SOUTH FORK – The Divide Ranger District announced temporary road closures for the Park Creek area will occur sometime between Sept. 10 to 19, 2020 to allow for improvements to the creek crossing and parking lot. The specific dates will be posted on the Rio Grande National Forest Facebook page when the contractor determines the final project dates.

The closures include the loop connection between Forest Service Road (FSR) 390 (Pass Creek/Tucker Ponds) and FSR 380 (Park Creek). The closures are expected to last for several days. Additionally, the existing parking lot across the Park Creek Bridge will be closed during this timeframe to allow for parking lot expansion and improvement.

Users will still be able to utilize FSRs 834 and 835 to connect between Pass Creek and Park Creek during the closures.

The crossing and parking lot improvement are part of a larger effort between the Forest Service, the Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation, Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) and the San Luis Valley Conservation and Connection Initiative. “I am very excited to be working together with our partners to protect riparian resources,” said Divide District Ranger, Martha Williamson. “This project will help strike a balance between providing for continued and improved recreational opportunities in the Park Creek Drainage and providing resource protection.”

The roads can be found on the Divide Ranger District Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM). Each district on the Rio Grande National Forest has an MVUM which regulates all motorized travel on the district. MVUMS are available at Rio Grande National Forest Offices and online at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/riogrande/maps-pubs

For more information, contact the Divide Ranger District at 719-850-2374.