After the U.S. State Department increased social media vetting for international student visa applicants, some ski resorts worried about shortages of lift operators or food servers.

As the government shutdown continues, visitors to national parks are finding some remain accessible but with limited services. This could lead to some visitors changing their plans which may have a significant impact on local communities that depend on visitor spending.

The estimate includes tickets and food sales, hotel stays, workers’ wages, advertising and more, but not the revenue made by concessionaires and other businesses at the fairs.

The pace of booking for lodging in Western U.S. mountain destinations slowed for the sixth month in a row in May.

The Rocky Mountain region, which includes Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, accounted for about 43% of all U.S. ski visits.

Homeowners insurance is getting more expensive and harder to keep. Lawmakers in our region introduced more than a dozen policy proposals in response this year.

Frustration among outfitters and guides over federal permitting is not new. Recreation-focused staff and budgets at national forests, in particular, have gone down as demand has gone up. This has been resulting in lengthy delays in responses to applications.

Travis Hamblen prides himself on providing hats for all budgets. Tariffs are making that difficult.

Even though rural counties dwarf urban areas when it comes to square miles, places like Denver and Boulder suck up most of the venture capital money. The recent West Slope Startup Week event in Durango hopes to change that.

Nevada has the second-highest grocery prices in the nation, with Colorado and New Mexico also placing in the top 10. High prices mean local food banks are having to help fill in the gaps for many working families.