An All-Women’s Crew from Buckley Space Force Base Finds Community on the Trail at Rocky Mountain National Park

Nine first-time and seasoned backpackers earned their trail names on a multi-day trip above treeline, marked by a rare boreal toad sighting and a middle-of-the-night visit from a small herd of elk.

In early August 2026, National Park Trust funded a backpacking trip for an all-women’s group connected to Buckley Space Force Base into the backcountry of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. The outing was organized by Jenna Levy, Buckley Space Force Base’s Outdoor Recreation Programmer, and brought together nine women for a multi-day trip most of them had never attempted before.

Before hitting the trail, the group met with Rocky Mountain National Park Ranger Nikki, who walked them through what to expect in bear and moose country and fielded a steady stream of questions about wildlife encounters. She also covered Leave No Trace principles and shared a bit of the park’s history, giving the group context for the landscape they were about to walk into.

“There were many questions about wildlife and interactions, and she answered them all and taught us about Leave No Trace and park history,” Levy said of the pre-trip meeting with Ranger Nikki. “She was awesome.”

With most of the group backpacking for the first time, the trip doubled as an introduction to life on the trail — and to each other. By the end of the trip, every member had earned a trail name: Detective Gadget, Mountain Goat, Daddy Long Legs, Icey, Bright Eyes, Rice Pudding, John Muir, Mom, and Dialed.

One afternoon, the group left the maintained trail behind, following a route Levy described as “semi-nonexistent” up to an unnamed lake tucked into the high country. Along the way, they spotted a boreal toad, a species listed as endangered in Colorado and rarely seen even by frequent visitors to the park.

Wildlife showed up again after dark, when three elk walked straight through camp in the middle of the night. Later in the trip, the group watched a moose wade into a lake to graze on grasses at the water’s edge, close enough to take in the animal’s size and unhurried pace.

“We had really lovely weather and a solid group,” Levy said, reflecting on the trip as a whole.

What Are National Park Trust’s Military Family Programs?

National Park Trust’s Military Family Programs connect service members, veterans, and their families to the parks, public lands, and waters they have helped protect. Outings like this all-women’s backpacking trip from Buckley Space Force Base give military families the chance to build community, try something new, and experience the physical and mental benefits of time outdoors together.

In 2025 alone, National Park Trust partnered with military installations and military-focused nonprofits to connect over 1,200 individuals from 350 families through 50 outdoor outings nationwide.

Learn more about our Military Family Programs.

How Can You Support National Park Trust’s Military Family Programs?

National Park Trust believes parks have the power to bring people together. Your support helps fund outdoor experiences like this one, giving military families the chance to build lasting memories and connect with the lands they’ve served to protect.

Learn about ways to support our mission.

About National Park Trust

National Park Trust is an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has protected national park land since 1983, acquiring missing pieces of our national parks and benefiting 58 national park sites nationwide. Our mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow.

Our youth education and family initiatives — Buddy Bison School Programs, College Ambassador Program, and Military Family Programs, along with National Kids to Parks Day — connect tens of thousands of people to the outdoors each year.

We believe public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed, and preserved by all, for current and future generations. Learn more at parktrust.org.