Two South Hills Campgrounds Open in Badger Burn Area

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX)-The U.S. Forest Service-Sawtooth National Forest has opened two campgrounds in the South Hills that were hit by the Badger Fire in 2020.

The Sawtooth National Forest announced Schipper and Third Fork Campgrounds are now open to overnight camping after being closed when the Badger Fire burned through the Lower Rock Creek area in September of 2020. The fire burned nearly 100,000 acres of U.S. Forest and Bureau of Land Management land in Twin Falls and Cassia counties. In the aftermath, numerous trails and campsites had to be closed off to the public while crews stabilized the area. In addition the Forest Service has rescinded the closure of single track and ATV trails in the area.

The Forest Service said several other campsites will remain closed for the time being: Steer Basin, Harrington Fork Picnic Area, Birch Glen Dispersed Site, Forest Boundary Dispersed Site, 330 Spring Dispersed Site and Big Bluff Dispersed Site. The Minidoka Ranger District needs to finish replacing infrastructure, like the bridge at Harrington Fork Picnic Area, that was burned by the fire and clean up the sites along with making sure they are safe for the public.

Exhibit A_0414010055_MinidokaCampgrounds_Closure_order_map

The Sawtooth National Forest has put in place a new Closure Order for the area, see it at www.fs.usa.gov.