Echo closing for year

[BearLakeFishGuy]

Just thought I'd send some info your way.  I've heard that Echo State Park will be closing for at least a year for boat ramp extension, camp ground construction, etc.  Hope you didn't buy a parks pass just for Echo.  I understand there will be some news releases coming that describe things in better detail and when it will actually happen.  Just put it on your radar so you're not blindsided like at Pineview this past winter when the USFS closed down access.

[wiperhunter2]

Just thought I'd send some info your way.  I've heard that Echo State Park will be closing for at least a year for boat ramp extension, camp ground construction, etc.  Hope you didn't buy a parks pass just for Echo.  I understand there will be some news releases coming that describe things in better detail and when it will actually happen.  Just put it on your radar so you're not blindsided like at Pineview this past winter when the USFS closed down access.

Thanks for the info Scott. I had heard they were building a second boat ramp up lake a ways and a camp ground in that location. If that is the case I don't understand why they would shut down the main ramp, that was just completed a few years back , hopefully the news release will clear it up but since I don't fish there during the Summer it won't hurt me too much until Fall and Winter.

[RockyRaab2]

That's a shame. It had become one of my favorite lakes for smallies. Doubly so now that I have a boat.

[Anglinarcher]

Ya, I heard what Wipperhunter2 said, and agree that the ramp was just recently done.  Of course, if we don't get more water this year, it would be an excellent time to extend the ramp...ugggg.

[dubob]

Come on guys; its only gonna be shut down for a year.  And when its done it will be so much better.  

When the Echo State Park project got started a couple years back, I talked with the Parks & Rec guy involved with the planning process and was told that they were considering adding a new ramp in the same area as the current ramp and leave the old ramp for personal watercraft launching.  I again talked with the Parks & Rec folks in January this year to see what the plans were for starting the ramp area construction  phase of the new park (Red Rock Cabin & Day Use Area).  The plans for 2 ramps in that area were scrapped and now there will be just one ramp.  It will be in the same location as the current ramp but will be much wider and longer.  The only camping in this area will be in the Park's Cabins.

Phase one is called the Dry Hollow Campground and where the RV camping will be allowed.  That is pretty much completed.  Phase three will be the Ranger Overlook area and that will have an 'access' to the south end of the reservoir which will be a wakeless area.  The plans don't indicate an actual launch ramp, but rather just an access area.

The last phase will be a camping area on the inlet stream to the reservoir called the Chalk Creek Campground.  No launch planed for this area at all.

The new launch at Red Rock will be multi-lane and the entire parking area will be paved.  It will be very nice to fish there from a boat in 2022.


Here is a link to the original Draft Environmental Assessment.

Draft Environmental Assessment
Echo Recreation Development

[wiperhunter2]

If that is the case, it will be a huge improvement but I would doubt it could be finished in one year, here to hoping that at least the ramp will be done by next year. Maybe they will let us use it next Winter