Starting Monday, September 26, the Adams Gulch Trailhead will be closed for the reconstruction and reconfiguration of the trailhead parking-lot, the installation of a new vault toilet, and the upgrading of other trailhead facilities.
The forest service’s trailhead closure is to protect the safety of the public and those working on the project. Heavy equipment will be operating in the area, and trucks will be staging materials and using Adams Gulch Road, which will be closed to the public beyond its intersection with Old Mill Road.
The Ketchum Ranger District will also be working on improvements to the Old Adams Gulch Road Trail portion of FS Trail #146. The trail’s footbridge’s will be enlarged to allow for the passage of hand-cyclists. Work on the footbridges will commence on October 3. The KRD hopes to have the entire project wrapped up, and the Adams Gulch Trailhead re-opened, by early November.
The trails in Adams Gulch will remain open during the trailhead and trail construction work, but access to the trails will be significantly limited, with no access at all being available from the Adams Gulch Trailhead itself. The forest service is instructing the public, that during the temporary trailhead closure, trail users may only arrive to the trails in Adams Gulch from trailheads and access points other than the Adams Gulch Road and trailhead. You will not be able to use Adams Gulch Road to hike or cycle into the trailhead, or to access any of the trails in Adams Gulch.
For more information call the KRD at (208) 622-5371.
From October 3 - 19, the BLM Lake Creek Trailhead will be closed for parking lot expansion and upgrades to other trailhead facilities. During the period of closure the trailhead will not reopen before or after normal working hours - it will remain closed 24 hours a day.
For more info call the BLM at (208) 732-7200.
Rattlesnake Common Sense |
Logging activities associated with the Bald Mountain Forest Health Project are underway. Trucks are hauling logs down the mountain and utilizing the cat-roads in the vicinity of the Frenchmens' area and Flying Squirrel ski run. The resort has closed some trails and cat-roads for the summer to help facilitate the work and to provide for the safety of the crews and the public.
The Traverse Trail/cat-road is closed to all public use, as is the French Connection Trail/cat-road. The resort has also closed the Bald Mountain Trail to mountain bike use for the duration of the 2022 summer season.
For info about the Bald Mountain Forest Health Project visit: sunvalley.com/blog/detail/the-bald-mountain-stewardship-project
Bands of sheep are in the region from spring through fall of each year. They are accompanied by herders with working guard dogs who help protect their flocks from predators. In certain situations guard dogs can be antagonistic toward people and their pets. Here is some advice for people who encounter sheep bands and guard dogs:
Wildlife managers agree that if a person is in close proximity to a lion, meaning they see it, they should:
The Decision Record for the Wood River Valley Recreation and Access Environmental Assessment authorizes construction of approximately 81 miles of new trails as well as seven new trailheads. Also to be built are 21 new designated dispersed campsites primarily in the Kelly and Quigley Gulches and Cove Creek.
Additionally, the decision modifies existing seasonal off-highway vehicle (OHV) use restriction areas. The OHV restrictions would be implemented annually from Jan. 1 to April 30 and are expanded to include more of the urban interface areas and important wildlife corridors throughout the Wood River Valley.
This decision also allows the BLM to implement restrictions to protect wintering wildlife only when conditions warrant and only in areas where animals are congregating. This may include any human activity impacting deer and elk during times when they are most vulnerable, between January and April.
The BLM will construct the new trails, trailheads and dispersed campsites over the next several years as funding and other resources allow.
The Decision Record, EA, maps and supporting documents, titled DOI-BLM-ID-T030-2020-0015-EA, can be viewed on the BLM NEPA Register website:
At the website, to find the correct documents, enter:
DOI-BLM-ID-T030-2020-0015-EA
into the area provided for "Enter a NEPA # or project name.