Nez Perce - Clearwater National Forests welcome Labor Day visitors

Release Date: Aug 29, 2016

Visitors will find plenty of places to camp, picnic and play on the Nez Perce–Clearwater National Forests over the Labor Day holiday. 

You’re invited to call your local Forest Service office for updates on road, trail and campground conditions.  All offices will close September 5 in observance of Labor Day.  Offices will resume normal business hours on September 6. 

The current Fire Danger level across the forest is Extreme.  Fire Danger levels are updated with changing weather conditions.  There are no fire restrictions at this time, but recreationists are reminded to use caution with any outdoor activity that may cause a spark.  Never leave campfires unattended.  Pour water and add dirt to your campfire until your campfire is cold.  Remember:  If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.

For current fire information and a list of closures please visit the Forest’s website, www.fs.usda.gov/nezperceclearwater, or log on to http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/.

To receive fire information updates by email or text, you can subscribe to GovDelivery at: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFSNIFC/subscriber/topics?qsp=USDAFSNIFC_6.

Current Road Status Reports are posted on our WWW at:  http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nezperceclearwater/alerts-notices.  Current Trail Condition Reports are posted on our WWW at:  http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nezperceclearwater/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd506117.

Highway 14 / South Fork Clearwater River Corridor:

All our campgrounds are open. They are $12 a night.  Spring Bar has water, no dumpsters or camp host; Fish Creek has water, has a camp host, no dumpsters; South Fork has water, has a camp host and dumpsters; Castle Creek has water, and dumpsters; Red River has water, no dumpsters or camp host.

The Magruder Corridor Road #468 is currently open from Red River Ranger District to Darby, Montana. 

Visitors to the Red River Ranger District are reminded that work on this spring’s slide continues – currently they are paving and installing new guard rails.  West Co. completed the slide excavation on August 18.  Traffic will be controlled by flaggers with none needed at night. 

Contact the Red River Ranger District office at (208) 842-2245 for updates and information.

Selway River Corridor:

Falls Point Road 443 remains closed to vehicles over 50 inches. Road construction on the Selway Road #223 may cause delays.  The dump station will close Monday, September 6 at 8 a.m.  Potable water is available at the dump station.

Campgrounds:  Johnson Bar, Rackliff, Boyd, Glover and Selway Falls campgrounds will all close on September 30.  Ohara Campground will close on September 26.  After Labor Day, water systems will be shutting down, campers should plan on reduced services.

Contact the Moose Creek Ranger District office at (208) 926-4258 for updates and information.

Highway 95/Salmon River Corridor:

Fish Creek Campground located 7 miles south of Grangeville has potable water and a camp host.  Spring Bar Campground located on the Main Salmon River has potable water and dumpsters. 

Bridge work continues on the Manning Crevice Bridge on the Main Salmon River Road #1614 – check for timed openings at:  https://flh.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/id/manning-crevice/.

Palouse Corridor:

The Elk Creek Campground, located one mile east of Elk River, includes sites that have electrical hookups. Laird Park Campground and Little Boulder Campground offer both campsites and group picnic areas (contact the Palouse Ranger District at (208) 875-1131 to reserve the group picnic sites). There are also campsites at Giant White Pine Campground north of Harvard. Giant White Pine Campground and Laird Park will close for the season on September 19; Little Boulder and Elk Creek campgrounds will stay open through October 31.  Due to winter shutdown, no water will be available as of September 30.  Bald Mountain Lookout will close October 9.

North Fork Clearwater River Corridor:

Fee campgrounds on the North Fork District will close at different intervals as fall approaches, contact the office at 208-476-4541 for information about your favorite site.  Water systems in all five developed campgrounds are slated to shut down on September 19.

The Beaver Creek Road 247 is partially open as there is a culvert replacement projects ongoing until mid-September. In the proximity of Mile Post 4, shorter detours along USFS Road 247 will be provided for the remaining culvert replacements.

Highway 12 Corridor:

On the Powell District, Whitehouse and Wendover campgrounds will close on September 6th.  The Powell Campground will close on November 1.  The Elk Summit Campground and White Sands Campground will remain open as long as weather permits.   On the Lochsa District, Apgar, Wild Goose and Glade Creek campgrounds will close on September 6.  At Wilderness Gateway Campground:  Loop A will close on September 10, Loop B will close on September 26, Loop C will close on October 1, and Loop D will close on November 1.  Water and garbage service will shut down at different intervals right after Labor Day.  Please be prepared to bring your own water and “pack it in, pack it out.”

Lochsa Corridor:

All primary roads on the Lochsa Ranger District are open or partially open. Some side roads may be littered with downed trees and debris, making travel difficult. Motorists should consider packing chainsaws. Contact the Lochsa Ranger Station at (208) 926-4274 for more information about your favorite summer recreation opportunities.

The Lochsa Historical Ranger Station, located 48 miles east of Kooskia along Highway 12, is open seven days a week, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., through Labor Day.

The Lolo Pass Visitor Center at the Idaho-Montana state line along Highway 12 will remain open 7 days a week, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Pacific Time for the month of September.  As of October 1, the Visitor Center will switch to their fall schedule, open Thursday through Monday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Pacific Time.