Press Release
Officials with the Manti-La Sal National Forest will be temporarily closing Maple Canyon Campground on the Sanpete Ranger District in mid-June for necessary road repairs. The campground will be closed to all campers from June 7- June 10 and again from June 14-17. The campground will be open June 11-13 for walk-in use only.
Repairs include placing a four-inch lift of aggregate on the road and throughout the campground, including all parking areas. Once the aggregate is in place, crews will be putting Mag Chloride on the road to reduce dust and extend the life of the aggregate.
“We regret this major headache for many visitors, but we anticipate that the vastly improved road and campground parking areas will be greatly appreciated,” said Bill Broadbear, supervisory forester.
The Manti-La Sal National Forest apologizes for the inconvenience, but due to Forest Service constraints and contractor schedules, these were the available dates. For those interested in a more off-grid experience, dispersed camping is always available on public lands.
The project is one of several being funded through the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), which passed in 2020 and authorizes funding under the Legacy Restoration Fund annually through fiscal year 2025.
“The Great American Outdoor Act has been a welcome source of funding for the Manti-La Sal National Forest to help us get caught up on maintenance of our facilities and infrastructure that otherwise is not possible under our current funding processes,” said Darren Olsen, acting Forest Supervisor.
The Great American Outdoors Act responds to the growing $5 billion backlog of deferred maintenance on national forest and grasslands, which includes $3.7 billion for roads and bridges and $1.5 billion for visitor centers, campgrounds and other facilities. The Forest Service currently administers more than 370,000 miles of roads, 13,400 bridges, 159,000 miles of trails, 1,700 dams and reservoirs, 1,500 communications sites, 27,000 recreation sites and 40,000 facilities of other types. In addition to helping address deferred maintenance for these critical facilities and infrastructure, the Great American Outdoors Act will help the Forest Service to continue supporting rural economies and communities in and around national forests and grasslands across the country.