Hudlow Meadows area closed to public for habitat restoration project
HAILEY HILL | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 4 months AGO
Beaver activity returned to the Hudlow Meadow area within six weeks of the area being closed to camping and motor vehicles.
Photo Courtesy of Idaho Panhandle National Forests
COEUR d’ALENE — A popular camping spot in the Coeur d’Alene National Forest won’t be open this Labor Day weekend — or for the foreseeable future.
Major habitat restoration is underway along the Little North Fork Coeur d’Alene River, prompting closure of Hudlow Meadows, according to Idaho Panhandle National Forest.
Hudlow Meadows is popular for RV camping and off-road vehicle use even though the area is marked as closed to motor vehicles on Motor Use Vehicle Maps.
“Access to the Meadow was previously blocked with boulders, but those had to be removed to get heavy machinery through,” Neil Shurtz, IPNF spokesperson, said.
A movable plastic blockade is currently in place, but even if this barrier is moved by people ignoring the closure, access to the area is restricted through Labor Day weekend.
“The last thing we want is for people to get all the way out there expecting to have access, only to find it closed,” Shurtz said.
Heavy equipment use in the area will continue to the end of the 2025 field season.
“It’s not a great place for people to be for the next couple seasons just because of these safety concerns,” said Chris Robinson, an IPNF hydrologist.
Hydrologists are working to reactivate the wetland habitat of Hudlow Meadows by diverting water out of the main river channel using log jams to flood outlying areas, Robinson said.
Reintroduction of wetland habitat to Hudlow Meadows will change how the public accesses the area after the closure is lifted.
“Part of the idea behind the project is that it’s actually going to be physically impossible to operate motor vehicles in the meadow,” Shurtz said.
When the project is complete, camping will be permitted in the area.
ARTICLES BY HAILEY HILL
Hayden chamber marks 25 years
Best Western Plus Coeur d’Alene Inn named Business of the Year
When Andrea Fulks talks about growing the Hayden Chamber of Commerce’s membership, she makes a point to avoid certain words. “I never say you should ‘join,’” the chamber president and CEO said. “I say that you belong in this family.”
NIBCA celebrates leadership, growth
NIBCA celebrates leadership, growth
The first time Jessica Cargile attended a North Idaho Building Contractors Association meeting, she couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. That feeling returned for only a moment before she was sworn in as NIBCA’s president for 2026.
Coeur d'Alene chamber grows to nearly 1,000 members as it continues to evolve
Coeur d'Alene chamber grows to nearly 1,000 members as it continues to evolve
A sepia-toned photograph of about 30 businessmen hangs in the office of Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber’s President and CEO, Linda Coppess. Though dressed in the fashion of decades past, the men gathered for a purpose that has endured: uplifting area businesses through the Chamber. The photo is a reminder of the Chamber’s 114 years of history, Coppess said in her address to nearly 200 attendees at Tuesday morning’s Breakfast Connect event.