Johnson County, USFS Agree on Hazelton Parking Permit

An agreement between Johnson County and the US Forest Service to allow a parking area on Forest Service lands off of Hazelton Road in the Bighorn Mountains has been approved and accepted by the county commission.

Commissioner Bob Perry, during their most recent meeting, said the Forest Service had issued a Temporary Special Permit for the snow machine parking area just off of Highway 16 west of Buffalo on Hazelton Road.

Commissioner Bill Novotny and Perry said the two entities have been working on an extended agreement but the temporary agreement needed to be in place until the other is approved.

According to discussions, once the ten-year agreement is in place the parking area could be used year-round instead of just during the winter and spring months as it is now.

The current permit will begin on December 1, 2023 and run through May 31, 2024.