Free fall camping

A pair of popular forest service campgrounds on the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River have been reopened for free public use.

The Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District announced it is opening these campgrounds for free use on a trial basis during the fall 2011 season, due to public demand for fall camping opportunities.

The campgrounds will remain open through October 31.

“We’ve had requests to open the campgrounds in the fall to accommodate both hunters and people who enjoy fall camping. This year we decided to experiment with an extended season to determine how much use these sites would receive after Labor Day,” said Deputy District Ranger Kimberly Johnson.

During the extended trial season there will be no camping fee, since amenities including running water and trash removal are not available. Visitors using these campgrounds this fall will be required to bring their own water and pack out their own trash. Outhouses will remain open for use.

Typically the campgrounds on the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District close shortly after Labor Day each year due to decreased demand. Forest Service representatives will monitor the use in Big Hank and Bumblebee Campgrounds this year to determine the amount of interest in using developed campsites in the fall and to determine if campers will police their own garbage during this free use period. If this experiment is successful other campgrounds, including Kit Price and Devils Elbow campgrounds, may be included in future extended seasons.

Big Hank Campground is located approximately 15 miles north of Prichard, Idaho on Forest Road 208 along the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River. Bumblebee Campground is located approximately two miles west of Forest Highway 9 near the Little North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River on Forest Road 796.

For more information, please contact the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District: Fernan (208) 664-2318 or Smelterville (208) 783-2363 for the most current information on forest and road conditions.