Because seriously, who doesn’t want to learn to pick locks? There seems to be a strong overlap between programming and lock picking, or at least that’s been my experience hanging around a lot of programmers. If you haven’t tried picking locks before, this set has everything you need to teach yourself. There’s a clear padlock so you can see the tumblers and springs as you monkey with them using the tension wrench and four included picks.
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
Our favorite buy-it-for-life coffee maker, the Moccamaster KBGV Select is durable, repairable, analog, and built like a tank. It’s a classic exemplar of brewing precision, holding brewing temperatures within a variance of 4 degrees Celsius and extracting coffee within extremely tight parameters. Until recently, about half the SCA-certified coffee makers in the world were just different models of Technivorm Moccamaster. If you obsess over coffee, this is the coffee maker to get.
What if there were a film camera that captured digital images? That’s what the Camp Snap camera is, the screen-free aspect means that, like, film, you don’t know how your images look until later— you can keep photographing without getting pulled out of the moment as much. The Camp Snap can hold up to 2,000 photos on the preinstalled memory card, and it comes with a USB-C cable to download the photos onto your computer. This one is a fun gift to give too.
Photograph: Peak Design
The Everyday Backpack is one of our favorite camera bags, but it doesn’t have to be that. It’s really just a nice EDC backpack with some well thought out features, like a tuck-away waist strap, three FlexFold dividers, and a nice strap for attaching it to the handle of your rolling carry-on bag. Peak Design is also having a sale right now, and my all-time favorite tech pouch is $10 off. It pairs nicely with this bag.
This portable gadget uses its battery’s energy to help keep your hands warm and toasty. Its body is designed to fit comfortably in the hand and can generate warmth for up to 9 hours. It has six heat settings up to 120ºF, plus its 5200 mAh battery pack can charge phones and other devices via its USB port.
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we give our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems.)
A short section of orphan railroad tracks is among the reminders of what came before Denver built one of its more inspired flood-mitigation projects, the 39th Avenue Greenway, in the near-northeast part of town.
So is the auto salvage yard that still sits just over a fence from the walking path.
The greenway, which opened five years ago this month, nods to the past of Denver’s Cole and Clayton neighborhoods — for decades a mix of industry and working-class homes — even as the area is changing rapidly.
As it unfurls for a mile going east from Franklin Street, the 12-acre linear park is centered around a drainage channel that flows gently, like a small stream. Natural vegetation grows alongside the water, while sometimes-meandering walking paths up the embankment connect a community garden, pedestrian bridges, a plaza with seating, playgrounds and several pieces of public art as the greenway continues on to Steele Street.
All of it is within walking distance of century-old houses, factories and the new high-rise apartment buildings that have gone up in the River North Art District to the west.
Anytime I visit the greenway, usually looping it into one of my morning runs, I marvel at the ways it links the underappreciated history of the neighborhoods to the fast-changing face of urban Denver. Others join me, whether playing fetch with their dogs, going for a walk, pushing a stroller or watching their children play on the inventive playgrounds.
It’s a pocket of calm near the increasing bustle of RiNo, near still-working plants like a Coca-Cola bottler and the Nestle-Purina pet food factory — whose proximity you can, alas, occasionally smell, depending on the wind’s direction — and near schools as well as the resurging York Street Yards business center.
In recent weeks, the greenway’s still-developing vegetation and trees offered unexpected bursts of fall color, too.
I remember how unusual the plans for the 39th Avenue Greenway sounded nearly a decade ago, as I covered the advent of the city’s Platte to Park Hill program as a city government reporter. The roughly $300 million undertaking to reduce street flooding across several neighborhoods attracted tons of heat and pushback. Most of it was focused on higher-profile projects — namely the substantial regrading of City Park Golf Course to create stormwater detention areas — and the program’s side benefits for the then-upcoming Interstate 70 project to the north.
The greenway plan, too, sparked worries about chemicals and other pollutants in the soil. City officials said they’d clean up whatever they found as they ripped up abandoned railroad tracks east of York Street and disturbed other parts of the area’s industrial past.
