White Mountain National Forest

The agency files it as “Loon Mountain Resort Expansion”

Closes today

Anyone can write to the agency about this until October 23, and it has to answer. What you send before then joins the file a judge is allowed to look at later.

What to go and check

Walk the forest edge where the ski trails end and the woods begin at Loon Mountain. Photograph the trailheads and parking, worn footpaths, any fire rings or camp spots, and how many cars and hikers you count, with the date.

The decision

Loon Mountain Resort wants to expand its special use permit area within the White Mountain National Forest by adding new trails, lifts, and facilities as part of its 2024 Master Development Plan. The proposal would also amend the 2005 Forest Plan. Written comments are being accepted on this proposal.

Read the whole thing, and write to the agency about it

How to record it so it counts

01Photograph the trailhead or access point with the vehicles in it. Count them and note the time and day.
02Photograph the pull-off camp spots outside any campground, the fire rings, and the worn paths that show people come here.
03Sit for a fixed time and count people passing and what they are doing.
04Write down what you know about how this place gets used across a year.

What would count

A vehicle count with the day and time. Weekends and weekdays both, if you can.
Fire rings and sites the document says aren’t there.

All of it, with the phone settings, in the field guide

Are you going?

Say yes or no. It tells the next person whether anyone has this ground covered, and it is the only way we know a request was answered rather than just read. You can change your mind any time, and nobody follows up.

Join, then say you’re going

Nobody has answered yet

Before you go

Public land only. Plenty of land inside a national forest or park boundary is privately owned, and that is not yours to walk on. A gate or a closure sign means stop. Check the rules for the specific place you are going, because they differ.
Don’t touch survey stakes, flagging, equipment or anything a crew left. Photograph it; leave it.
Don’t approach crews, contractors or agency staff about the project. Don’t interfere with any operation.
Wildlife at a distance. No drones in wilderness or anywhere they’re prohibited. Stay off closed roads and trails.
If you’re not sure, don’t. Weather, terrain, water, fire and people are your call, and yours alone.

More Than Just Parks doesn’t direct where you go or what you do. Terms.