Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
High precipitation levels in the region have led to many road closures in National Forest and Bureau of Land Management public lands.
“This year’s persistent, heavy precipitation has left us with damaged backcountry roads across the Big Horn Basin. We’re still assessing the damage and scheduling and prioritizing repairs. On top of that, it remains wet and muddy out there, which makes it difficult to maneuver the equipment needed for the roadwork without causing additional resource damage,” said Sarah Beckwith, Public Affairs official for Wind River and Bighorn Basin BLM Districts. Shoshone National Forest Public Affairs Officer Kristie Thompson added that all current Shoshone closures were due to rain and flooding damage.
In Bighorn National Forest, Public Affairs Officer Lisa Balch reported that, “Impacts include some washouts, but the primary issue is that vehicle traffic on the soft and muddy roads causes significant rutting, which exacerbates drainage problems. Stuck vehicles in remote areas have also led to search and rescue efforts, possibly endangering rescuers.”
Notable BLM road damage includes Smilo-Sand Draw Road (BLM Road 1416), Hyattville Logging Road (BLM Road 1117) and Owl Creek Road (BLM Road 1310).
“[Smilo Road] east of Ten Sleep is a top priority for our engineering staff because stretches of it are completely impassable,” Beckwith said. “We’re working with livestock permittees who need to access the area to move their animals, but the rest of us should avoid Smilo Road until further notice. We plan to begin repairs in mid-July.”
Hyattville Logging Road and Owl Creek Road remain passable but require caution and four-wheel drive.
As of Monday, Bighorn National Forest road closures continued on Bald Mountain (NFSR 122), Antelope Basin (NFSR 277), Fools Creek (NFSR 178), Woodchuck (NFSR 226) and Cold Springs (NFSR 344) to the Paintrock Lakes in the Medicine Wheel Ranger District. Powder River Ranger District closures include Circle Park (NFSR 20), Old Highway – Elgin (NFSR 22), Pole Creek (NFSR 31), Caribou Mesa (NFSR 148), Cull Watt (NFSR 366), Trigger Lake (NFSR 382), Schoolhouse Park (NFSR 391), High Park Road (NFSR 429), East Tensleep Road (NFSR 430), Microwave (NFSR 433), Sand Draw Road (NFSR 436), Elakawee (NFSR 456) and Poison Creek Road (NFSR 464). Thirty more closures were listed in the Tongue River Ranger District.
“There are a growing number of roads that will require repairs once the roads dry out. Ruts and damage to drainage structures will require reshaping of the road segments with heavy equipment. The Forest Service has very limited funding for this work, so some of the damage that has occurred may not be repaired for a considerable time. This will make many of these roads difficult to drive once they have dried out,” Balch pointed out. She continued to explain that there is no set end date for closures due to weather dependency. Routes will remain closed until they are dried.
Thompson reported several substantial Shoshone National Forest road closures, with the longest estimated repairs on Sweetwater Road (NFSR 423) and Clarks Fork Road (NFSR 119), which were both damaged during June 2022 flooding and will require additional time, engineering and funds to repair.
“On our Wind River Ranger District, we hope to reopen the East Fork Road yet this year, but the other roads currently closed on the northern half of the Shoshone National Forest will take substantially longer to reopen,” she said.
Embarking on roadways with an emergency road closure in the National Forest can result in a Class B misdemeanor by fine of up to $5,000 for individuals or $10,000 for organizations, by imprisonment up to six months, or both.
“We have issued citations and will continue to if people are not adhering to the emergency road closure in place. Overall, the public has been understanding and patient, unfortunately we are having people that are going around barricades and past posted signs, furthering the resource damage. These actions could result in roads staying closed for the rest of the season,” Balch said.
Bighorn National Forest asked in a press release that people with campers parked on a closed road get in contact with their local district ranger office. The forest service will ask for the camper’s location, plate number, and a brief description. Do not attempt to remove trapped campers.
“We ask that public land users please travel back roads carefully while enjoying public lands this summer,” Beckwith said. “Avoid muddy roads and turn around if in doubt about a road’s stability.”
To stay updated on Bighorn National Forest road closures, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/bighorn/alerts-notices. Under the Forestwide heading, view the emergency road and trail closure exhibits. A similar process is available on the Shoshone National Forest website. Local ranger offices may be contacted at:
The Tongue Ranger District office in Sheridan at: 307-674-2600
The Powder River Ranger District in Buffalo at: 307-684-7806
The Medicine Wheel Ranger District in Greybull at: 307-765-4435
The Shoshone National Forest in Cody at: 307-527-6241
Facebook pages are updated regularly as well. Follow BLM Wyoming on Facebook and Twitter for updates on road repairs. For more information, please contact the BLM Worland Field Office at (307) 347-5100.