Revamped campgrounds reopen to the public

A capital improvement project to increase safety and upgrade facilities at the Riverside Boat Launch and the Murray Bay Campground on the east side of the Hungry Horse Reservoir is complete, and the sites were opened Friday.

Camp sites and facilities have been retrofitted to accommodate more family and group camping, including double sites and pull-through parking.

The project at the Riverside Boat Launch included rebuilding part of the boat ramp, expanding boat-trailer parking, adding a new toilet and establishing three pull-in camp sites suitable for truck campers, motor homes and small camp trailers.

Developing hosted campsites with bear boxes and eliminating dispersed camping at the boat launch is expected to help prevent bear-human conflicts.

At the Murray Bay Campground, three camp sites were established in place of the picnic area with two of those being double sites. Individual camp sites were enlarged, three toilets in disrepair were torn down in the closed B Loop and picnic area, and one new toilet was built.

The B Loop remains closed but may be developed in the future. Because these sites are in grizzly bear habitat, bear-resistant food lockers were installed to prevent habituation.

Forest campers and visitors are reminded that all food and food-related items must be stored in a bear-resistant manner.

Both sites are being managed by the forest’s new concessions contractor, Barta Enterprises Inc., which is doing business locally as Flathead Valley Campgrounds.

Both are fee sites. Single sites cost $11 per day or $22 for double sites. There is also a $5 day-use fee.

People who use the sites need to bring their own water, since water will not be available until next season.