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stickyeye's avatar
stickyeye
Explorer
Aug 05, 2021

Idaho fires

We're thinking of taking a trip to to Idaho end of the month and were wondering how the conditions are with all the fires in the region? Are there a lot of closures and poor air quality? Any insight would be helpful. Thanks
  • Idaho's kinda big. Any specific location? In general, it's hot and smoky. Especially in north Idaho many national forest areas are completely closed due to fire danger.
  • Agree with pfidahospud, location of where you want to go would help. Even with the fires, I call the ranger district of where we plan to go boondocking to check for safety. Skies overall may be smokey, but once you're in the mountains, it's bearable. Smoke in the mountains camping is better than smoke in the valley working IMO.
  • We were just north of Salmon and down to Stanley last week and most everything is open! Lots of smoke but some clear days also! Was up to Island Park two weeks ago and the same applied! Fire restrictions in place so be aware!
  • Air quality varies from day to day; with the prevailing winds, we get a lot of smoke from fires in the Pacific coast states, as well as a bit from our own. Other than a big one in the wilderness area of central Idaho, we don't have as many/big fires as last year, I believe. Another month, still under drought conditions, though - who knows what it will be like? You're welcome to come - but there are no guarantees of clean air or open roads.
  • rhagfo's avatar
    rhagfo
    Explorer III
    stickyeye wrote:
    We're thinking of taking a trip to to Idaho end of the month and were wondering how the conditions are with all the fires in the region? Are there a lot of closures and poor air quality? Any insight would be helpful. Thanks


    Plan your trip, but be ready to change plans! It is three weeks to the end of the month, and anything can happen between now and then.
    If last year is any indication you may get setup in a park far from fires, then have one start across the road and need to evacuate!
  • Always be prepared. Before we head out boondocking, I call the ranger station, as I stated before, but when we park, we stay either hitched, if possible, and if not possible, we stay lined up so we can hitch quickly.
  • As written before---a situation can boil up in minutes, literally. Plan carefully and enjoy our great state.
  • We just cancelled our 8 days at Mountain Valley RV in Heber City (which were very hard to get) because the fire was about 25 miles away. Hope to get back there again. Betsy.

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