Rainbow Gathering Steams Some

Travelers congregating at the Rainbow gathering near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, over the Fourth of July garnered tickets galore from the Forest Service for group camping without a Forest Service permit, which some say was created specifically for the annual Rainbow gathering. Groups of campers exceeding 74 people require a permit to gather in national forests; the Rainbow folks say a permit can't be signed because they have no leaders or governing boards intended to take such authority. One Rainbow family website provides this disclaimer:

"It is longstanding Rainbow Family consensus that nobody has ever, or ever will represent the Rainbow Family."

The group, some 15,000 strong, barely created a ripple in the community, though some Steamboat Springs locals felt life as they knew it was threatened by the influx of hippies and world travelers. The annual happening, which moves to different US national forests each Fourth of July and at which all are welcome, went off with barley a hitch in its gitlalong, though about 100 law enforcement officials also amassed in North Routt County to monitor the several-day camping fiesta.

If the gathering happens next Independence Day in your neck of the woods, you may want to drop by and learn how to assist in eco-friendly camp construction or help the Rainbow clean-up crews restore the forest after the throngs depart. And if you go out in the woods today in groups of 75 or more, do consider getting a permit if possible -- save the taxpayers some wasted taxpayer-funded law enforcement bucks.

• Federal campgrounds -- reserve online
• Collection of links regarding Forest Service / Rainbow conflicts

Related: Camping Food | Road Trip Planning | Steamboat Pilot: "Rainbow Technicians Cover Water and Fire Logistics"

Photos: J Montague