This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Campers hoping to head into Utah national forests may find higher-elevation campgrounds, roads and parking areas still closed due to snow and mud.
U.S. Forest Service officials are warning that rivers and streams are running fast and the water is cold. They are urging adults to keep kids and pets away from the edge of streams and rivers.
ATV, UTV and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts are urged to ride only on designated routes and to avoid riding on muddy trails until they dry out,.
Kathy Jo Pollock of the U.S. Forest Service compiled a statewide list of campgrounds and areas that will be open and closed for the holiday weekend. Here is the list with the latest conditions, edited for space, with contacts to check on the current conditions before departing for a visit:
Ashley National Forest
Conditions • Wet spring weather, with snow at higher elevations, has delayed access to many high-altitude destinations across the Ashley National Forest. Many lower-elevation campgrounds will be available. Very high snowpack levels on the Roosevelt-Duchesne Ranger District may affect campgrounds, as runoff may cause localized flooding.
Contact • 435-789-1181 or http://www.fs.usda.gov/ashley
Vernal Ranger District
Conditions • The Paradise and East Park Reservoir campgrounds remain closed on the South Slope of the Uinta Mountains above Vernal and LaPoint. Whiterocks campground is open.
Contact • 435-789-1181
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
Conditions • Campgrounds are scheduled for normal opening this year. Please check availability at http://www.recreation.gov. Carmel campground will be available from noon on Fridays to noon on Mondays to July 1. Deep Creek campground and Deep Creek road are closed due to a culvert washed out at the campground. Campgrounds at Flaming Gorge include Lodgepole, Red Canyon, Greens Lake & Group, Greendale Groups, Firefighters Memorial, Arch Dam, and Antelope Flats & Group. Please call the Flaming Gorge Ranger District for campground and road conditions. Visitors using the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area are required to pay a use fee in designated areas. Day passes are $5, seven-day passes are $15, and annual passes are $35. Passes are available in Manila, Utah and Mountain View, Rock Springs and Green River, Wyoming and local businesses in and around the Flaming Gorge area.
Contact • 435-784-3445
Roosevelt-Duchesne Ranger Districts
Conditions • High snowpack is affecting access to some campgrounds and may cause later-than-normal openings, due to increased runoff.
Contact • 435-738-2482
Dixie National Forest
Contact • 435-865-3700 or http://www.fs.usda.gov/dixie
Pine Valley Ranger District
Conditions • All campgrounds in the Pine Valley recreation area will be open with water and fees. Oak Grove and Honey Comb Rocks campgrounds are open.
Contact • 435-688-3246
Cedar City Ranger District
Conditions • All campgrounds and picnic areas will be open with water and fee. The Duck Creek Visitor Center will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting May 26.
Contact • 435-865-3700
Powell Ranger District
Conditions • Red Canyon is open with full amenities. Coyote Hollow Equestrian is open for dry camping (water will be turned on at a later date, but is not potable; horse use only). King Creek will be open with water on May 26.
Contact • 435-676-9300; Red Canyon Visitor Center is at 435-676-2676, daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Escalante Ranger District
Conditions • All campgrounds will be open with water and fees.
Contact • 435-826-5400; the Visitors Center is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; 435-826-5499.
Fishlake National Forest
Contact • 435-896-9233 or http://www.fs.usda.gov/fishlake
Beaver Ranger District
Conditions • Little Cottonwood, Mahogany Cove, Kents Lake, and Little Reservoir campgrounds are all expected to be open with water and fees. Ponderosa picnic area will be open with water and fees. City Creek campground will be open with no water or fees. LeBaron and Anderson Meadow campgrounds will not be open. Roads and trails at higher elevations may be closed due to snow and wet, muddy conditions.
Contact • 435-438-2436
Fillmore Ranger District
Conditions • Maple Grove and Adelaide campgrounds will be open with water and fees. Oak Creek campground will be open and the water system may be operational; plan accordingly; use fees apply. Chalk Creek picnic areas (Copley's Shingle Mill and Pistol Rock), and Maple Hollow picnic area are open. Some roads and trails at higher elevations are closed, due to snow and wet, muddy conditions.
Contact • 435-743-5721
Fremont River Ranger District
Conditions • All campgrounds in the Fish Lake Basin and on Boulder Mountain are open with water and fees. Thousand Lake Mountain – Sunglow campground is open with water and fees. Elkhorn campground is scheduled to open in June, depending on the weather.
