Clints Well FS Vistor Center Closed

[chumley]

Stripped from:

The Forest Visitors Centers (one opposite the turnoff on AZ 260 from Woods Canyon Lake and the one on AZ 87 at Happy Jack (Clints Well on the topo map) also sell newer editions of topo maps with forest roads and trails on them.

Nighthiker - The FS Visitor Center in Clints Well has been closed (effective last Monday, 10/29. I was there on Sunday and they were packing everything up). The services previously provided there are now available at the Blue Ridge Ranger Station about 10 miles up the road ... but Blue Ridge is not open on weekends as the Clints Well office used to be. There used to be a public station at Lake Mary which is now closed as well.

[Nighthiker]

When I camped int the area about two months ago they said the may close for the season and possible for good. Is it a seasonal closure or is closed for good ? I know the office staff was getting a lot of grief by the quad crowd for the restrictions.

[chumley]

It's not a seasonal closure, but the staff sounded hopeful that perhaps they would be able to reopen in a couple of years time. Something about lack of funding due to war and change of administration in 2009.

Here's the official release: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/news/2 ... nges.shtml

As for the quad crowd, they better get used to it. New travel management rules take effect in 18 months, and will close basically 90% of existing roads and motorized trails on the NF.
See http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/tmr.shtml
or previous thread http://www.hikearizona.com/dex2/viewtop ... management