A road leading to popular recreation sites, campgrounds and prime bird-watching areas in the Chiricahua Mountains southeast of Willcox has been closed indefinitely because the route was washed out in some places and badly damaged in others by recent heavy storms.
Four campgrounds, two day-use areas and a trailhead in the Chiricahuas also are closed due to flooding damage and access problems.
A 19-mile stretch of Forest Road 42 is closed from the Portal Visitor Center in Cave Creek Canyon to the Pinery Administrative site near Chiricahua National Monument, said Heidi Schewel, spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service. The agency manages the area.
“Forest Road 42 is gone in places, and other parts are severely undercut,” Schewel said. “The road is closed for an undetermined amount of time, and there’s no estimate yet of the funding needed for repairs. Major water came down through Cave Creek Canyon. We are in the early stages of assessing damages.”
Sites closed temporarily as a result of the flooding last week are:
- Idlewilde Campground
- Stewart Campground
- Sunny Flat Campground
- Rustler Park Campground
- South Fork Trailhead
- John Hands Day Use Area
- Herb Martyr Day Use Area
“There has been a significant amount of alteration and damage in the area,” Schewel said, noting that additional sites will be closed as the extent of flood damage is assessed.
A RESIDENT’S VIEW
Richard Webster, who lives in the community of Portal near the entrance to Cave Creek Canyon, said the closure is likely to have an economic impact.
“Fall is a lovely time for general recreation, and a moderate number of visitors will be affected, which will in turn affect many of the small local businesses, so I am hoping that the Forest Service will figure out the least restrictive ways to allow the major repairs to go forward,” Webster said.
“Were only a limited portion of the canyon to be closed at a time, and foot and bicycle traffic allowed — especially during non-work hours and especially on weekends — then the impact of a closure could be relatively low,” he said.