A cyclist makes his way down a path along the 39th Avenue Greenway in Denver on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Now that it’s built, the greenway’s channel usually has some water in it, but it fills up more impressively after storms. The water passes through vaults that capture trash, keeping it out of the South Platte River downstream, and the exposure to sunlight helps remove contaminants. The vegetation helps filter the stream before it disappears back underground at Franklin.
It’s hard to understate the difference between what seemed, at the time, an underwhelming plan for a dressed-up drainage ditch and the actual reality on the ground. It’s now honest-to-goodness parkland that was well thought out in a part of the city that so desperately needed it.
After covering the controversies around all the stormwater projects and then seeing them built, I didn’t come to appreciate the 39th Avenue Greenway until I moved to Cole a couple years ago from another part of Denver.
I rediscovered it, in a way, on an early exploratory run.
Now I run there most often as part of an out-and-back course, taking in the trees and plants and odd features — like the short stretch of disconnected train tracks that’s there, as a kind of monument to the past, and several pieces of public art.
My favorite is a pair of giant orange metal sculptures resembling megaphones, situated across the channel from each other and positioned to enable people to talk across that distance. Called “Conversation,” the piece draws on the history of discrimination affecting the area, which has been home to some of Denver’s most racially diverse neighborhoods, and is intended to highlight the importance of racial dialogue.
When I turn around to head back west, I look up, taking in Mount Blue Sky and the rest of the Front Range on the horizon as I trot toward the still-emergingRiNo skyline that bookends the other side of the greenway.
The 39th Avenue Greenway in Denver on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
It’s hard to believe Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat used to be a gravel pit.
Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat attracts plenty of wildlife, including a large number of migrating birds in the winter. (Ben Siebrase, Special to The Denver Post)
These days, the 100-acre refuge, at 5201 St. Vrain Road in Boulder County, attracts plenty of wildlife, including a large number of migrating birds that come for five on-site ponds knit together with 2.9 miles of flat, scenic trail.
Even on a cold December morning, it’s worth bundling up to see what’s fluttering through the reclaimed wetlands. Not far from Longmont’s municipal airport, Pella Crossing, a mile south of Hygiene, on the east side of North 75th Street, delivers a similar scene – industrial strip mines transformed into a peaceful haven.
Feeling unseasonably hopeful, I once took my young kids birding at Walden Ponds. The hobby requires a certain level of patience and quiet – not exactly our family’s strong suits. Despite near-constant reminders, my offspring produce their own special calls: a cacophonous blend of screeches, giggles, and bickering that clears a marsh faster than you can say :white-tailed Ptarmigan.” Still, after scattering every sparrow in sight, we caught an unexpected break on the drive out.
“Look,” my husband said, pulling over near Wally Toevs Pond. There were two golden eagles perched on a utility pole, primary feathers ruffling in the cold breeze. I fumbled for my phone, snapped a terrible, zoomed-in photo, and then, finally, we all fell silent.
Car birding
When I told lifelong Colorado birder Peter Burke about this, he wasn’t remotely surprised: “Golden eagles,” he explains, “like to nest on cliffs in the mountains, but they come down here for the winter and often perch on telephone poles while hunting prairie dogs.”
Burke, who founded the guide company Rocky Mountain Birding and currently edits the quarterly journal Colorado Birds, approved of our drive-by-birding technique. In fact, car birding is one of his go-to strategies.
You’re less likely to flush a bird this way. “Humans have the profile of a predator,” he notes. But cars? They’re more like big, slow cows – not particularly threatening.
As a bonus, you’ll be warm in your car on a chilly day. The main message I got when I called up a handful of Colorado’s expert birders is that you truly don’t have to travel far from Denver, especially once the temperature drops.
For some species, we’re south
As Jacob Job from Bird Conservancy of the Rockies puts it, “Winter birding is often overlooked.” That’s a shame because we get a whole new influx of species this time of year. (And it’s worth noting that as milder winters caused by climate change reshape migration patterns, some birds are sticking it out: mountain bluebirds, for instance, can now be spotted here all year long.)
