Estes Park, Colorado, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, has long relied on its outdoor recreation economy. In fact, just a few years ago, it was outpacing the rest of Colorado in tourism growth. But in 2025, federal policy changes, including mass firings at federal agencies like the National Park Service, are raising questions:Will communities like Estes Park be able to weather the storm?In this episode, we visit Estes Park to speak directly with business owners and guides whose livelihoods are intertwined with the health of public lands. Despite economic pressures and staffing cuts, visitation to Rocky Mountain National Park is up. But will that be enough to sustain local businesses? And what role do national policies really play in the day-to-day reality of a mountain town?Featured Guests:<li>Melissa Strong – Climber and Owner of Bird & Jim Restaurant & Bird’s Nest Cafe</li><li>Thomas Pemberton – Owner of Estes Park Tour Guides</li><li>Reed Woodford – Owner of KMAC GuidesInstagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>Website: <a href="https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>Buy Me a Coffee: <a href="https://buymeacoffee.com/outdoorminimalist" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/outdoorminimalist⁠⁠</a>Listener Survey: <a href="https://forms.gle/jd8UCN2LL3AQst976" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/jd8UCN2LL3AQst976⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>-----------------KMAC Guides: <a href="https://kmacguides.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://kmacguides.com/</a>Estes Park Tour Guides: <a href="https://estesparktourguides.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://estesparktourguides.com/</a>Bird & Jim: <a href="https://www.birdandjim.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.birdandjim.com/</a>Visit Estes Park: <a href="https://www.visitestespark.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.visitestespark.com/</a>Turner PR: <a href="https://www.turnerpr.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.turnerpr.com/</a>-----------------Sources Used in Episode:<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/layoffs-rocky-mountain-national-park-impact-estes-park-business-colorado/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/layoffs-rocky-mountain-national-park-impact-estes-park-business-colorado/</a> <a href="https://estesvalleyvoice.com/2025/08/17/state-of-estes-park-business-climate-mixed/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://estesvalleyvoice.com/2025/08/17/state-of-estes-park-business-climate-mixed/</a> <a href="https://www.visitestespark.com/transparency/dashboard-report-executive-summary/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.visitestespark.com/transparency/dashboard-report-executive-summary/</a> <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/03/05/rocky-mountain-national-park-colorado-layoffs-trump" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/03/05/rocky-mountain-national-park-colorado-layoffs-trump</a> <a href="https://www.visitestespark.com/articles/post/new-data-shows-tourism-continues-to-positively-impact-economy-in-estes-park/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.visitestespark.com/articles/post/new-data-shows-tourism-continues-to-positively-impact-economy-in-estes-park/</a> <a href="https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/estespark/Visit_Estes_Park_Annual_Report_2023_small_cfcacfba-3478-44b1-a422-d9938d7f17fa.pdf" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/estespark/Visit_Estes_Park_Annual_Report_2023_small_cfcacfba-3478-44b1-a422-d9938d7f17fa.pdf</a> <a href="https://www.rockymountainnationalpark.com/gallery/20250217/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.rockymountainnationalpark.com/gallery/20250217/</a> <a href="https://www.rockymountainnationalpark.com/gallery/20250217/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.rockymountainnationalpark.com/gallery/20250217/</a> <a href="https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Monthly%20Public%20Use?Park=ROMO" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Monthly%20Public%20Use?Park=ROMO</a> </li>

Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

197. Mountain Towns, like Estes Park, Face an Uncertain Economic Future

Outdoor Minimalist

AI Chapters

AI Insights

Reviews