Marvin’s Garden Trail west of Bend reopens

The Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District on the Deschutes National Forest has lifted a closure on the Marvin’s Garden trail at Phil’s Trailhead west of Bend.

While an area closure remains in effect Monday-Friday for commercial thinning and mastication (mowing) in an 8,250 unit around Phil’s Trailhead, forest officials were able to lift the closure on the popular trail sooner than anticipated.

Forest restoration work continues in the unit which includes Phil’s, The Lair, COD, Elfin Magic, Grand Slam and other trails, and will be completed by October, or sooner if possible.

As work is completed and areas are safe to enter, the closure will be reduced in size. All trails are open on the weekends.

The public is reminded that operators are working with large equipment cutting and moving trees and cannot see people or dogs walking through the area and may not be able to prevent an accident.

The mastication process can hurl woody debris over 500 feet from equipment and presents a danger to the public within the closure areas. The public is asked to respect all signed closures for their safety as well as the safety of others.

While the closure is in place Monday through Friday, the public is encouraged to ride in other areas, including east of Bend at Horse Butte, Horse Ridge, and Cline Buttes area, Lower 66 (Prineville) and north of Bend in the Tumalo Canals, Peterson Ridge, Radlands (Redmond), and Grey Butte/Skull Hollow (Smith Rock) areas.

The Forest Service encourages visitors to KNOW BEFORE YOU GO by bookmarking our interactive map: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/webmaps/deschutes/west-bend/