We have an image of migratory birds flying south for the winter, but Colorado’s Front Range is south for many species, including raptors, cackling geese (a close cousin to the Canada goose), and rough-legged hawks, which breed in tundra way above the Arctic Circle then vacation in sunny Colorado. Other birds have an elevational migration within the Centennial State. Northern pigmy owls, for example, propagate in the mountains before coming to the foothills.
This time of year, Colorado birders are primarily searching for raptors, waterfowl and sparrows. Where you go will largely depend on what you’re hoping to spot, explains Burke.
Burke’s a fan of towhees. “They’re big, sparrow-like birds,” he tells me.
When I ask, “Spotted towhees?” he shoots back, “Are you a birder?”
Busted. I admit that I just Googled it.
Red Crossbills at Echo Lake on Mount Evans, 2012. (Peter Burke, Special to The Denver Post)
“I’m not a confident birder,” I say.
Burke laughs: “Really, it just comes down to curiosity and how much time you put into it,” he said. After a beat, he chirps, “And good binoculars!”
He recommends I spend, at minimum, $300 for a nice pair. When I ask Burke where I should take those fancy-pants binocs, he tells me that while lots of people don’t consider Red Rocks, at 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, a birding destination, it can be an excellent place for sparrows and towhees – plus the cliffs are home to nesting prairie falcons.
Follow the prairie dogs
Most of us love big birds. Raptors – and their humungous nests – are much easier to observe in winter-bare trees, explains community naturalist Dave Sutherland, who leads free – and absolutely fantastic – public classes for birders of all ages and skill levels. Visit davesutherland.co for details, and consider joining his upcoming “Hawk Walk” on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. (No cost, but reservations are needed.)
If you’re keen to watch bald eagles in the wild, try Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge at 6550 Gateway Road, a former chemical weapons manufacturing facility that was cleaned up in the 1980s before earning its protected status in 1992, soon after a roost of bald eagles was spotted on the premises.
The refuge hosts bison herds (try the wildlife drive!), a black-footed ferret exhibit, and plenty of prairie dogs. “Any place with a thriving prairie dog town will be a good place to see raptors,” said Sutherland, noting that “people love to hate on prairie dogs, but if you like birds of prey, you need to make peace with them.”
Ferruginous hawks, for example, are prairie dog specialists from Canada and North Dakota, and their numbers are in decline because we’ve wiped out prairie dog colonies on the Eastern Plains.
In addition to raptors – eagles plus ferruginous, rough-legged and Harlan’s hawks – Rocky Mountain Arsenal, with its sprawling plains, provides habitat for a variety of additional species, including white-crowned sparrows and dark-eyed junco.
Explore reservoirs
As long as they’re not frozen over, reservoirs – “pop-up habitat for waterfowl,” Burke said – are another place where bird enthusiasts can’t go wrong. Sutherland and Burke recommend Chatfield State Park, at 11500 N. Roxborough Park Road, home to the Kingery Nature Center, part of Denver Audubon’s holdings.
A Bohemian Waxwing in Boulder, 2013. (Peter Burke, Special to The Denver Post)
In Brighton, meanwhile, there’s Barr Lake State Park, 13401 Picadilly Road, another premium spot, where dozens of bald eagles overwinter. Bonus: Barr Lake puts on a variety of bird-themed walks, talks, and events throughout the year; for details, visit cpw.state.co.us/events and filter by park.
You’ll need a state-parks pass to enter Barr Lake and Chatfield in a vehicle, and Colorado Parks & Wildlife public information officer Bridget O’Rourke wants Coloradans to know that free passes are available through all Colorado public libraries. They’re tucked inside CPW’s “Adventure Backpacks,” which are available to rent anytime – and super fun for kids.
At Aurora Reservoir, 5800 S. Powhaton Road, look for “five to seven species of gulls, including a few rare ones,” Burke said, noting that these long-winged aquatic beauties spend the entire winter in the area, sleeping on ice then flying to the landfill to pick at garbage heaps before returning to the water to bathe. Be aware: Aurora Reservoir is not a Colorado State Park, and you’ll need a $10 day pass to enter (that’s the off-season rate).
