PINE VALLEY, Utah — FOX 13 News got a closer look at significant flood damage that has left the Dixie National Forest campground in Pine Valley closed indefinitely — with rangers uncertain whether it will reopen by as soon as next summer.
The flooding occurred a week and a half ago in areas previously burned by wildfire. Even the sign at the recreation area's entrance was completely washed away.
Rangers continued using drones Tuesday to assess the extensive damage throughout the forest. The campground closure has caught some visitors off guard.
SOUTHERN UTAH
'Significant damage' forces closure of Dixie National Forest recreation area
One visitor from Ogden didn’t realize this was the area recently affected by the Forsyth Fire, let alone flooding on Oct. 10.
"So we're hitting all the hot spots and we thought that we'd come out here and ride bikes and what not along the canal and found that it is unfortunately closed," Lanie Standifer, arriving to the closed gates from Mammoth Lakes, California, said.
The floods created devastating new waterways as water rushed down paths carved by fire scars, forming raging rivers that hadn't existed before. The normally tranquil Santa Clara River more than quadrupled in size during the flooding, temporarily blocking the only road in and out of town.
Local fire officials had hoped to divert most flood waters around the town and into the forest. While they largely succeeded in protecting the community, some homes still suffered flood damage to yards and basements. One road we saw was partially washed away.
Despite the recent destruction, there are signs of rebuilding in areas where fire had previously destroyed homes.
Where only a burnt chimney had stood just a month ago, now stood a bulldozer and lumber.
