Dramatic footage shows a male bison ramming and knocking a rival bison off a highway during the rut in Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone National Park on Sunday issued its annual reminder that the bison rut is underway, advising tourists to “use extra caution and give bison extra space during this time.”
If anyone wonders why they should be more careful at this time of year, watch the striking footage posted below. It shows a clearly dominant bison ramming and propelling a rival bison 30 feet off the highway.
(Remarkably, the upended bison managed to stay on its feet.)
Yellowstone used the footage in August 2020 to caution tourists about the rut, or mating season, which typically lasts from late July through August.
The video clip is titled, “Bison fight.”
Male bison vying for the right to mate with female bison are aggressive and agitated during the rut, but the iconic beats are always dangerous if not given space.
Park regulations mandate that tourists should remain at least 25 yards from bison and remain inside their vehicles if they encounter bison at close range on park roads.
In Yellowstone National Park, a distant view of grizzly bears can be as satisfying as an up-close roadside view because it requires a keen eye.
–Editor’s note: A similar version of this post was published June 1, 2024.
In Yellowstone National Park, a distant view of grizzly bears can be as satisfying as an up-close roadside view because it requires a keen eye and the bears are in more of a natural setting.
Can you spot the momma grizzly bear and her three cubs in the image I captured in late May from a hillside above the Lamar Valley highway? (Answer at the bottom.)
They were too far for me to capture a detailed image, but immediately above is a cropped version of a different image from the same sighting that shows the bears in more detail.
The bears in the “quiz” images atop this post are circled below.
Footage from South Africa shows an elephant’s comical reaction after finding itself face to face with a much smaller rhinoceros.
Clearly, elephants do not appreciate surprise encounters involving other large animals. But do they have to be so dramatic?
The accompanying footage, shared Wednesday by South Africa’s MalaMala Game Reserve, shows an elephant reacting loudly and frightfully after coming face to face with a rhinoceros.
“An elephant being a bit of a drama queen,” MalaMala joked via X.
Social media footage showing a motorist nudging a lion with his front bumper in Kruger National Park prompted a quick investigation.
A motorist who bumped a lion with his vehicle over the weekend, seemingly to clear the animal from a road in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, has apparently been disciplined.
A day earlier, after viewing the accompanying footage, SanParks promised the incident would be “dealt with at the highest level.”
The agency, however, has not provided details about the individual or possible disciplinary measures.
The footage, shared by Lion Lovers, shows the seemingly impatient motorist rolling into the startled lion from behind.
What a selfish inconsiderate idiot!!@SANParksKNP have you seen this, this person should not be allowed in any national park, no respect shown, its a disgrace people behave like this, number plate is visible
Happened on the H1-4 between Satara and Olifants
Lion Lovers tagged SanParks in its post – the vehicle’s license plate is visible in the footage – and several in the comments thread demanded that the motorist be banned from the park.
“Disgusting behavior,” one follower complained.
“Hard to watch,” another stated.
The incident occurred during a traffic jam caused by lions lounging on a highway. Lion jams typically attract tourists eager to view and photograph the animals, but most do so respectfully.
Kruger National Park is billed as the “flagship of the South African National Parks” and tourists are allowed on its roads as long as they remain in their vehicles.
Animals always have the right of way and motorists are required to exercise extreme caution. Any action that alters an animal’s behavior – such as bumping it with a vehicle – can be considered illegal harassment.
One of the West’s most prolific archeological sites is surprisingly accessible. Pictograph Cave State Park is right outside of Billings, Montana. It’s famous for pictographs inside caves and for a phenomenal dig in the 1930s that revealed more than 30,000 artifacts.
“That really put it on the map of archeology in the West,” said Richard Tooke, the park’s ranger/manager/chief cook and bottle washer.
The 23-acre park includes three caves and is located about seven miles south of Billings. At roughly 50,000 visitors per year, it’s one of the busiest parks in south-central Montana. But when I visited on a Monday morning in early June, there were only a few other folks around. Here’s what I saw there and what you can look forward to when you visit.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Pictographs
So, what do the pictographs depict? It’s hard to say for a couple of reasons.
“At least 12 different Northern Plains Indigenous tribes were in and out of here,” said Tooke. Modern Indigenous people might not know what all the pictographs represent. And if they do, they might not want to share that intel with outsiders. Plus, the porous sandstone is not a permanent artistic medium. When people started studying the pictographs in the 1930s, artists recorded about 105 of them. Now it’s hard to see half that many, as rock layers slough off and minerals build up.
