FROM THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE, CUSTER GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST
Current Status
This week Custer Gallatin National Forest will be submitting a preliminary damage assessment package to Federal Highways as part of the Emergency Relief Funding for Federally Owned Roads package. Preliminary damage assessments are estimated at 20-million-dollars and a portion of that amount will be submitted as part of the emergency package. Helicopter reconnaissance flights were completed Monday over the impacted sections of Forest, but ground crews will continue over much of the flood damaged roads, trails, and recreation facilities as additional damages are expected to be found. Some facilities will remain closed for the season.
Please continue to check with the respective local ranger district on specific sites, conditions and questions before heading out front-country or backcountry.
Closures
Beartooth, Yellowstone and Gardiner Ranger Districts are open with select sites, road and area closures due to damage.
Beartooth:
- Area closure south of Red Lodge for the Main Fork & Lake Fork of Rock Creek (National Forest only) due to extensive damage. Highway repairs are ongoing through Montana Department of Transportation with active hauling. Please respect the area closure south of Red Lodge.
- Road closures include West Fork Rock Creek at Basin campground and East Rosebud Road for public safety.
Select sites remaining closed:
- Sheridan, Rattin, M-K and Limberpine Campgrounds closed for the season. Greenough & Parkside may open later in the season pending bridge repairs.
- West Rosebud Road (#2072) – district intends to open the Pine Grove campground, further evaluation of the road is underway to determine if it can be opened further south.
- Once Hwy 419 opens for Stillwater County the National Forest section of the Stillwater Road (#2400) including Woodbine campground and the Stillwater Trailhead will remain closed. West Fork Stillwater Road (#2846) is closed. Woodbine campground, trailhead and parking lot are intact, Woodbine Trail bridge was destroyed along with Stillwater parking lot.
- East Rosebud Road closed for the season, including recreational sites Sand Dunes Picnic, Jimmy Joe and East Rosebud campgrounds due to significant road damage. East Rosebud campground is intact, Jimmy Joe campground does have some damage.
Note on the Beaten Path: Rimrock bridge washed out and a Beaten Path hike from East Rosebud would be significantly lengthened and require safely navigating around Rimrock Lake, which is not advisable until August.
Beartooth Plateau still has significant snow. Red Lodge Creek Trail, Wild Bill and Basin Lake Trails and Palisades campgrounds are open. The district will open Basin Campground later this week, call district for updates at 406-446-2103.
Yellowstone Ranger District
Open, except select sites. Additional recreational backcountry trail assessments are ongoing in Main Boulder.
Roads Closed include:
- Main Mill Creek at Mile Marker 14.4 (Passage Creek) and West Mill Creek on National Forest System roads only.
- Main Boulder – Chippy Park Campground, Fourmile dispersed site and Hicks Park Campground closed.
- Snowbank Campground – closed all season, bridge washout
- Sixmile above Gold Prize closed.
Gardiner Ranger District
Open except for the following:
- Two motorized use closures at Yankee Jim Fishing Access Sites and Joe Brown Trailhead
- Bear Creek bridge over Darroch Cr north of Jardine, MT
- Several backcountry bridges were washed out and backcountry assessments continue.
Location
Portions of the Beartooth, Yellowstone and Gardiner Ranger Districts across the Absaroka – Beartooth Complex, Custer Gallatin National Forest.
Flood Dates
June 11-13, 2022
A rain on snow event across the Beartooth, Yellowstone, and Gardiner Ranger Districts began on June 11. Impacts from this event became known the evening of June 11 and throughout the day on June 12 with the full extent of damage in Park, Stillwater, and Carbon counties being more fully understood on June 13.
