Campers, hikers, rafters and other outdoor enthusiasts across the U.S. have had to scrap or change their plans as wildfires ravage drought-sapped forests and parks.
Untold numbers of camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, rafting and biking adventures have been scrapped as U.S. wildfires have scorched nearly 7,900 square miles this year in forests, chaparral and grasslands. The vast majority are on public lands in the West that also serve as summer playgrounds.
In June, fires closed several national forests in Arizona, derailing plans Kristin Clark made with family to camp by Lynx Lake in Prescott National Forest for her mother’s 70th birthday. The trail was closed 10 days, preventing up to 1,850 people from hiking, said Debra Schweizer, a forest spokeswoman.
“They pointed out that once you push off, you’re committed for the entire six days,” Ellis said. “You have no cell service. It’s Idaho backcountry. With that level of wildfire and smoke, the chances of evacuation would be difficult.”Wildfire smoke has increasingly become a fixture on the Western landscape, ranging from a strong campfire odor in its most mild form to a serious health hazard that causes coughing fits and headaches.
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