(Cedar City, UT) - The heavy winter snowfall of 2010 has left above average snowpack on the Dixie National Forest. Given the snowfall this year, many roads and campgrounds will be inaccessible to visitors until conditions dry out. The Forest Service roads surrounding Duck Creek Village and many roads along scenic highway 143 are temporarily closed to prevent damage to the forest’s infrastructure.

Maria T. Garcia, Acting Dixie National Forest Supervisor sais, "We’re asking for the public’s understanding and cooperation. By temporarily closing roads due to weather conditions, we will have safer roads and less road damage. When the weather conditions improve, we will work to open these roads again to the public," she said.

Roads are temporarily closed to prevent damage to the road and trail surfaces caused by motor vehicles. Motor vehicle travel on wet and muddy roads and trails can create ruts that take away from the enjoyment of forest visitors and can be costly to fix. These ruts also obstruct the proper runoff of water. The closed routes will be signed and posted with maps for visitor’s awareness and convenience.

Steve Robinson, Dixie National Forest Recreation and Lands Officer said, “We’ll make every effort to have campgrounds that have snow melt gone, open as soon as possible, but we still don’t know which those will be, and when we’ll have them all open." Roinson said. “Before planning your trip it is best to check conditions to see if you can visit the areas you want to go to," he said.

Other recreation opportunities are accessible and available at lower elevations within an hour drive from Cedar Mountain. For more information on specific road closures and current road conditions go to www.fs.fed.us. Or, please contact your local District Office in Cedar City, Escalante, Panguitch, or St. George. For general forest questions, please call (435) 865-3700.

Drivers should avoid roads that are wet and muddy to prevent future road damage. Additionally, the Forest Service strongly encourages visitors to remember safety in all that they do and to check road conditions before they travel.