Tooke estimates that Montana has 650 to 700 known pictograph sites. Most are on private ranch lands or on remote public lands. “This is one of the few places where people can just get off the interstate and in ten minutes hike up to the cave and see rock art and kind of contemplate this history of these native people being there for thousands of years doing everything people do in life,” Tooke said. The rock art chronicles the lives of long-ago people. “Some of it’s about their spirituality, some of it is simply you know, a grocery list. A grouping of animals, perhaps. This is what you can find here when you hunt and gather.”
Photo by Teresa Bergen
In winter, warm air occasionally hits the super chilled rock just right, and additional pictographs become visible. On those days, “You can see 20 or 30 more pictographs than you can see on a drier surface,” Tooke said. The local Crow people call this place Alahpaláaxawaalaatuua, which means a place where there is spirit writing. Tooke said that many visitors still consider the park a place with “a heavy presence of spirits and energy.”
Photo by Teresa Bergen
I visited on a dry day where it was hard to identify all but the most obvious pictographs, such as a grouping of red rifles. I relied heavily on signage to help me find the pictographs on the cave wall.
Saved from confusion by the interpretive sign! / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Wildlife at Pictograph Cave State Park
Pictograph Cave State Park is also popular with migratory birds and other wildlife. The visitor center posts a list of about three dozen birds that have recently flown by, including the pinyon jay, northern flicker, Merriam turkey, and the hairy woodpecker.
Tooke told me about a mule deer who for several years running left her fawn on the floor of one of the caves while she went off to forage. “She was pretty smart about leaving her baby where the people would probably dissuade any big cat from coming through,” he said.
The park also has porcupines, coyotes, mule deer, bobcats, mountain lions, and five different types of snakes. Indeed, I was impressed by the most aggressive depiction of a rattlesnake I’ve ever seen on a park warning sign.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Pictograph Cave State Park recreation and education
Visitors also come for recreation. Hikers enjoy a circular trail system, while cyclists like the park roads. Even bikers enjoy the region.
“There’s a lot of motorcycle rallies in the area, and those guys are always in and out,” Tooke said.
In addition to offering recreation opportunities, education is a big part of the park’s job. In the fall, many school groups visit. Montana’s Indian Education for All program requires school curricula to cover Indigenous people. A trip to see the pictographs is a fun way to learn. Astronomy clubs also like to bring their telescopes for night sky viewing events.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Tooke is happy to lead the park’s conservation mission. He explains that he enjoys “taking care of these kind of roadside attractions that have historic cultural meaning and are part of our heritage as Montanans.” Tooke adds that Montanans “take pride in our state park systems and the place we live in.”
Pictograph Cave State Park is open year-round: seven days a week in summer, and five days a week the rest of the year.
I sit on a rock in an artificial lagoon, watching workers feed rays. “One for Pinky!” a worker calls as she throws a fish to a large pink whipray. Another woman notes the treat on a clipboard. There’s only one pink whipray in the lagoon, but I’m really impressed when the keepers can tell the five spotted eagle rays apart. These tropical rays can reach 10 feet wide and 16 feet long. Despite looking pretty flat, they tip the scales at more than 500 pounds. Here, the biggest eagle ray weighs in at a svelte 290.
In a land of theme parks, Orlando, Florida’s Discovery Cove is a relaxing respite from lining up for rides. Owned by SeaWorld, it’s a manicured nature experience — the fake coral is brightly painted like an amusement park ride backdrop, and the rays have their barbs clipped so they can’t sting you. It’s part aquarium, part water park, and a lot of fun if you can stomach animals in captivity. While I’m always conflicted about animal attractions, I really enjoyed my day at Discovery Cove.
An eagle ray at Discovery Cove. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
About Discovery Cove
Discovery Cove opened in 2000 and bills itself as “an all-inclusive day resort.” You arrive in the morning between 7 and 9, show your ID, get your lanyard, then enter the lush grounds.
Breakfast and lunch at a big cafeteria are included in your admission, as are shorty wetsuits, towels, lockers, and animal-safe sunscreen. Guests can add extra amenities such as a private beach cabana or animal experiences like snorkeling with sharks or feeding flamingos.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Freshwater swimming at Discovery Cove
The park is divided into three main water areas: freshwater, the Grand Reef, and a dolphin lagoon. After eating breakfast — they made a special vegan tofu scramble for me, which was very nice — I decided to start with the warm freshwater area, with a water temperature in the low 80s. You can lounge in a couple of lagoons or grab a pool noodle and float along the lazy river.
