'Rainbow Family’ to gather near Steamboat

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Routt County is bracing for 20,000 to 60,000 members of the “Rainbow Family” to converge on a site on national forest land for the group’s weeklong annual gathering in July.

An advance party of about 150 people visited the area this weekend to look for a suitable site for the event, often described as a huge gathering of hippies. One of the advance party, who identified himself as Bodhi, said the group is looking at five potential locations.

“We need a fresh water source, one main meadow that is 100 acres or larger and about five to 10 square miles of hippie land,” he told the Steamboat Pilot and Today newspaper.

“And we will need another large meadow to accommodate thousands of vehicles,” he said.

Bodhi predicted 60,000 people would attend. Mike Zopf, director of the county health department, said the number would likely be closer to 20,000.

Routt County Sheriff John Warner said he has met with the advance group. He said he plans to assemble a law-enforcement team for the event that includes Steamboat Springs police and firefighters, the State Patrol, Routt National Forest rangers and others.