FORT BELKNAP, Mont. (NMB) – Two Bureau of Land Management campgrounds in Phillips County have reopened to the public following a temporary closure caused by the Pine Grove Fire in the Little Rockies.
Thanks to efforts of fire-response teams, visitor facilities at the Camp Creek Campground near Zortman and the Montana Gulch Campground near Landusky escaped fire damage.
However, other BLM-administered lands and trail routes were burned by the fire and remain temporarily closed through April 15th, 2022, due to significant risk to public safety.
Managers may decide to reopen the area earlier if springtime assessments indicate the post-fire hazards have been adequately mitigated.
The closure applies to all forms of motorized and non-motorized travel, including foot traffic.
The BLM says the closure is necessary to allow tree hazards along the trails to topple over, while providing for safety and prevention of injuries.
The fire burned approximately 5,000 acres of BLM land and 11,000 acres on the Fort Belknap Reservation.
