A man suspected of harassing female hikers and threatening others along the iconic Continental Divide Trail was arrested Thursday in Carbon County, the local sheriff says.
The iconic Continental Divide Trail (CDT) covers some 3,100 miles throughout the United States, including a long stretch that runs through Carbon County.
"For the past several years, Nicholas "Cottonmouth" Sampson has been a tormentor of this trail," wrote Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken in a Friday statement. "Dubbed 'The High-Country Harasser' by the Carbon County Sheriff's Office, Sampson has plagued the CDT for years, allegedly following female hikers, threatening and yelling at other hikers he comes across, and assaulting individuals at random."
Carbon County's not alone, according to the sheriff. People have reported incidents from the deserts of New Mexico to the mountains of northern Wyoming.
Sublette County authorities arrested Sampson in July 2024, and he spent the summer in jail, but returned to the trail once released, "and resumed his erratic and sometimes violent behavior," the statement says.
Dispatchers with the Carbon County Unified Dispatch Center received a call Thursday of a disturbance on the Bridger Pass Road in south-central Carbon County, which encompasses a portion of the trail.
Deputies arriving on scene found "Cottonmouth," who'd been reported having thrown a water bottle at a worker who was on the Bridger Pass Road, the sheriff wrote.
Sampson was arrested and charged with two counts of Breach of Peace and remained at the Carbon County jail as of Friday.
"We'd like to take this opportunity to encourage our residents and visitors to enjoy all of the scenic trails that Carbon County has to offer, especially now that 'Cottonmouth' is enjoying a complimentary stay at our 5-star county accommodations," Bakken wrote.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
