Recreation Site in King Fire Burned Area Re-Opened for Public Use
Eldorado National Forest – Feb 2015, Stumpy Meadows Boat Ramp and Picnic Area, located east of Georgetown in the Eldorado National Forest, was reopened to the public on Monday, February 2, 2015 in conjunction with a change in the forest closure order for areas affected by the King Fire.
“We will continue to monitor the burned area to make sure no part of the forest is closed any longer than necessary,” said Forest Supervisor Laurence Crabtree.
“The Boat Ramp and Picnic Area were not within the fire perimeter itself, but these areas were used heavily for operations during fire suppression, and post fire emergency stabilization efforts,” Crabtree added. “We needed to divert recreation traffic for safety reasons while there was a lot of heavy equipment in there, but now that work is done.”
Due to the hazards of dead trees along roads within the burned area, most of the King Fire Closure Order is still in effect. Roadside hazards in the burned area are being evaluated as part of the environmental analysis for the King Fire Restoration Project which is expected to be completed by the end of March. Meanwhile, most of the roads that define the boundary of the fire closure area are open, in addition to the Hellhole Trail, which defines a section of the closure boundary in the northeast part of the closure near the Tahoe National Forest.
An updated description and map of the King Fire Closure area is available on the Eldorado National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/eldorado. Also now removed from the fire closure order is the Ponderosa Cove Group Campground.
The Ponderosa Cove Group Campground is managed by a concessionaire and will reopen later this year for the 2015 summer recreation season. All unpaved, native surface roads and trails in the forest will remain closed to vehicle use under the seasonal road closure in accordance with the Eldorado National Forest Travel Management Plan.
The public is urged to comply with the fire closure order and to explore the many other recreation opportunities the Eldorado National Forest has to offer. For assistance with recreation planning, contact the Forest Supervisor’s office at 530-622-5061.
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