When wildfires impact recreation areas, roads, trails and other areas used by the public, the Forest Supervisor or BLM District Ranger can issue a closure restricting public access to the area. These closures not only keep the public safe, but also improve firefighter safety by limiting the number of vehicles on roads in the fire area. These closures are temporary, and will be lifted when the area is safe for the public to re-enter.
This summer the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will repave the entire 17.5 mile stretch of Century Drive/Cascade Lakes Highway (Highway 372) from the city limits of Bend to Mt. Bachelor. Construction delays on the highway will occur during the repaving. Visitors should expect delays of up to 20 minutes. Please visit the project's website for more detailed information or to sign up for e-mail alerts: Highway 372 Repaving Project Website.
Public fire use restrictions will be lifted starting 12:01 a.m. October 13, 2012 on the Ochoco National Forest and Prineville District, Bureau of Land Management. Annual fire closures on BLM-administered lands along the Lower Deschutes, Crooked, and White Rivers and Lake Billy Chinook will remain in effect through October 15, 2012.
Current fires and potential fires in the backcountry with expected lightning may require closures and evacuations of trails in the wilderness and backcountry of the Central Cascades. New fire starts are occuring as lightning holdover fires ignite in dry fuels. Please take care not to put yourself in a hazardous situation.
The Bend-Ft. Rock Ranger District will close Forest Service Road 4603 (Tumalo Falls Road) on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012 in coordination with the City of Bend. The closure of Forest Service Road 4603 will be from the intersection of Forest Service Road 4601 (Skyliners Road) to the Tumalo Falls Trailhead. Forest Service sites included in this closure are: Skyliners Trailhead (intermittent closures) and Tumalo Falls Day Use Area. These closures will remain in place during project construction period, which is anticipated to be from Sept. 26, 2012 to May 24, 2013. If construction stops due to significant snowfall, the Forest Service may consider opening some trails or areas; however, that action is not anticipated at this time. The public will be notified if trails or sites are reopened. Please review the closure map for specific details: Closure Map