I wound up drifting the lazy river three times over the course of the day. The best part is after passing through a pounding curtain of water, you float right into a fabulous aviary with gorgeous tropical birds flying overhead. You can float on through or get out of the water and feed birds from cups of chopped fruit. The lazy river alternates between being shallow enough to stand and depths of about 8 feet.
A green aracari in the aviary. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Exploring the Grand Reef
My favorite part of the park was swimming with rays and tropical fish in the Grand Reef. It was a little crowded, with snorkelers bumping into each other at times, but exciting to be so close to so many rays. There were shallow parts where people could stand and deeper parts for floating or swimming.
The shovelnose ray, which mostly spends its time on the sandy bottom, was especially large and odd-looking. People who are anxious about real-life snorkeling in the ocean will appreciate the safety of having the park’s sharks separated from the main lagoon.
Shovelnose rays swimming underfoot. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Swim with dolphins
Swimming with bottlenose dolphins is perhaps Discovery Cove’s most popular animal interaction — and the most controversial. The Humane Society and other animal welfare organizations have come out strongly against swim with dolphin attractions. It was not something I’d ever planned to do. But as a visiting travel writer, I found myself with a booked appointment time. The dolphin swim was going to happen with or without me, so I decided to see for myself what it was all about.
At the appointed time, participants were divided into groups of about 10 or 12, paired with a trainer, an assistant, and a dolphin. Coral, 23 years old and born into captivity, was our dolphin. We humans waded into the chilly lagoons, wearing our wetsuits. When the trainer signaled, Coral swam up to us. We got a little education, a lot of photo ops where we took turns posing with Coral, and a few dolphin tricks. It was cool to get up close and pet her rubbery tail, but I was embarrassed to see a creature smarter than I am reduced to making fart sounds for laughing tourists.
People prepare to meet dolphins at Discovery Cove. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Throughout my day at Discovery Cove, I asked various employees what they thought about swim with dolphin experiences. The strongest justification is the same one that’s always used for zoos: people don’t care about things we don’t see and experience. The idea is that if we see animals in captivity, we’ll care about preserving them in the wild. This could lead to votes and dollars benefiting conservation efforts.
One employee said that she believes this is the most humane swim with dolphin concession, and she wouldn’t do it anywhere else. The keepers assured me that the dolphins can choose whether or not to participate on any given day, and they get the same amount of food either way.
I asked what the dolphins get out of towing visitors across the lagoon while we hold onto their dorsal fins and flippers. “It’s enrichment,” the trainer said, adding that she wished she knew more about how much Coral was really enjoying herself. The trainer emphasized that the dolphins have different personalities and different relationships with the trainers. While Coral is keen on interacting with humans, some dolphins can only tolerate us for about five minutes. The trainer told me she hadn’t worked with Coral for a while, so the dolphin probably wanted to hang out with her.
Except for the very oldest dolphins, who were captured before the laws changed, all the Discovery Cove dolphins were born in captivity. Maybe it’s sort of like a different culture. If you’re born in captivity and spend your life in an artificial lagoon, you take whatever fun is on offer —whether that’s interactions with humans or the rich, complex relationships that these creatures have with each other.
If you visit Discovery Cove
If you decide to visit Discovery Cove, sign up ahead, as some of the animal experiences sell out. Wait until you get there to apply sunscreen; the park has animal-safe lotions on tap. If you want a nice base of operations for your group, splurge on a private cabana.
Despite my unease about dolphin swims, this activity gets very high TripAdvisor reviews, with people finding it very special and magical. I was glad to see that all the trainers care about the animals, knowing them by name and treating them as individuals — whether dolphins, flamingos, or eagle rays.
One of Discovery Cove’s private cabanas. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Disclaimer: While this article was not sponsored, Outdoors Wire did visit Kissimmee during a press trip withExperience Kissimmee and its partners. As always, Outdoors Wire operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
If you want to see all the natural wonders, adorable animals, and stunning sights at Yellowstone National Park, you’ll probably need to plan for more than a single day’s visit. So, where can you rest your head at night after a day of exploring the region? When it comes to places to stay near the park, visitors will find traditional campgrounds, backcountry camping, cozy lodges, and even cabins to choose from. Today, let’s explore some of these Yellowstone National Park lodging options.
