Lewistown News-Argus

Guest Column

6/28/08

The season draws near for 4th of July
fun on the Lewis & Clark National Forest

Submitted by DAVE CUNNINGHAM
Lewis and Clark National Forest

With the welcome arrival of summer weather, and the 4th of July this year occurring on a Friday, many of us are looking forward to the coming three-day weekend and the chance to get out and enjoy our National Forests. While this year’s cool and wet spring hampered the opening of some camping areas, virtually all of the campgrounds on the Lewis & Clark National Forest will be open in time for the 4th of July weekend.

Across the Forest, most campgrounds are now open with only a few exceptions. Wood Lake and West Fork campgrounds on the Rocky Mountain Ranger District and Thayne Creek campground located in the Highwood Mountains remain closed. These three campgrounds are expected to remain closed through the 2008 season. The Kings Hill campground is in the process of being opened and is slated to open by July 1. Additionally, while open for use, a few campgrounds may lack potable water while the Forest waits for the results of water tests, or makes repairs to water systems. Campgrounds that may not offer potable water in time for the holiday weekend include Many Pines, Kings Hill, and Spring Creek. Additionally, a few sites in the Logging Creek campground were impacted by minor flood damage experienced there in mid-June. Campers concerned about the availability of water can call their local Forest Service office for additional information prior to their camping trip.

This year’s ample precipitation currently has the fire danger relatively low. However, people should remain vigilant, and be sure to completely extinguish their campfires. A few days or weeks of hot weather and wind can dry things out and raise the fire danger quickly.

The possession or use of fireworks on National Forest lands is always strictly against the law.

“We want people to come out and enjoy the Forest” said Belt Creek District Ranger Tina Lanier, “but please obey the law and don’t bring fireworks onto the National Forest. The bottom line is that National Forests and fireworks don’t mix.”

The new Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) identifying designated routes and identifying relevant seasonal closures or restrictions on the type of vehicle are available at no cost at Forest Service offices and online at the Forest’s Web site, www.fs.fed.us/r1/lewisclark/. Motorized recreationists should pick up copies and use them in the field to help ensure that they use routes open for their type of vehicle. Since many seasonally closed trails and roads open on July 1, this year’s three-day holiday weekend will likely give many trail riders an opportunity to get out and enjoy trails that have just opened for the season. While traveling on the Forest, drivers should proceed with appropriate caution since they may still encounter muddy, eroded, or damaged road and trail sections and stream fords running with unseasonably high and swift water.

By following relevant laws and exercising a little good judgment, we can all enjoy a safe and accident-free holiday weekend on the Forest with a minimal impact on the land and other members of the public.