Recent bear incidents force a campground in White River National Forest to close

A campground successful the White River National Forest, astir 13 miles southbound of Carbondale, has been unopen down due to the fact that of respective achromatic carnivore incidents, including 1 involving a destroyed tent.

The Avalanche Campground, which has six first-come first-serve campsites, is located disconnected of Colorado 133. One of the main trailheads into the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness is adjacent to the fashionable campground.

On Friday the U.S. Forest Service announced that the campground has been temporarily closed due to the fact that of caller carnivore activity.

“Nearly each problems with achromatic bears astatine campgrounds tin beryllium traced to improper nutrient storage, which teaches bears that campgrounds mean food,” the USFS said successful a quality release.

Bears successful Colorado are presently successful a late-summer feeding frenzy known arsenic hyperphagia. Bears are continually seeking nutrient and eating arsenic they acceptable for hibernation successful the fall.

The carnivore incidents show the request for radical to decently store nutrient portion camping, the merchandise said.

“The White River National Forest has a food-storage bid successful spot for each its developed campgrounds and galore dispersed camping areas to assistance forestall achromatic bears and different wildlife from obtaining nutrient from humans and becoming a nuisance oregon dangerous,” the USFS said.

No 1 was injured successful the astir caller incident, erstwhile a carnivore destroyed a tent, but radical were contiguous astatine the time.

“There was not a carnivore attractant specified arsenic nutrient successful the tent, but intelligibly the carnivore was acquainted with campsites being a imaginable root of food,” according to the release.

The campground is closed done astatine slightest the Labor Day play arsenic a information precaution.