NEWS RELEASES
New Campgrounds In Idaho’s Boise National Forest Undergo Modernization
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through The US Forest Service's website.
GARDEN VALLEY, Idaho - The Idaho News reports that the U.S. Forest Service, assisted by grants from the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, is upgrading the campgrounds in the Boise National Forest. In the last decade, seven campgrounds have been renovated with costs running from $60,000 and $200,000 each. “Most of our sites have been designed in the 1960’s ... so most of the sites were really small and undersized for RVs,” Maria Willis, Boise National Forest Engineer, told the Idaho News. More campgrounds are scheduled for renovations in the future.
The emphasis of the upgrades is on making the campgrounds more accessible for all and to increase the availability of sites. Tie Creek, on the middle fork of the Payette River, was renovated back in 2017, adding double sites, tent pads and other expansions to increase capacity without losing the forest feel. Other renovations, including a new style of fire ring, are designed to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements. “There’s a build surface that is supposed to be 9 inches tall and that’s so that someone in a wheelchair or somebody who can’t bend down that far can still build a fire at a level that’s comfortable to them,” Willis said.
Located northeast of the state capitol, the national forest includes 2.5 million acres of diverse forest and grassland, with more than 70 different campgrounds available to the public. For additional information, visit the Boise National Forest website.