Join us for a Cheatgrass Mapping Day at the Almont Triangle! Help protect one of the Gunnison Valley’s most cherished recreation corridors and vital wildlife habitats from the spread of invasive cheatgrass. Lunch will be provided by HCCA, and all participants will receive a custom "Sage Grouse Country" hat upon completion. Please bring a smartphone for mapping, sturdy shoes, sun protection, snacks, and water.

Join for the Annual Gunnison City Cheatgrass Pull Day! BEAT THE CHEAT across the Gunnison City limits on Saturday, May 31st by removing the invasive plant before it seeds. Every hand makes a difference; come out, pull out some cheatgrass, and be part of the solution!

Join HCCA for a Happy Hour at the Eldo Brewery on Thursday, May 22 at 5 PM, featuring a discussion with Advocacy Director Jon Hare, and HCCA’s staff and board, about recent threats to federal public lands and how HCCA is responding. Enjoy appetizers and meaningful conversation in support of protecting the public lands we all love.

Join HCCA at Backcountry Hunters and Anglers 3rd Annual annual Colorado Public Lands Day celebration—Beers, Bands and Barb-Wire Strands! Along with live music, cold drinks, great food, and more, there will be two great volunteer stewardship opportunities on the morning of Saturday, May 17.

As the situation of public land management continues to decline, High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA) is dedicated to preserving and protecting these vital areas. Public lands are essential to our local economy, way of life, and ecosystems. Gather to support conservation, public lands and the people who steward them—on skis! Join HCCA on April 12th at 11 AM at the Snodgrass Trailhead in Mt. Crested Butte. *All ability levels welcome.

HCCA, with permission from Director Conor Hagen and in partnership with Western Colorado University, is hosting a FREE screening of High Country at the University’s theater. Come enjoy the nostalgic, heartfelt tale about a group of idealistic young people who discover the remote town of Crested Butte, Colorado, and work to preserve its character and natural beauty amidst the pressures of growth and development.

Calling all winter enthusiasts! Whatever your snow activity of choice is - the 20th Annual Backcountry Film Festival is for you! Produced by Winter Wildlands Alliance the Backcountry Film Festival is a community program that celebrates backcountry-inspired stories rooted in wild snowscapes, stewardship, and stoke.

HCCA and the Crested Butte Museum invite you to attend our “Red Lady Reveal” party. A brand-new exhibit depicting the 47-year battle to Save Red Lady is now a prominent feature in the museum’s exhibit room. On January 10, from 5 – 7 pm, memorabilia, refreshments and friendly faces will be there to celebrate this new exhibit with you. This exhibit is a joint effort by HCCA and Museum staff. All are welcome to come visualize a half-century of important moments in the valley’s history.

Calling all winter enthusiasts! Whatever your snow activity of choice is - the 20th Annual Backcountry Film Festival is for you! Produced by Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Backcountry Film Festival is a community program that celebrates backcountry-inspired stories rooted in wild snowscapes, stewardship, and stoke.

It’s that time of year again - gather with our conservation community to celebrate the Gunnison Country’s public lands, waters, wildlife, and the work that goes into protecting them! Bring a dish to share and join HCCA at our Annual Meeting and Potluck on Sunday Nov. 17 at 4 PM. Jon Hare, HCCA’s Advocacy Director, will be featured as the Keynote Speaker.

Time to Celebrate!

Our hike founder, Don Baker, loved to hike Oh-Be-Joyful at the end of each season. We keep with tradition, and hike up this beautiful valley in the Raggeds Wilderness to a lovely lunch spot with spectacular views. A perfect end to our 32nd season of HCCA Hikes!

One of the jewels of the Elk Mountains, this wilderness trail toward popular West Maroon Pass boasts a profusion of wildflowers throughout the summer.

This creekside hike takes us gently toward Teocalli Mountain, whose shoulder provides a beautiful spot for lunch, with views into the Maroon Bells Wilderness.

A wonderful array of diverse landscapes greets us on this hike. From wetlands and beaver ponds to historic aspen trees and open views of the Raggeds Wilderness, this loop is a perfect hiking experience.

The importance of HCCA’s work to prevent a mine on Red Lady is exemplified by a hike in Carbon Creek, a once-proposed site for toxic mine waste storage. This beautiful valley would never be the same again—see it for yourself!

Panoramic views of Raggeds Wilderness peaks as the trail meanders through the trees and meadows toward Beckwith Pass in West Elk Wilderness.

Venture into the West Elk Wilderness, via Swampy Pass trail, through areas proposed for wilderness designation by the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative and GORP Act. Views of the extremely photogenic Castles are our reward, along with an overview of the 2023 Lowline Fire area.

Accessible due to the generosity of a local rancher, this hike goes through a beautiful valley, over a low pass with views of Teocalli Mountain, and down toward Brush Ck. and the road home.

This easy hike to the open expanse of Union Park passes by remnants of gold mining in Lottis Creek. Local efforts, HCCA’s included, have successfully kept the park from being inundated for trans-mountain diversions to the Front Range.

A lovely jaunt through an area replete with wetlands and into the aspen trees, with views of Crested Butte Mountain and beyond. All is protected for posterity in a conservation easement that HCCA helped create.

The Mountain Words Literary Festival presented by the Center for the Arts is back in Crested Butte this Memorial Day weekend. Check out the panel on Public Lands and Future Threats chaired by HCCA's very own Advocacy Director, Jon Hare.

Join HCCA and Advocacy Director Jon Hare, for fun and inspiring conversation about our shared public lands!

Volunteer with us! HCCA is partnering with Colorado Parks & Wildlife and the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District to protect and restore critical wet meadow habitat.

Our hike founder, Don Baker, loved to hike Oh-Be-Joyful at the end of each season. We keep with tradition, and hike up this beautiful valley in the Raggeds Wilderness to a lovely lunch spot with spectacular views. A perfect end to our 31st season of HCCA Hikes!

HCCA and the Master in Environmental Management (MEM) Program at Western Colorado present Ben Goldfarb at the Gunnison County Public Library on August 28.

In the renowned Maroon Bells Wilderness Area, Hasley Basin overlook, at 12,100 ft., presents high-elevation views that are second to none. The climb is well worth it. Group size is limited to 10 in this wilderness area.

Tickets are on sale now for the 46th Annual Red Lady Salvation Ball, at The Slogar on August 16 at 6 PM. Mile High Soul Club spins the best from the mid-1950s to the early-1970’s—all on 45s! The event features our famous raffle, the opening of a hybrid (in-person and online) 10-day auction, food, and libations. Get your tickets today, and we’ll see you at The 46th Annual Red Lady Salvation Ball!

This recent addition to our public lands trail system winds up the evergreen valley between Gibson Ridge and Whetstone Mountain. The longer the hike, the better the views.

Beginning in beautiful Spring Creek valley, this hike leads to expansive views of the southern reaches of Gunnison County and beyond. Unique flowers and remnants of a historic log cabin en route.