Eight minutes north of Niwot, there’s Lagerman Reservoir inside Lagerman Agricultural Preserve, 7100 Pike Road. “It’s the ugliest little reservoir you ever saw, and for some reason birds love it,” Sutherland gushes. The 1.6-mile Lagerman Trail is closed through Dec. 31 for construction and will reopen to birders in the new year.
Reservoirs are popular hang-outs for other waterfowl, too, including the common goldeneye and Barrow’s goldeneye – “a really neat diving duck,” Burke said, that you’ll spot mixed in with mallards, northern shovelers and teals. Gulls can’t dive, so they like to swim with goldeneyes and try to steal their lunch. “It’s a game played out on Colorado reservoirs all winter long,” said Burke.
At Waterton Canyon, you’re likely to spot American dippers, a songbird about the size of a robin that spends its life in rivers and mostly hunts underwater. (Ben Siebrase, Special to The Denver Post)
Hole up on streams
If you want to see a variety of ducks, Sutherland will direct you to Prospect Park in Wheat Ridge, at W. 44th Ave. and Robb streets, where birders can sit tight along Clear Creek.
Waterton Canyon, just south of the intersection of Waterton Road and Glenn L. Martin Boulevard, is another excellent option. Beyond the famed bighorn sheep, you’re liable to spy American dippers, a songbird about the size of a robin that spends its entire life in rivers and mostly hunts underwater.
“Anything along Boulder Creek you can get dippers,” Job added, also recommending Eldorado Canyon State Park, at 9 Kneale Road, and Lair ‘o the Bear Park, at 22550 State Highway 74, the latter a kid-friendly gem in Idledale.
Try state wildlife areas
If you aren’t sure where to go, check out one of CPW’s 350-plus State Wildlife Areas – “the hidden gems of public lands,” as O’Rourke put it. You’ll need a special SWA recreational pass to enter these protected swaths, which are open to hunters and wildlife viewers alike.
But don’t let the hunting deter you: SWAs attract winter owls, including long-eared, pygmy, and screech varietals, said Job. If you try an SWA, do wear very bright colors during open season. Fluorescent orange and pink will do the trick.
To uncover SWAs in your area, check out CPW’s online map, at cpw.state.co.us/swa-finder. And don’t miss the state agency’s nature viewing page, which is packed with useful information for local birders.
Speaking of owls, the last couple of years, there have been snowy owls at Denver International Airport. If you have winter travel plans that include a flight, this might be a good reason to arrive at the airport extra early.
Be a homebody
Front Range residents won’t have to leave home for good birding. “I love dark-eyed juncos,” said Job. Denver gets four to five subspecies in the wintertime. Job added, “They’ll come to the house to hang out by feeders.”
Putting out bird feeders can be a lifeline for migrating birds, and a thoughtful setup keeps feeders truly bird-friendly. Burke recommends placing feeders near bushes or trees, so visitors have quick cover from predators like hawks. It’s easy to protect birds from window collisions by adding visual cues like hanging cords or UV decals to large windows.
All the experts agree that it’s important to keep feeders clean. Wash them with soap and water every few weeks (or when refilling) to prevent diseases; gloves are recommended. A pro tip: If you have problems with squirrels in your feeders, try mixing seed with cayenne pepper. Birds don’t react to the spicy chemical compound but squirrels hate it.
If this sounds like a lot of work, you can always throw seed on the ground. Juncos and towhees happily eat ground seed.
A birding shelter at Fossil Creek Reservoir offers interpretive signs. (Jamie Siebrase, Special to The Denver Post)
Involve the kids
Longtime Colorado birder Carmela Coyle, bestselling author of the “Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?” series for kids, has a new picture book coming out in January, just in time for winter birding. Read “Anyone Else Awake? A Dawn Chorus” (Muddy Boots publishing) with the kids in your life, then explore Coyle’s favorite hotspots – both close enough to count as backyard birding for Denverites.
