Wildfires are a top concern across the region. But certain parts also fall within "hail alley" — the part of the country that sees the most hailstorms. It's driving up insurance costs in unexpected places.

Among Mountain West states rates vary drastically

Starting on Jan. 1, international visitors to some of the most visited national parks will face price increases. Some businesses are concerned about a decline of visitors or spending, while others aren't anticipating large impacts.

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.