MARIENVILLE — The USDA Forest Service announced that the Hunter Roads in the Marienville Ranger District of Allegheny National Forest are closd effective Jan. 17.
The unseasonably warm weather and steady rains are causing road conditions to rapidly deteriorate, triggering the early closure. Had conditions allowed, the hunter roads were planned to remain open until Feb. 19.
“We regret that the unseasonable weather and subsequent deteriorating road conditions are forcing us to close the Hunter Roads on the Marienville Ranger District sooner than expected. We are pleased that we were able to keep them open through the end of deer season but realize the early closing may inconvenience some road users and we apologize for that inconvenience,” said Marienville District Ranger Rob Fallon.
Traditionally, many of the normally gated forest roads are opened each fall to allow preseason scouting and legal hunting during select Pennsylvania hunt seasons. An Interactive Hunting Map for planning hunts along with the list of roads is available on the forest website under Maps and Publications.
The roads opened for hunters in the Bradford Ranger District are projected to close on the originally planned date of Jan. 22 and were announced in a previous news release.
For your safety, please always drive these narrow, high-clearance roads with caution. Some open roads may have maintenance or timber sale activity in progress. You may still drive the roads but should proceed with extra caution and expect poor road conditions and trucks or heavy equipment on these roads.
The Allegheny National Forest Motor Vehicle Use Map contains the current road policy. The maps are available on the forest website on the Maps and Publications page.
Unless otherwise posted, non-motorized use, including hiking, biking, and horseback riding, is always allowed on gated roads. Off-highway vehicle use is not allowed off the designated ATV/OHM trail system at any time.
The status of roads can change at any time. If you have questions, please contact the Marienville Ranger District Office at 814-927-6628.
