Some Horsethief Reservoir Campsites Will Remain Closed

A popular campground on the east side of Horsethief Reservoir will remain closed indefinitely, even while the west side of the reservoir opens to camping on May 1st. Fishing opportunities at the popular reservoir remain unaffected by the campsite closure. Finding a suitable volunteer camp host for the east side campground has been a challenge for Fish and Game site manager Dennis Hardy. "We were able to enlist a suitable camp host for the west side campground, but only after a nationwide search," Hardy noted. "Finding one for the east side campground has proven difficult." The high risk of area abuse and property damage without an on-site camp host led to the decision to keep the east side campground shuttered indefinitely. "Once a suitable camp host is located, we will open the east campground for the remainder of the season," Hardy said. To learn more about the volunteer host position at Horsethief Reservoir or to apply for the position, visit the Volunteer.gov website: http://www.volunteer.gov/results.cfm?ID=14104. Horsethief Reservoir is one of a handful of developed campgrounds where no fee is charged, contributing to its popularity. In the 1990s, Horsethief's camping areas were developed to limit resource damage from unregulated use. Since then, Idaho Fish and Game has staffed Horsethief with camp hosts for the peak fishing and camping season. Because of limited financial resources, camp host services, maintenance services and camping end mid-September each year.