Missoula, Mont. – September 11, 2023 – Several construction projects will impact public access to Lolo National Forest recreation sites in Pattee Canyon in the coming weeks.
The Pattee Canyon Trailhead and Crazy Canyon Trailhead will be closed September 11-15, during the work week, to allow contractors to complete much-needed improvements to the parking areas and access roads. The Pattee Canyon Trailhead will be closed for road maintenance and pothole patching. This closure includes Forest Roads 2133, 2133 A, and 2133 B, as well as the parking area. The Crazy Canyon Trailhead will be closed while the entrance to the parking area is reconstructed due to subgrade failure. This closure includes Forest Road 9959 and the parking area. Work is anticipated to be completed by Friday, September 15 with trailhead access planned to be reopened for weekend use.
Separately, the Pattee Picnic Area Group Site A will be closed beginning September 11 and will remain closed while a new pavilion is constructed on site. Blue Mountain disc golf course remains fully open and Group Site B and C will not be impacted by the construction, however parking will be limited.
The main roads leading in and out of the recreation area will not be impacted by the construction including Pattee and Deer Creek roads. Local residents should not be impacted. Parking in the immediate area may be limited.
People can park along the main road near the campground entrance, in several places along the picnic area loop road including the graveled area directly adjacent to group site A, and at Larch camp.
“This work represents exciting investments into the infrastructure for these high use recreation sites very near to Missoula’s urban core” said Crystal Stonesifer, District Ranger of the Missoula Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest. “We recognize the impacts that closures have on visitor access, and we have worked hard to minimize these impacts so that visitors can soon realize longer term benefits through site improvements.”
These are the last projects from the Urban Interface Campground and Trailhead Updates project funded by the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund. This $295,000 project included the replacement of information boards and picnic tables, construction of the new pavilion, road surface improvement on Blue Mountain Road (Forest Road 365), surfacing (aggregate and paved), brush clearing and drainage repair in the Blue Mountain and Pattee Canyon Recreation Areas.
Since the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act in August 2020, the USDA Forest Service has completed more than 140 deferred maintenance projects aimed at strengthening rural infrastructure and enhancing access to public lands. Currently, nearly 1,000 infrastructure projects are in progress across the country. Learn more at https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/gaoa.
For more information about the Lolo National Forest, please visit the website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/lolo or follow updates on Facebook and Twitter.
