Stagger Inn campground still closed

KEITH KINNAIRD

Hagadone News Network

SANDPOINT — A trio of popular forest destinations near Upper Priest Lake remain closed until further notice due to hazardous conditions, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Unstable trees and soil conditions continue to plague the Stagger Inn campground, the Roosevelt Grove of ancient cedars and Granite Falls.

High winds raked the Priest Lake Ranger District on the night of Aug. 25, 2013, causing several trees to become weakened and damaged. A 200-foot-tall tree toppled onto a tent containing a Sandpoint man and his wife.

Kyle L. Garrett, 48, was killed and his wife was injured, Pend Oreille County sheriff’s officials said.

The Forest Service said it is implementing a plan to remove the remaining hazards in order to open the sites prior to the busy summer season.

The agency hopes to have Stagger Inn opened by late spring.

“We ask people to remain patient as we work to make the Stagger Inn Campground safe for the public, the Forest Service said in a statement. “We recognize the importance of Stagger Inn, Granite Falls, and the Roosevelt Grove to the Priest Lake area, and are working hard to reduce the hazards and get the site back open.”

Located about 14 miles north of Nordman, the area is known for its old-growth cedars.

A fire in 1926 destroyed 75 percent of the original grove and left two small remnants.

Stagger Inn is named after an encampment used by firefighters who battled the blaze. At the time, the road extended only as far north as Nordman. Firefighters weary from hiking and battling the fire more or less staggered into the camp.

n Those with questions or concerns about the closure can reach the Priest Lake Ranger District at 448-6839.