Following a 13 month closure, portions of the Russian River Campground area were officially reopened for public access on Friday, Nov. 10.
An alert posted by the Chugach National Forest Service on Friday announced that the campground area would reopen for non-motorized vehicles. According to the announcement, The Aspen Flats, Upper Russian Lake cabins, and the previously closed Barber Cabin are now once again open for reservations as well.
The areas were closed in Aug. of 2022 due to major construction on a one mile section of the Russian River Campground Road scheduled for the fall and winter of 2022, and into the spring of 2023.
A Forest Order issued by Forest Supervisor Jeff Schramm on Aug. 12, 2022 stated that construction crews would be “reconstructing approximately one mile of the access road, to include installing a new retaining wall, expanding the existing shoulder, installing new pavement and safety railing, and reinforcing sections of the road embankment and hillside along the banks of the Kenai River.”
According to Schramm’s order, public access to the area posed a clear, immediate, and continuous risk to the health and safety of both forest users and construction workers while the project was under way. This, due to the substantial nature of the work being performed, and the fact that operating heavy equipment near campers and other recreational users posed an obvious safety risk.
Given these risks, Schramm decided to close the campground area.
The order also stated, however, that the campground was meant to reopen by May 29.
No indication was given in Friday’s Chugach National Forest alert why the closure extended six months beyond the scheduled reopening date in May.
With the site officially open again, the alert does caution that visitors recreating in the area should be aware of winter hazards and heed all Forest Service signs and fencing. Motorized access in the campground area is strictly prohibited.
Further information about the Chugach National Forest and its updated forest orders can be found at fs.usda.gov/chugach.