Kalispell, MT February 3, 2023 – Beginning Tuesday, February 21, 2023, the West Side Reservoir Road, Forest Road #895, along the west side of Hungry Horse Reservoir, will be closed to all motorized use, including over snow use, in two phases:
Phase 1: Forest Road 895 will be closed at milepost 4.5 (immediately beyond Hungry Horse Dam) for snow removal operations. This closure is effective during snow removal operations. Phase 1 snow removal is estimated to be complete by February 27, 2023.
Phase 2: After completion of Phase 1, Forest Road 895 will be open to milepost 9.3 (Lost Johnny Campground) and closed from milepost 9.3 to milepost 25 for snow removal and construction operations. Forest Road 895C, Wounded Buck Road, will also be closed from milepost 0.0 to 1.5. These closures will remain in effect until May 31, 2023.
The road restrictions are in place for public safety during construction operations related to the replacement of Knieff Creek culvert on the Hungry Horse Ranger District. The condition of the Knieff Creek culvert has deteriorated in recent years and replacement is important to maintaining access on road 895. Winter operations are necessary because the reservoir water level must be low enough to access the culvert location.
The Flathead National Forest offers several popular snowmobile areas with groomed and ungroomed trails. Snowmobile access information maps and groomed trail maps are available at any Forest Service office and online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/flathead/maps-pubs.
For more information about the West Side Reservoir Road access, contact the Hungry Horse/ Glacier View Ranger Districts at 406-387-3800.