Find the right stay for you with this photo guide to nine of Yellowstone’s lodges, hotels, and cabins. Once you’ve booked your stay, gear up with these park maps and this guide to Yellowstone’s best hikes.
Our fun outing to Mount Rainier National Park was derailed by a long line of cars waiting to gain entrance. Immediately, my husband and I were cranky. How do you escape into nature when surrounded by a gazillion fellow humans?
This has been a common frustration in recent years, and it intensified as the pandemic further popularized the great outdoors. Between 2001 and 2021, annual visitation to Arches National Park in Utah grew over 73%, from a little over a million to more than 1.8 million. Because of this overcrowding trend, some of the most popular national parks have adopted a timed entry system. While this puts the kibosh on spontaneity, the National Park Service hopes this reservation requirement will both protect natural resources and make for a less crowded visitor experience.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Which parks have timed entry in 2024?
So far, about 10 parks have announced timed entry plans for 2024. Mount Rainier is implementing a reservation system for the first time ever. Arches, which started its pilot reservation program last year, will continue theirs.
Other parks requiring reservations for peak times of year include Glacier National Park in Montana; Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado; Yosemite in California; Zion in Utah; Shenandoah in Virginia; Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee; Acadia in Maine, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico; and Hawaiʻi’s Haleakala, which will require sunrise vehicle permits year-round for visitors entering the park from 3 to 7 a.m. Muir Woods National Monument now requires visitors to get a parking permit in advance. Turn up without one, and you won’t be invited in to see the trees.
Photo by NPS/Neal Lewis
What does timed entry mean for your park visit?
Planning. And more planning. If you’re visiting a national park this summer, go to the park website and check the current rules. They can be quite complex — and each park is different, depending on which parts are the most touristed. For example, Mount Rainier requires timed entry reservations for the Paradise Corridor between May 24 and September 2. But if you want to enter through the Sunrise Corridor, you only need a reservation between July 4 and September 2. Each park seems to have similar complicated rules involving dates, times, and locales. Suddenly, extra research is required when visiting a park.
Fortunately, Rainier is open 24/7, and if you enter before 7 a.m. or after 3 p.m., you don’t need a reservation. That’s ultimately what we did on our last Rainier trip. We waited for the line to decrease, then entered the park for the last few hours of daylight.
Catching the last couple of hours before dark — without a reservation. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
And if you can go during a less-visited season, even better. During a February trip to the Grand Canyon, I whizzed right through the entrance from the gateway town of Tusayan, Arizona. But during spring break and summer, you might have to wait two hours! The moral of the story: go early, go late, go off-season, or plan ahead and score that reservation if you want to visit one of America’s most popular national parks.
Some runs are for fun. Others are to prove you can do it. The Atacama Crossing falls into the latter category. If you want to run 250 kilometers (about 155 miles) through the driest place on Earth, this race is for you. There’s also spectacular scenery of Chilean sand dunes, salt lakes, and volcanoes — a landscape that’s been compared to Mars. But no guarantee you’ll fully enjoy this grueling experience.
What makes this race so hard? Obviously, the distance. But also an altitude averaging 8,000 feet throughout the race. And did we mention how dry it is?
The race starts at an elevation of 10,500 feet in Chile’s beautiful Rainbow Valley, named for its colorful rocks. The route has ups and downs as it drops to lower elevations, sometimes following narrow valleys that ancient Inca traders used. Runners will traverse a slot canyon and spend a night camping beside a flamingo-filled lake. The race ends in the touristy town of San Pedro de Atacama.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
Atacama Crossing is one of the annual 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series. The other three races are the Gobi March in Mongolia, the Namib Race in Namibia, and The Last Desert in Antarctica. Runners can enter just one or sign up for all four. Talk about bragging rights!
Runner Ash Mokhtari has run the Atacama Crossing eight times! In an interview for the Marathon Handbook, he talked about how he prepares for the race. He starts training six months ahead of time. Since he lives in Canada — not an ideal prepping ground for a hot, dry race — he spends 30 minutes in the sauna after training runs.
