Areas in Santiam State Forest re-open after 2020 Labor Day fires

SALEM, Ore. (KPTV) - The Oregon Department of Forestry announced that about 925 additional acres of the Santiam State Forest will re-open after the 2020 Labor Day fires.

Re-opening timelines for popular areas, as well as maps and closure areas, will be posted on Santiam State Forest recovery site. Santiam’s popular areas like Shellburg Falls and High Lakes Recreation areas will remain closed for restoration.

For the areas that are still closed, ODF said, they are still repairing trails, replacing signs and bridges and removing hazardous trees.

Although new areas are re-opening, there is always a level of risk. ODF suggests these safety tips:

Do not enter closed areas. Respect all land closures, public and private.
Take extra caution when recreating in burned areas.
Be careful when driving on single-lane gravel roads in the forest. Active recovery and logging operations are underway. Keep to the right and anticipate oncoming traffic such as trucks, heavy equipment, and other vehicles.