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AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Mar 23 2020 9:41 pm
by chumley
Ok, it's finally official.
Peralta, First Water, and Picketpost trailheads are closed. Plus just about everything else.
As of 2020-03-24 most are developed recreation sites and developed trailheads.
If visiting it would be wise to check "Alerts & Notices" on respective FS websites.
- Links to the forest websites are alway available on large screen devices on the HAZ Forum homepage left column: each forest name before the word "News" is clickable
- Guide Pages on HAZ tap forest name, last option is a link to the forest website
Closure links as of 2020-03-24
Apache-Sitgreaves NF
Coconino NF
Coronado NF
Kaibab NF
Prescott NF
Tonto NF
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
Re: Tonto NF Closes Trailheads
Posted: Mar 24 2020 3:37 pm
by Daytripper
@chumley Hieroglyphic, Lost Goldmine Trail and Silly Mountain are maintained by SALT and Pinal County, I think.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Mar 24 2020 6:21 pm
by outdoor_lover
And although Crosscut is considered FS I believe, it's probably not closed unless they close the road altogether. Same with Carney, as it's on State Trust Land. And unless the State Parks close, people will still be doing Flatiron and breaking their ankles and dropping from lack of water. So still LOTS of opportunities for people to cluster.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Mar 24 2020 6:51 pm
by 00blackout
I think LDSP, Hiero and city hikes will become even busier. There's no way people are gonna drive the extra distance and then hike down that road to Tortilla, Miles, etc. Most people think the Superstitions are Peralta, FW and Flat Iron. lol
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Mar 24 2020 7:20 pm
by ShatteredArm
@00blackout
Agreed. There's no quick Instagram payoff at Tortilla TH, occasional day hikers aren't going to go there. Takes three hours to get to Miles, nobody's going there either. They're closing all the low effort spots.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Mar 24 2020 7:35 pm
by 00blackout
@ShatteredArm
Good thing is a lot of the eastern TH have roads that need 4WD. Not so much Miles, but Two Bar, Campaign, Rogers Trough.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Mar 24 2020 9:17 pm
by outdoor_lover
@00blackout
Yeah, you 4x4 owners have it made.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Mar 24 2020 10:49 pm
by SuperstitionGuy
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Apr 02 2020 5:43 pm
by joebartels
Coco the Badass Nino wrote:
Coconino NF closing crowded destinations in Sedona
SEDONA, Ariz., April 3, 2020 — In continuing the effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, the Red Rock Ranger District of Coconino National Forest is in the process of closing its highest-use destinations and day-use sites in the Sedona area in response to large numbers of people hiking, congregating, and not practicing social distancing.
In coordination with Verde Valley and Sedona civic leaders, the following trails and day-use sites will be closed this weekend, until further notice:
Beaver Creek Day-Use Site
Bell Rock Trailhead
Cathedral Rock Trailhead and Trail
Courthouse Vista Trailhead
Crescent Moon Day-Use Site
Devil’s Bridge Trail, including OHV access and surrounding associated trails:
Dry Creek Trailhead
Long Canyon Trailhead
Mescal Trailhead
West Fork Trailhead and Trail
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Apr 02 2020 5:51 pm
by DixieFlyer
@joebartels
Thanks for the info. I just wonder if the currently least-used destinations will now become highest-use destinations.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Apr 02 2020 6:19 pm
by xthine
@DixieFlyer
I wonder the same. The last thing our first responders need is a rescue at Bear or Wilson.
My heart skipped a bit when I saw the headline. Overall good choice of trails that are certainly heavily trafficked. It will be interesting to see how the trails will look like this weekend.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Apr 02 2020 7:28 pm
by chumley
I foresee these closures serving as an official acknowledgement that the FS knows that crowding exists on some trails and subsequently provides the legal framework to force land management agencies to enact crowd mitigation strategies to comply with the Wilderness Act of 1964. If Wilderness will be properly managed compared to non-Wilderness, this may be the catalyst for implementing that change.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Jun 29 2020 12:36 pm
by chumley
Tonto has re-closed recreation areas due to the increase in covid positive numbers in Arizona. The link has a list of specific sites affected, but it is primarily campgrounds and some lakeside recreation areas near Roosevelt.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/tonto/al ... ?aid=59691
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Jun 29 2020 2:14 pm
by Sredfield
Pine Strawberry Fire Dept spokesperson posted that the Tonto will close July 2.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Jun 29 2020 3:41 pm
by chumley
@Sredfield I’ve heard this from several different sources for more than two weeks now. (Notably not from the forest itself).
If it’s what they determine to be the best course of action, they should have just done it two weeks ago. IMO
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Jun 29 2020 3:46 pm
by hikeaz
chumley wrote: ↑Jun 29 2020 3:41 pm
@Sredfield I’ve heard this from several different sources for more than two weeks now. (Notably not from the forest itself).
If it’s what they determine to be the best course of action, they should have just done it two weeks ago. IMO
You mean 'pull back the curtain'?!
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Jun 29 2020 4:37 pm
by outdoor_lover
@chumley
Why do that when you can wait until everyone's packed up and ready to leave for a holiday weekend first???? Looks like a majority of their closures right now are also Group Sites, not necessarily whole campgrounds. They are closing areas that would attract very large groups. Bermuda Flat isn't developed, but they're closing it too, so even some "dispersed" is being closed.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Jun 29 2020 5:00 pm
by hikeaz
Maybe it's my old-school arithmetic, but taking the same amount of people, and reducing the space that they have available to occupy would seem to INCREASE the density and count of folks in the available space.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Jun 29 2020 5:03 pm
by outdoor_lover
@hikeaz
They are mainly doing it because they aren't opening the Restrooms and they don't want people in there overnight without them. I talked to Prescott NF today and they are looking to hire private contractors to do the cleaning.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Jun 29 2020 5:08 pm
by hikeaz
outdoor_lover wrote: ↑Jun 29 2020 5:03 pm
@hikeaz
They are mainly doing it because they aren't opening the Restrooms and they don't want people in there overnight without them. I talked to Prescott NF today and they are looking to hire private contractors to do the cleaning.
Give the government of the most powerful country three months and they can accomplish almost anything (including the highly-technical job of finding a cleaning service) by.... 'next month'.
Re: AZ National Forest Closures
Posted: Jun 30 2020 8:48 am
by ShatteredArm
hikeaz wrote:Maybe it's my old-school arithmetic, but taking the same amount of people, and reducing the space that they have available to occupy would seem to INCREASE the density and count of folks in the available space.
I don't think "same amount of people" is a given. There is a part of the population that will camp in developed campgrounds, but won't do dispersed camping.