Contact • 435-836-2800
Richfield Ranger District
Conditions • Gooseberry campground and Monrovian picnic area will be open. Water may be off at Gooseberry campground until June.
Contact • 435-896-9233
Manti-La Sal National Forest
Conditions • Upper-elevation roads are closed due to snow and mud. Avoid traveling on roads and trails when muddy. Do not attempt to bypass gates or camp close to rivers or streams, which are running extremely high and fast. Children and pets should not be allowed to play near rivers and streams.
Contact • 435-637-2817 or http://www.fs.usda.gov/mantilasal
Price
Conditions • Little Bear, Forks of Huntington, Big Rock, and Old Folks Flat are open in Huntington Canyon. Higher-elevation campgrounds are closed. Joes Valley campground is open and drinking water is available. All other campgrounds are closed due to snow in higher elevations.
Contact • 435-637-2817; Ferron Ranger District 435-384-2372
Sanpete Ranger District
Conditions • Maple Canyon and Chicken Creek campgrounds are open. Twin, Manti Community, and Lake Hill are open. Twelve-Mile Canyon road, 9 miles east of Mayfield, is closed by a landslide. Roads at higher elevations are closed due to snow and mud.
Contact • 435-283-4151
Moab Ranger District
Conditions • Warner Lake, Oowah Lake and Buckeye Reservoir campgrounds are open. Mason Draw is closed due to construction on the La Sal Loop Road.
Contact • 435-259-7155
Monticello Ranger District
Conditions • Buckboard, Dalton, Nizhoni and Devils Canyon campgrounds are open.
Contact • 435-587-2041
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Contact • 801-999-2103 or http://www.fs.usda.gov/uwcnf
Pleasant Grove Ranger District
Conditions • Hope and Little Mill campgrounds will be open without water. Granite Flat campground may be open, depending if a recent mudslide stabilizes. Altamont will not be opened. Rock Canyon campground is open. All picnic areas are open with fees, but water is not available. The Alpine Scenic Loop (USR 92) will be open for the Memorial Day weekend. Silver Lake road is open. Squaw Peak road is open to Provo Lookout. North Fork road is open, but no trailers will be allowed, due to limited turnaround space. Forest Service road #085 and the Silver Lake Flat road #008 from Tibble Fork will remain closed due to wet, muddy conditions and snow. Trails in American Fork Canyon are open to foot traffic only. A recreation pass is required at fee sites within the American Fork Canyon-Alpine Scenic Loop area and is available at Forest Service offices or at the entrance stations to the scenic loop. The special-use fee is $6 for one three-day pass per vehicle, $12 for a seven-day pass and $45 for the annual pass. Trails closed to all uses except hiking include: Mill Canyon 040, Tibble Fork 041, Salamander Flat 150, Ridge Trail 157, Mud Springs 173, Willow Hollow 159, South Fork Little Deer Creek 252, and Pine Hollow 047. Front-country trails (Bonneville Shoreline, Dry Canyon, Battle Creek, and Grove Creek) are clear of snow and open. Wilderness Trails: Timpanogos will still have significant snow and possible snow bridges crossing river drainages. People are cautioned not to continue past their skill level for traveling on snow and to have appropriate gear needed for snow travel.
Contact • 801-785-3563
Spanish Fork Ranger District
Conditions • Balsam, Diamond Fork, Maple Bench, Ponderosa and Tinney Flat campgrounds are open with water and fees. Bear Canyon, Cherry, Maple Lake and Vernon Reservoir campgrounds are open with fees, but no water. Trumbolt picnic area is open with water and fees. Payson Lakes and Blackhawk campgrounds will open May 26. The Nebo Loop Scenic byway will be accessible after May 26 from the north to the Santaquin cutoff and to Devil's Kitchen from the south end. Halls Fork road to the Left Fork of Hobble Creek is closed due to a landslide and will not be open until the damage is accessed and repaired.
Contact • 801-798-3571
Ogden Ranger District
Conditions • All campgrounds are open with fees, except Monte Cristo and Jefferson Hunt (flooded). All boat ramps and picnic areas around Pineview Reservoir are open with fees. State Highway 39, Monte Cristo Road will open on May 25 at 4:30 p.m. Access to undeveloped areas beyond the Monte Cristo gate will be limited due to snow in higher elevations. Lower elevation roads and trails are open.
