Federal agencies seek comments on wilderness climbing policies

Federal land agencies are accepting public comments through Friday, August 14, 2026, on draft guidance that could shape how climbing, fixed anchors and historic routes are managed in wilderness areas nationwide.

The Interior Department announced the review on June 10. It covers the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The proposals are not final rules, and each agency has its own comment docket and management framework.

What the drafts would recognize

The proposals generally treat recreational climbing as an appropriate wilderness use when it follows the Wilderness Act, other applicable laws and agency conditions. The statutory framework includes the use, placement and maintenance of fixed anchors such as bolts and pitons.

The guidance is being developed under Section 122 of the 2025 EXPLORE Act, also known as the Protecting America’s Rock Climbing provisions. The law directs federal agencies to issue guidance for recreational climbing on covered federal lands.

The Fish and Wildlife Service draft contains specific language for routes established before January 4, 2025. It says those existing routes, including fixed anchors along them, must be allowed to be used and maintained. The draft also says occasional placement and maintenance of fixed anchors for belay, rappel or protection purposes would not automatically be treated as prohibited installations or require a Minimum Requirements Analysis.

That language remains subject to applicable laws, wildlife protections, land-management decisions and other agency conditions. It does not guarantee unrestricted access to every route or eliminate site-specific restrictions.

Why the rules could differ by agency

The National Park Service draft applies to wilderness in the National Park System and implements Section 122 of the EXPLORE Act. It is separate from the broader NPS review of Director’s Order 41, which addresses wilderness stewardship policy across the park system.

The Bureau of Land Management draft proposes revisions to Manual 6340, Management of Designated Wilderness Areas. It recognizes recreational climbing, including the use, placement and maintenance of fixed anchors, as an appropriate wilderness use when conducted consistently with the Wilderness Act and other applicable laws. The BLM is separately seeking comments on Manual 6330, Management of Wilderness Study Areas, and other policies involving lands with wilderness characteristics.

The Fish and Wildlife Service proposal covers wilderness in the National Wildlife Refuge System and, where applicable, the National Fish Hatchery System. Its draft framework addresses how climbing activities and equipment would be evaluated, authorized and managed while preserving wildlife, habitat and public-safety protections.

The American Alpine Club and Access Fund have urged climbers to participate, while also identifying technical questions about anchor definitions, route maintenance and authorization procedures. Those are advocacy-group views, not final agency findings.

How to submit a comment

Comments must be directed to the correct agency docket through Regulations.gov or another method listed in the applicable Federal Register notice. The NPS climbing-guidance docket is NPS-2026-0101, while the separate Director’s Order 41 review is NPS-2026-0100. The Fish and Wildlife Service climbing docket is FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1618. BLM lists separate dockets for its climbing guidance and wilderness-study-area reviews, so commenters should confirm the exact BLM docket before submitting.

The NPS notice says comments on the climbing guidance must be received or postmarked by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on August 14, 2026, and will be posted publicly without change. The Fish and Wildlife Service says comments sent after the deadline or through unauthorized methods, including email, fax or hand delivery, may not be considered. Commenters should follow the instructions in the notice for the specific docket and avoid including personal information they do not want posted.

What happens next

After the comment periods close, the agencies will review the record and may revise or finalize the guidance. Future park, refuge and BLM field-office decisions will still matter because local conditions, permits, environmental requirements and wildlife protections can continue to apply.

For climbers, the most useful comments will address specific routes, safety concerns, stewardship practices, anchor-maintenance needs and practical access questions. The immediate deadline for the NPS, BLM and Fish and Wildlife Service proposals is August 14, 2026.

Sources

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