In Littleton, there’s Ketring Park, at 6028 S. Gallup St., where the quarter-mile dirt trail around Wetland Loop is perfect for very young explorers. Coyle also recommends the Stone House Trail at Bear Creek Greenbelt Park, 2800 S. Estes St. “Park in the lot off of South Estes Street,” Coyle said, “and proceed west to the narrower dirt trails to the south through trees and brush.”
Field wisdom
You’re bundling up and heading out because you want to see some plumage, no? These pro tips help ensure a successful outing.
If a bird changes its behavior because of you, you’re too close. Use binoculars, instead of your feet, to get a better look, and remember: Winter birds are here to rest and refuel, not perform.
While apps like Merlin are great tools, overusing playback can stress out our migratory birds, sending them searching for threats that aren’t there. Let the landscape speak first, and use calls sparingly.
Don’t forget to stay on designated trails and obey private property signs. Birders should always strive to be great stewards of the land.
The birds are waiting. Grab your binoculars, and let’s see what winter on the Front Range has to offer.
OHIO — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced new deer bag limitations for several southeastern Ohio counties on Thursday that run through the remainder of the 2025-2026 season.
Hunting limitations were approved for white-tailed deer in Athens, Meigs, Morgan and Washington counties by the Ohio Wildlife Council.
(ODNR)
Officials said the new bag limits for these counties start on Monday, Dec. 1. Athens, Meigs and Washington counties’ bag limit will be reduced to one deer. Morgan County’s new limit is two deer. All the counties will have a three-deer limit until Sunday, Nov. 30.
The reduction is in response to an outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) can be caused by the bite of an infected midge and is one of the most common diseases of white-tailed deer in the U.S. The disease does not affect humans, and transmission ends with the first frost, which kills the insect and interrupts the cycle.
ODNR said deer bag limits throughout the rest of the state remain unchanged.
This year marks a decade of REI’s observance of the consumer high holy day, Black Friday. For the past 10 years REI has shut its doors for Black Friday, suggesting that instead potential customers should get outside and enjoy the world around you. That’s great advice, but of course Black Friday is also one of the biggest retail spending days of the year, and REI is a for-profit co-op—what to do? Have your holiday sale early, of course.
This year the REI Holiday Sale runs from November 14-24. There are two member-exclusive coupons with the Holiday Sale. The first is for 20 percent off a regular-priced item at REI, the second is 20 percent off any item at REI Outlet. Many of the best REI deals this year are on the company’s house brand gear, but we’ve also pulled in deals from competing sales at Backcountry, Six Moon Designs, Zenbivy, and other cottage industry retailers. Below are the best deals on all our favorite tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, pads, cookware, outdoor apparel, and more.
Can’t You Just Put Links to All Your Outdoor Guides Right Here?
Sure. Here you go:
Hiking & Backpacking Gear Guides:
Camping Guides
Outdoor Apparel Guides
Winter Sports
Deals on Backpacks
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
The Flash 22 is possibly the best value daypack on the market, especially now, on sale. This is a very lightweight, minimalist pack, but it’s surprisingly comfortable. It’ll handle loads up to 15 pounds without straining your shoulders, and the side stash pockets are large enough for a Nalgene bottle or rain jacket. The Flash 22 is made of 70-denier recycled ripstop nylon, which is on the lighter side, but mine has held up well, even on some rough cross country hikes in the North woods.
The ultralight cousin to the Flash 22, the Flash 18 lacks the hip belt, side stash pockets, and floating lid. The result is a stripped-down, bare-bones pack that we like because you can stuff it in your carry-on, and have a nice backpack whenever you need it. Don’t load it up with more than 8 pounds of gear, and avoid anything with pointy bits, as there’s no padding here, but so long as you recognize its limitations, this is a great little pack.
