HikeArizona.COM

Area closures on Tonto National Forest begin June 21 due to extreme fire conditions - Fireworks prohibited at all times

Release Date: Jun 20, 2012

Payson, Ariz. (June 20, 2012) –Public safety concerns due to drought conditions, hot temperatures, and increased fire danger have resulted in two temporary area closures on the Tonto National Forest beginning at 8 a.m., Thursday, June 21. The area closures are within the following boundaries:

All National Forest System Lands, roads and trails described as follows: Beginning at Forest Road 708 at the Fossil Springs Trailhead thence proceeding southeasterly along the power line corridor following the Mazatzal Wilderness Boundary; thence easterly along the power line corridor to the junction of Forest Trail 540 (FT540); thence easterly and southeasterly along the power line corridor to the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park; thence easterly along Forest System Road 583 to State Highway 87; thence southerly following State Highway 87 to the Intersection with State Highway 260; thence easterly along State Highway 260 to the junction of the Colcord Road (Forest Road 291); thence easterly and southerly along FR 291 to Forest Road 512; thence northerly along FR 512 to the Forest boundary at the top of the Mogollon Rim; thence westerly along the Mogollon Rim and Tonto National Forest Boundary to the Fossil Springs Trailhead at Forest Road 708.
All National Forest System Lands, roads and trails within the Mt Ord, Four Peaks and Three Bar Wildlife Area, more specifically described as follows: bounded by Highway 87 on the west beginning at the intersection with Forest System Road 143; thence northerly along the eastern edge of State Highway 87 to the intersection with State Highway 188; thence southerly along the western edge of Highway 188 to the Salt River corridor; thence westerly along the north side of the Salt river corridor including the north shores of Apache Lake, Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake to Cottonwood Creek; thence northerly along Cottonwood creek to the intersection with Forest System Road 401; continuing northerly on Forest System Road 401 to the intersection with Forest System Road 143; thence westerly on Forest System Road 143 terminating at the intersection with State Highway 87.

Forest System Road 583 from State Highway 87 will remain open for access to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. The Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery operated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department will be closed for public access.

State Highway 87, State Highway 260, and State Highway 188 are open.

County roads through the Tonto National Forest remain OPEN unless the road is specifically closed by the agency managing that road; all National Forest System roads and trails within the described area are closed.

Tough_Boots wrote:@Jim_H
I should probably quit complaining and use this as an excuse for an annual Humphries ascent this weekend. I haven't gone up the Weatherford before ;)

nonot wrote:that the rim road is open and anything north of rim road is still open as well?

Tough_Boots wrote:Some of it is Coconino and there's definitely restrictions there.

nonot wrote:Does anybody have a map? I'm not familiar with half these roads. It would appear that the rim road is open and anything north of rim road is still open as well?

Jim_H wrote: and global warming

I am sending this email out because there is a lot of concern about closing the forest down due to high fire danger. I want all of you to know that we are discussing and monitoring the possibility of a forest closure daily. Every day we have in depth discussions with the National Weather Service regarding when our monsoon will begin developing, our Forest Supervisor is in contact with other surrounding forests, Apache-Sitgreaves, Kaibab, and Tonto National Forests, and we are very pleased to say that the public has been pretty good about obeying the campfire and smoking regulations, we realize there are some that don’t, but basically most of the public is being very cautious, more then we have noticed in years past. It may comfort you to know that we have numerous resources available at a moments notice to assist us if a fire does break. We definitely recognize everyone’s concern during this time of severe drought and fire danger, and we also want you to understand that the possibility of closure is of the highest concern to us at this time. For those of you that have sent me emails please consider this email my reply, thank you. As always I will keep our community informed of any changes or decisions. Thank you for your concern for our forest and our community, and for goodness sake, THINK RAIN!!