Heather Balogh Rochfort is a Colorado-based outdoor journalist and managing editor of Territory Supply, specializing in sustainability-focused gear reporting, eco-tourism, and urban outdoor culture. With bylines in The Washington Post, Outside, and REI Co-op Journal, she combines investigative rigor with narratives that center community impact.
Heather’s journey began in Colorado, where her early bylines in niche outdoor blogs evolved into contributions for premier outlets like The Washington Post, Outside, and REI Co-op Journal. Her pivot to full-time freelancing in 2015 marked a turning point, allowing her to focus on investigative gear reviews, eco-conscious travel narratives, and profiles of innovators reshaping outdoor culture. Today, she balances editorial leadership at Territory Supply with mentoring aspiring writers through her acclaimed course, Pitches That Sell.
This piece exemplifies Heather’s ability to transform regional travel into a lens for broader environmental advocacy. She details Colorado’s stargazing initiative, weaving local business spotlights with data on light pollution reduction. Her methodology includes interviews with astronomers, park rangers, and small-business owners, creating a mosaic of community-driven conservation. The article’s impact spurred a 27% increase in off-season tourism for featured towns, per follow-up data from Colorado’s tourism board.
Here, Heather merges wildlife journalism with cultural anthropology. She documents the annual sandhill crane migration while examining its economic impact on local farming communities. The article contrasts traditional agricultural practices with newer ecotourism models, citing interviews with conservationists and generational farmers. Its publication coincided with Nebraska’s legislative debate on wetland protection, amplifying advocacy efforts.
This urban exploration piece showcases Heather’s versatility in covering “concrete jungles” as outdoor spaces. She profiles RiNo’s street artists and brewery owners, analyzing how gentrification pressures intersect with creative resilience. The article’s embedded interactive map of mural locations drove a 40% increase in user engagement for Roadtrippers, per internal analytics.
Heather prioritizes brands implementing circular design or material innovation, as seen in her REI Co-op Journal piece on NEMO’s recyclable sleeping bags[3]. Pitches should include lifecycle analyses or partnerships with recycling nonprofits. Avoid generic product descriptions—she seeks stories about systemic change.
Her Nebraska crane migration article demonstrates interest in tourism that benefits local stakeholders. Successful pitches highlight partnerships between guides, conservationists, and cultural institutions. She typically avoids luxury resort features unless they directly fund environmental initiatives.
The RiNo neighborhood analysis reveals Heather’s focus on outdoor accessibility in cities. Pitches might explore topics like park equity initiatives or DIY climbing wall collectives. She’s less likely to cover traditional urban fitness trends like boutique gyms.
Colorado’s Experience the Night tour takes you on a stargazing road trip through isolated mountain towns
600,000 cranes descend upon rural Nebraska during the world’s largest crane migration, and it’s a spectacular sight
Denver’s RiNo neighborhood may have become an artist’s paradise—but it still hasn’t lost its edge
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Outdoors, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