This travel backpack from Six Moon Designs makes it so you no longer have to pick between optimizing for air travel or carrying long distances at your destination. It’s the only bag I’ve used that maximizes your allotted carry-on space while remaining comfortable for a walk across a mid-sized European city or even a day on the trail. The bag’s square shape and suitcase handle make it easy to show the flight crew you’re compliant, but once you deplane, you have adjustable shoulder straps built by a brand that makes gear for serious backpackers. There’s also a padded harness with water bottle holders and a zipper pouches for Clif Bars or a flashlight. —Martin Cizmar
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
If I were going to live out of a single bag—traveling the world for the rest of my life—this is the bag I would bring. The GR2 is a gear-hauling monster with a ton of built-in organization options. This deal is on the 40L version, which I think is the perfect size for #onebag travel. It still manages to qualify as a carry-on bag for US flights (you may have trouble with that overseas though). The 34L waxed canvas version is also on sale for $340 ($115 off). And yes, it can double as a rucker, though there are better options if that’s your main use case. See below.
This deal is only on a couple of colors, and only the X-Pac fabric, but this is the cheapest we’ve seen the GR1 go for in quite some time. The GoRuck GR1 (7/10, WIRED Review) is the pack that launched the company, and it’s still the best and most versatile of the GoRuck lineup. This deal is on the smaller, 21L pack which I think is the perfect size for rucking, everyday carry, and weekend trips. I have lived out of the 21L bag (with a shoulder bag for my camera gear) during a weeklong trip. It was a squeeze, but it worked. The 21L GR1 is deceptively large and always seems to swallow more gear than I think it can.
If rucking is your thing, this is the GoRuck to get. It’s very close to the GR1 in size, layout, and fabric options, but the Rucker adds more handles, one on each side. The handles are so that the Rucker can be used as a weight (or kettlebell) in workouts. The interior has a Ruck Plate pocket for holding weight (the 20L version can handle up to 3-pound plates while the 25L can do up to 45-pound plates). The interior pockets are the same as the GR1, but instead of zippers, you get Velcro closures.
Camping and Backpacking Deals
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Six Moon Design’s Lunar Solo (7/10, WIRED Review) is my favorite single-wall ultralight solo tent. It’s not without its quirks (read the pitching tips), but if you want something more than a tarp, that still weighs just 26 ounces (740 grams), this one is hard to beat. It’s well ventilated for a single-walled tent, with the ability to raise up the front door when weather is nice. I also like that it only needs one trekking pole (or one pole if you don’t hike with trekking poles. You’d be hard pressed to find a tent even half this nice at this price.
I’ve noticed that, when trying to lighten their load with a smaller, lighter backpack, people then struggle to fit all their gear. The answer for sleeping bags and clothing is this compression stuff sack, which smashes anything soft down to about half the size of the same item in a regular stuff sack. This works well with sleeping bags and clothing, especially puffer jackets, but also fleece and merino wool.
The Flexlite Air camp chair is a great example of the promise of REI brand gear: it offers 90 percent of the designer item, for 70 percent of the price. It’s not quite as nice as the Nemo below, but it’s still comfortable (it does wobble a little, side to side when you move) and it’s nearly half the price.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
I rarely bring a chair backpacking, but if I did, the Nemo Moonlite Elite would be in my pack. At 18 ounces, it’s one of the lightest chairs around, and it packs down nice and small. It’s comfortable and reasonable stable. Nemo also solved the main problem with all pole chairs; The included base pad keeps it from sinking into soft ground.
This is my favorite backpacking sleeping pad. With an R-Value of 5.4 and weighing just 18.2 ounces, the All-Season has the best R-Value-to-weight ratio of anything we’ve tested. There are lighter pads, like the Therm-a-rest NeoAir Xlite, but they are not as warm, nor as comfortable. The Tensor All-Season packs down well, rolling into a tiny stuff sack. It’s about the size of a 16-ounce Nalgene bottle. I often pair this with a closed cell foam pad like the Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite when camping in snow for a little extra insulation.
I have never slept so well camping as I have on this mat. Technically I have the car-friendly model, but in terms of comfort, they’re the same. In our guide to car camping pads the Therm-a-rest MondoKing edges out the Megamat for top pick among the monster sleeping pads, but I prefer the Megamat for it’s extra warmth (it has an R-value of 8.1 to the MondoKing’s R 7.0) and the soft texture of the top. It’s comfortable enough to sleep directly on the Megamat.
