Mudslide closes Pittsburg Landing recreation area

A major mudslide and related road failure has forced the closure of Deer Creek Road in Idaho County, just east of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area boundary.  
 This road is the only access to the Forest Service’s campground, trailhead and boat launch at Pittsburg Landing, and those facilities are now closed for public safety reasons until further notice.
 Heavy rains and snowmelt have caused significant flooding and related issues across North Central Idaho.
 The Deer Creek Highway District, which is responsible for maintenance of the road, estimates that repairs will take at least a week.
 Officials report that a number of people have become stuck attempting to bypass the closure and reach Pittsburg Landing.
 Such unsafe behavior puts visitors, highway crews and first responders at risk.
 All Pittsburg Landing recreation facilities will remain closed until Deer Creek Road is safely repaired and reopened.
 Updates on road and facility conditions will be posted to the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest website, https://fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman, and the forest’s Facebook and Twitter pages.