Contact • 801-625-5112
Logan Ranger District
Conditions • All campgrounds and picnic areas will be open with fees, except Tony Grove, Lewis M. Turner, Sunrise, High Creek and Pioneer campgrounds. A few sites at Guinavah-Malibu campground will remain closed due to hazardous trees. Low-elevation roads and trails are open. Mid-elevation road gates, second gate in Green Canyon, first gate in Temple Fork, Forestry Camp, and Pole Hollow are scheduled to open June 1. Cowley Canyon and Herd Hollow roads will remain closed due to damage from flooding. Upper-elevation roads Marie Springs, second gate in Temple Fork, Twin Creek, and Dip Hollow are closed with gates scheduled to open on June 15.
Contact • 435-755-3620
Salt Lake Ranger District
Conditions • Tanners Flat campground in Little Cottonwood Canyon is open and Spruces campground in Big Cottonwood Canyon will be partially open with fees on May 26. Storm Mountain, Ledgemere, Birches and Dogwood picnic areas in Big Cottonwood Canyon are open with fees, but no drinking water. Upper, Main, and South areas in Box Elder, Church Fork, Maple Grove and Terraces picnic areas are open with fees, no water. Remember Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons are Salt Lake City Municipal Watersheds and dogs are not allowed in these canyons. Farmington Canyon road is open to the intersection with Francis Peak road and Skyline Drive. Ward Canyon road is open to the intersections of Skyline Drive and Sessions Mountain where gates are still locked due to muddy conditions and snow. Mueller Park picnic area in Davis County is open with water and fees. Fernwood picnic area in Layton is open with water. South Willow Canyon road (Stansbury Mountains, west of Tooele and Grantsville), all campgrounds are open with fees. These campgrounds do not have water available; take your own water.
Contact • 801-466-6411
Heber-Kamas Ranger District
Conditions • All campgrounds and picnic areas within the Heber area are open with water and fees except for Mill Hollow and Wolf Creek. The Strawberry Visitor Center is open Thursday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wolf Creek Pass (Utah SR35) is open. Mirror Lake Highway (Utah State Road 150) is still closed and the road is barricaded at Soapstone. Utah Department of Transportation is in the process of plowing the road and hopes to have it open by May 27. Shady Dell campground is open. Pine Valley and Ponderosa Group Sites, Cobblerest, Soapstone (dump station is open), and Yellow Pine campgrounds within the Kamas area will be open on May 26. All other campgrounds along the Mirror Lake Highway are still closed due to snow. Smith and Morehouse campground will be open on May 26 with water and fees. All roads are wet and muddy, or snow covered above 8,700 feet. All high-elevation lakes and trails are still inaccessible. Visitors are required to purchase a Mirror Lake Recreation Pass.
Contact • 435-654-0470 or 435-783-4338
Evanston/Mountain View Ranger Districts
Conditions • Evanston: Bear River, East Fork, Christmas Meadows, the lower part of Hayden Fork, and Stillwater campgrounds on the Evanston Ranger District will have sites available, with no water, but with fees. Some campsites may be too wet to camp in and some campsites may be closed due to high water in the rivers. The Lily Lake dump station is not open. The Bear River Ranger Station will be open for Memorial Day weekend. Planned opening date is May 26. Whitney Reservoir is not accessible. Beaver View, Sulphur, and Lyman Lake campgrounds and Elizabeth Pass are not open. Currently the only hiking trail accessible is to Lily Lake from the Bear River Ranger Station. Conditions are wet and snowy on parts of the trail. Other trailheads are not accessible or snowbound. Forest crews are beginning maintenance work to remove dead trees in campgrounds, so please look up and around before choosing a campsite. Mountain View: Meeks Cabin reservoir, Stateline reservoir, Bridger Lake, Marsh Lake, China Meadows, and Henrys Fork campgrounds are open with no water or fees. Hoop Lake and campground are accessible, but there is still quite a bit of snow on the east side. Quarter Corner lake is also accessible. Please pack out what you pack in. The Stateline dump station will be closed. Trails have a lot of snow and are not expected to be open for the holiday weekend. Visitors should not drive in wet areas due to the damage it will cause until conditions improve.
Contact • 307-789-3194 or 307-782-6555