If you get the Exped Megamat, you’ll inflate it without this pump exactly one time. Then you will come back and buy this pump like a sane person. Save yourself even the one time and just get the pump with the pad. You’ll never know how much you should thank me, but that’s OK. Just carry on and have a good night’s sleep.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
My favorite stove for actually cooking real food in the backcountry, the Firebox Nano is a titanium (or steel, but I highly recommend titanium) shell that you can fit with an alcohol burner like the Trangia Spirit burner, or an isobutane burner. You can also use wood to cook directly over flames the way your ancestors did, and you should. For backpacking, with its frequent and pesky burn bans, the Firebox Gas Burner with its diffusion plate is hands down the best backcountry cooking system. It won’t win you any prizes at the next /r/Ultralight get-together (the Firebox Nano on its own weighs 4.25 ounces for the titanium version), but you could be eating some delicious food in the backcountry.
Outdoor Apparel Deals
Courtesy of REI
This is still the best budget rain jacket you can buy. REI’s Rainier Jacket is impressively waterproof and reasonably long-lasting for $70. The durable water repellent (DWR) is PFAS-free, but still pretty good. You also get taped seams and an adjustable hood, two nice features you generally don’t find in jackets this cheap.
REI’s Sahara Shade Hoodie offers UPF 50+ fabric (a polyester and spandex blend) to protect you from that high-altitude sun (or any sun). It’s soft and stretchy, so you have a good range of movement, and there are thumbholes in the sleeves to keep them from riding up and exposing your arms. The three-panel hood has a drawstring you can use the cinch it down and keep your neck covered as well. I do prefer merino sun hoodies, but they’re double the price, if not more.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Smartwool’s 100 percent merino Classic Thermal base layer is a nice, heavy 250-gsm merino, base layer, making it a great base layer for cold weather. It’s our top pick heavyweight base layer. It fits looser, making it feel more like a comfortable shirt. The looser fit makes it possible to use this as a second base layer over something like Ibex Woolies when it’s extremely cold (this combo is something I wear all the time here in Northern Wisconsin). The bottoms are also on sale (Men’s/Women’s).
Icebreaker’s 200 Oasis base layer is a 200-gsm base layer. This is about what most of us call a midweight base layer, making it a good choice for everything from cool weather hiking in the fall or spring, to skiing in the front country. The 100 percent merino fibers here are not quite as soft at the Smartwool above, but they’re equally good at regulating body temperature and wicking away moisture. This is also the fastest drying merino top in our base layers guide.
REI’s base layers are a solid value. If you want one base layer to do it all and don’t want to spend a fortune, these are the base layers to get. You can have a crew top and bottom for less than a single garment of merino or a brand name synthetic. This is the midweight version, which is 220 GSM (92 percent recycled polyester, 8 percent spandex). They’re comfortable with a tight, but not overly-tight, fit that makes them easy to layer over, and there’s nice extras like thumb loops on the sleeves.
There are tons of neck gators out there, but this is my favorite (I actually have the slightly longer version, but this is close). Like most things merino it puzzles me how this keeps me warm in the winter, and keeps the sun off my neck in the summer without making me overheat. Somehow it manages this. These make great gifts for your outdoorsy friends too.
These Fjällräven pants are among my favorite hiking pants. The G-1000 fabric is 65 percent recycled polyester and 35 percent organic cotton. They’ve got pockets everywhere and extras like ventilation zippers, reinforced knees (with openings for pads), and a loop on the leg to hold a axe. Do your pants have a axe loop? Didn’t think so. Note that Fjällräven recently changed the fit, so if you’re an old school wearer of these, size up.
Sleeping Bag and Quilt Deals
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
REI’s Magma 15 is one of our top sleeping bags. It’s warm (comfort rated to 21 degrees Fahrenheit) with a 15-denier nylon ripstop nylon shell (Bluesign approved, with a non-fluorinated DWR coating to keep moisture at bay). Baffles are variably spaced and not stitched through, which helps the fill stay put and minimizes cold spots. I also really like the Magma hood, which is warm and stays on your head throughout the night. There’s a nice interior stash pocket I use to keep my headlamp handy.