San Pedro’s main tourist street. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
“Ideally if you don’t live in a hot place, you want to spend two weeks in the desert to allow your body to acclimatize to the heat,” Mokhtari said. “The Atacama is a high altitude desert so the body needs three weeks to acclimatize to the altitude as well.” He acknowledged that this isn’t possible for most people unless they’re retired or pro ultra runners. He recommends cross-training and practicing running with a backpack.
Photo by Teresa Bergen
The Atacama Desert’s uneven, shoe-chewing terrain “will bring even the most seasoned ultra runner to an eventual walking pace,” Mokhtari said. “At places the salt flats alternate between hard-packed salt sheets, razor sharp crystals growing out of the ground or frozen-cauliflower heads that might crumble into a hole with your foot in it.”
The next Atacama Crossing goes from March 30 to April 5, 2025. Competitors need to arrive by March 28 — or sooner if they can, to acclimatize. Plan to stay afterward to relax and enjoy the Atacama Desert at a more leisurely pace. For a real treat, you can book a luxury stay at Explora Atacama, which offers multiple saunas, pools, and Jacuzzis to ease your sore legs.
Stay and relax after the race. / Photo by Teresa Bergen
Disclaimer: While this article was not sponsored, Explora Atacama hosted the writer during her visit to Chile. As always, Outdoors Wire operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Boulder, Colorado, is known for its outdoors scene. It boasts 300 days of sunshine per year and collects accolades such as the Happiest City in America, according to National Geographic.
The annual Boulderthon race series has appeared on lists of the most beautiful courses in the world. Since its launch in 2021, the race has doubled in size every year. Want to join in? Start planning now for the September 29, 2024 race. You can choose from a full or half marathon, 10K, 5K, or a kids’ run.
Outdoors Wire talked to race founder Phil Dumontet about why Boulderthon — and this part of Colorado — are special. Here’s what he had to say.
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Photo courtesy of Boulderthon
Outdoors Wire: Why did you found Boulderthon?
Dumontet: My favorite days of the year have always been marathon days – whether I am running, volunteering, or cheering. I’ve been fortunate enough to run 17 marathons and all 6 Abbott World Marathon Majors, and experience races big and small. I have been an avid runner since 11 years old, and have been fortunate to be able to invest in my training and personal development to bring my marathon time down from about 4 hours to 2:42 over the course of 10+ years.
I see marathons as one of the greatest theaters of human inspiration – tens of thousands of runners all having their unique reasons to run, causes to celebrate, challenges to overcome that create positive ripple effects into other areas of life.
When I moved to Boulder in 2017, I was surprised that there was no signature marathon for the city. One of the first things I do, and one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a new city, is to engage with the city’s marathon. I moved here and thought, “Where is the marathon? Why doesn’t this exist?”
Outdoors Wire: Tell us about the process of starting a marathon in a city that didn’t have one.
Dumontet: I quickly found out why — there were unsuccessful attempts. There is no question that persistence, community engagement, and a long-term vision were the most important factors for me successfully creating and launching Boulderthon. I started working on the concept for Boulderthon as early as 2017. I acquired the Boulder Backroads race as a way to bring Boulderthon to life — this allowed me to upgrade an existing race,and not add a new impact to the community’s event calendar. After revamping the course and receiving approval for the first-ever downtown finish, plus successfully navigating through two postponements during Covid, Boulderthon, serving as the city’s signature Boulder Marathon, launched in 2021.
Boulderthon was born out of this passion for running and my mission to grow and strengthen the running community. However, passion and mission could only get me so far. Ultimately, I had to switch gears to community engagement, outreach, lobbying, and partnership if I were to bring this race to life and garner the critical support to test my thesis that there was sufficient demand for a signature city marathon in Downtown Boulder. Most importantly, I was able to launch Boulderthon as this signature city marathon — the Boulder Marathon — because the community and key stakeholders were supportive of my goal to bring a world-class marathon to one of the country’s great running meccas. I could not have done it without this critical support, and I am extremely grateful for it.
Photo courtesy of Boulderthon
Outdoors Wire: How has community response been?
Dumontet: The first year was very well-received and our team was praised for our organization, execution, and broader engagement to make it a true community event that brought people together around the power of running and movement. Setting the bar and standards high from the first edition was important, as we had the first edition to prove ourselves. I committed to myself that I would invest the necessary time, personal capital, and resources to create an absolutely exceptional, world-class runner experience. “Whatever it takes,” I thought. Long-term, it will be worth it. This bet paid off — we have had a tremendous outpouring of support both locally and nationally and have doubled every year since our first edition, growing from 1,600 in our first year, to 3,300 in year two, to 6,700 in year three.
