BOISE, Idaho – Lucky Peak Dam and Lake managers will implement a $5 boat-launch fee on May 15 to help reduce seasonal traffic congestion which routinely occurs at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-managed Macks Creek Park.
Macks Creek Park, located on Arrowrock Road, about 4 miles from the Highway 21 intersection, is a small family-friendly recreation area offering a wide range of options for water recreation, dry camping and day-use activities, and is the only vehicle-accessible camping area at Lucky Peak Lake. With only about 25 passenger-vehicle parking spaces in the park and room for 5-6 vehicles with boat trailers in a widened section of the road shoulder near the entrance, finding a place to park can be difficult during warm-weather months, and sometimes led to conflict among visitors using the park’s varied facilities.
“It only takes a handful of trucks and trailers to take up most of the road shoulder parking area at Macks, which pushes other trucks and trailers, and paid campers’ vehicles, into unsafe grassy areas. Because of space constraints, we often see parked vehicles impeding traffic along Arrowrock Road, which is really busy,” said Keith Hyde, Lucky Peak natural resource manager. “We’ve got just enough real estate to accommodate the campground reservation use, and not enough extra to accommodate folks who want to drop in briefly to water the dog or save a few bucks with a free boat launch. Implementing fee collection is a light-handed management tool to begin addressing this challenge.”
The self-pay, cash-only, launch fee at Macks Creek Park will be in effect May 14 through Sept. 15 -- the same as Barclay Bay and Turner Gulch boat launches. Campers with paid site reservations do not need to pay the additional launch fee. All other launch users will need to display a valid fee receipt or applicable federal pass.
Lucky Peak managers decided implementing a launch fee could help encourage boaters to use the larger launch facilities and parking areas at Spring Shores Marina, operated by Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. The marina is located about 3 miles from Macks Creek and charges a $5 entrance fee to use its facilities, including 2 boat launches with multiple lanes, a significantly larger parking area, with designated spaces for vehicles with trailers, a fuel station, courtesy docks and a variety of other amenities. An annual pass good for entry at all Idaho State parks is available to Idaho residents for $10
https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/idaho-state-parks-passport-0.
“Visitors pass by Spring Shores Marina on Arrowrock Road to get to Macks Creek,” noted Hyde. “We’re hoping more boaters will choose to launch from the bigger facilities and take a little pressure off of Macks. In 2016, visitation was about 160,000. The 15 campsites at Macks are almost continuously occupied throughout the summer. That’s a lot of use in such a small place.”
The Corps continues to offer its Annual Pass for $40, available for purchase at the Lucky Peak Dam and Lake Office (cash, check or credit) and Barclay Bay volunteer park host site (credit and check only). Certain other federal passes are also valid for use at Barclay Bay, Turner Gulch and Macks Creek Park (e.g. America the Beautiful, Golden Age, Golden Access, etc.).
Idaho State Parks and Recreation passes are not valid at Corps areas, and Corps passes are not valid at State Parks areas. To obtain your best value, please carefully consider which launch areas you will use most frequently before purchasing a pass.
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