Nemo’s Forte 20 is a 30-degree (comfort rated) synthetic-fill sleeping bag, making it a good choice for summer. It’s our favorite synthetic bag. What I like most about this bag, and nearly all of Nemo’s sleeping bags, is the wider cut through the torso area down to the knees. This bag is almost a hybrid of a mummy bag and your father’s good old 1970s square sleeping bag. Which is to say, this bag is roomy.
We’re still working on a guide to backpacking quilts, but it will probably surprise no one to learn that this is our current pick for best value quilt. Like the Magma 30 sleeping bag, the Magma quilt is not the lightest, nor the warmest, but you get a lot, for not a lot. The 15-denier shell encloses 850-fill-power water-resistant goose down that’s comfort-rated down to 30 F. Weighing just 1 lb. 6 oz for a long, the Magma is on the light side for the temp rating. The footbox uses a zipper and drawstring system to be either completely open and flat, or zipped up and cinched down like a sleeping bag on cooler nights.
Courtesy: Nemo Equipment
Nemo’s Pulse quilt is made of 1,000-fill duck down that keeps you warm while remaining extremely lightweight (just 18 ounces for the regular size). I’ve found this to be one of the warmest quilts I’ve tested. Nemo rates it to 20F, but I’d be willing to go down below that provided you have a good, well insulated sleeping pad. Part of the weight saving is the 10-denier ripstop shell, but it’s held up just find in my testing. My only complaint here is the footbox which does not come completely apart to lay flat.
Our favorite sleeping bag for summer car camping, the Siesta isn’t fancy, but hey, it’s car camping. If all else fails, there’s a car to retreat to. With that in mind, don’t spend a fortune on a car camping bag if that’s all you need. The Siesta gives you a nice, roomy, rectangular cut, and the 20-degree rating makes it enough for three-season trips. The bonus here is the hood, which you don’t often find in this type of bag. If you don’t need the hood, REI also has the new Campwell 30 degree bag on sale for $70 ($30 off).
Think of a Rumpl blanket as if your sleeping bag had a baby with the coziest lap blanket that your grandma knitted for you. They’re made from DWR-treated ripstop polyester, so they’re sturdy, durable, and resist getting soaked or stained. But they’re also soft and warm enough to fall asleep under on the couch, and they come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. —Adrienne So
Puffer Jacket and Winter Gear Deals
It’s already snowed once where I live. Now’s the time to score some new ski gear—jackets, helmets, gloves, and googles are all on sale.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
With an 850-fill-power goose down and a recycled ripstop nylon shell, this is one of the warmer jackets in our best puffer jackets guide. I like the zippered chest pocket (there are also two zippered hand pockets, one of which the jacket stuffs into), and at 12.5 ounces this jacket is surprisingly light for how warm it is. The front zip has a wind flap, and there’s even a draft collar, something you hardly ever find in a puffer at this price. Even better, you can cinch the hood to keep cold air from blowing in the sides.
Our favorite bargain three-season puffer jacket, the REI 650 down jacket isn’t as warm as the Magma above, but it’s hard to argue with this price. If you need a cheap, packable jacket for those cold summits or star gazing on chilly nights, this is the jacket to get. The stitched-through baffles mean this one isn’t as warm and is more susceptible to wind, but at this price, it’s worth buying.
Initially I did not like the idea of a down vest. If it’s cold enough to need a down jacket, my arms are probably cold too, right? But then I moved somewhere cold (Why? I don’t know, but I did) and realized there is an infinite variety of shades when it comes to cold. For some shades of cold, the vest is the right move. Pair it with a good base layer, maybe even a hoodie, and you have something that’s warm, but leaves your arms free to swing an ax or whatever you might be doing.
Fjällräven’s hybrid fill jacket uses 700-fill-power down for most of the jacket but adds recycled polyester insulation over the shoulders to help resist moisture. That later works quite well when the snow is really coming down. The hood does a good job of keeping you warm while staying out of your way thanks to two drawcord tabs at the front, and an elastic drawcord at the back. It also, as the name suggests, packs down pretty small.
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