Outdoors Wire: What makes Boulderthon special?
Dumontet: The magic behind Boulderthon truly lies in the community. We have asked this question to thousands of people in surveys and the common theme throughout is clear: It’s the beauty of the people and place that creates such a magical, high-energy and spectacular backdrop for the race. We have an absolutely stunning course nestled at the foothills of the Rockies, and the community of Boulder shows up to support our event in full force. When we started in 2021, there was arguably nowhere else with such a strong health and wellness community that did not have a signature marathon experience to rally around, so it felt like we unlocked and unleashed something really special — it was only a matter of time for someone to do it. The community was ready. Ultimately, Boulderthon is a celebration of this wonderful community, and all that it has to offer. It is a reflection of the stunning, vibrant, and diverse community that is Boulder.
When we look at what makes Boulderthon unique, it all comes down to the runner experience. Every decision we make is oriented around how we build the best running experience, a boutique marathon with big-city amenities, nestled in the foothills of the Rockies.
Photo courtesy of Boulderthon
Outdoors Wire: How many people do you expect this year, and where will they be coming from?
Dumontet: We expect over 10,000 runners, and in the past the race has drawn runners from all 50 states and 18 countries.
Outdoors Wire: How has this race managed to grow so fast?
Dumontet: The success of any marathon starts with its location. It’s no surprise that London, New York, and Tokyo are some of the largest and most successful marathons in the world, but you look at races like Flying Pig, Mesa Marathon, and Grandma’s and the same holds true. Marathons are both experiences and destinations.
I always think about how important it is to remember that marathons are reflections of the cities in which they are held. For us, Boulder is a stunning running destination, a beautiful, diverse vibrant community that serves as a world-class destination. Bringing together community — both runners and non-runners alike — from businesses to volunteer groups and charities — brings our marathon to life and has helped us grow quickly. Knowing what makes our location unique, and doubling down on that in our marketing, has fueled our growth. When someone asks me what they should market, I respond with a question – why do runners run your race? What’s unique about it? Follow that answer to develop a marketing strategy.
I think of a great location as a key element of our “product,” and a prerequisite to success. I could be the best marketer in the world, but if what I’m marketing isn’t appealing and authentic to the race, then I won’t be successful. Thinking of our location/course as our product has been helpful.
The second critical component is our execution of the runner experience. I could be the best marketer, but if I fail to deliver an exceptional experience to our runners, we won’t be successful long-term. Ultimately, our ability to execute well determines our participant retention year after year (making retained participants a key driver of growth). Our goal is to create beautiful lifelong memories here — we are in the business of making memories. We need to nail the fundamentals, and then provide that Boulderthon magic that keeps runners coming back.
Thirdly, our ability to build and market our brand creatively and effectively drives new participants. This helps us differentiate our race and draw new participants from all 50 states and 18 countries. Some marketing works better than others. Trial and error is our friend, and I have learned what is most effective in our industry and continue to test and improve as quickly.
Photo courtesy of Boulderthon
Outdoors Wire: Tell us about the Boulder running community.
Dumontet: In short: it is alive, well, and growing. The Boulder runner community is one of the most active in the country, serving as a hub for leisure runners, trail runners, and Olympians in training. There is a run club and group for everyone; sometimes, it’s almost overwhelming to choose who and where to go. It’s easy to meet people and make friends via the running community, since there are so many events and community hubs like Fleet Feet with open weekly runs and meet-ups.
Outdoors Wire: What should out-of-towners do in Boulder after the race?
Dumontet: Boulder is an outdoor paradise, spanning well beyond the race. We’re a small slice of it and just a taste of how magnificent this area is.
There is no shortage of hikes, trails, and beautiful places to explore. Hike Sanitas or Green Mountain, then enjoy our amazing restaurants (Bobby Stuckey sets the standard). Visit Chautauqua Park and see the Flatirons glow in the sunshine while you breathe in crisp mountain air. Grab a drink at the top of Avanti or Corrida and soak in the gorgeous views. Walk Downtown on Pearl Street (where you crossed the finish line at Boulderthon) and visit our majority-locally owned shops. Soak it all in and enjoy the beauty of Boulder!
