YOUR AD HERE »

Rainbow family to disperse from Routt National Forest by weekend

Rainbow Family members march in North Routt County in 2006 during their annual gathering. The 2022 gathering will return to Routt County near Adams Park west of Steamboat Lake.
Matt Stensland/Steamboat Pilot & Today

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — The U.S. Forest Service believes members of the Rainbow Family of Living Light who are camping in the Routt National Forest plan to disperse by this weekend.

Forest Service spokesman Aaron Voos said about 50 people remained at the Buffalo Ridge Trailhead, which is near the Wyoming border just northeast of the Zirkel Wilderness.

Transients passing through Steamboat Springs recently have told law enforcement they were headed to the regional gathering. Oftentimes, the regional gatherings are used to scout out locations for future national gatherings.



This year, the national gathering was held at the Malheur National Forest in Oregon, and it drew an estimated 12,000 people.

The annual gathering attracts thousands of people who share common beliefs of non-violence.



In 2006, Routt County became very familiar with the Rainbow Family when they chose the Routt National Forest in the northern part of the county for a national gathering of an estimated 15,000 people.

Many who attended were ticketed for illegal gathering because the Rainbow gathering didn’t have a special-use permit to occupy the public land. More serious citations were issued for drug possession and assault.

To reach Matt Stensland, call 970-871-4247, email mstensland@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @SBTStensland.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.