County asks hikers to park safely at trailheads

By Reader Staff

The Bonner County Road and Bridge Department released a statement May 1 asking users of recreational sites to park safely at trailheads to avoid tickets and potential towing of vehicles.

“We are experiencing a road safety clash with the recreational trailhead parking for the Gold Hill Trail on Bottle Bay Road,” the department wrote in the statement. “Bonner County understands the need to get outdoors and recreate in these unusual times of confinement, but parking in a county right-of-way and obstructing any portion of a travel lane is prohibited.”

The department said it is considering options including posting no-parking signs on Bottle Bay Road and writing tickets or possibly towing improperly parked vehicles on right-of-ways, but stressed that it “is not our desired approach.”

An alternate trailhead for the Gold Hill trail complex is available at Hayes Gulch trailhead, located approximately 1.75 miles from Highway 95 on Bottle Bay Road. 

“The Road Department strongly encourages people to utilize the IDL trailhead parking [at Hayes Gulch] which is more expansive,” the department wrote. “If people trying to get out and get exercise will cooperate on this roadside parking issue, maybe Bonner County can avoid draconian measures in preserving safety for vehicles driving the Bottle Bay Road.”