ALPINE, Wyo. — A new 60-foot floating dock and gangway was recently installed at Alpine Landing on Palisades Reservoir. In addition to the boat dock, the parking area at Alpine Landing has been graded to prevent pooling water and received a durable layer of road-base fill and surface gravel.
The improvements at Alpine Landing began after local residents requested that the Snake River Fund spearhead a collaborative approach to managing the site that had been overlooked for nearly a decade. Snake River Fund brought together members of the public, representatives from the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Wyoming Game & Fish Department and officials representing the Town of Alpine and Lincoln County.
Just prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, all collaborators met to determine roles and responsibilities for improving and maintaining Alpine Landing into the future.
During the fall of 2020, low water levels of Palisades Reservoir allowed the Caribou-Targhee National Forest the opportunity to plow, dredge and remove 180 dump truck loads of sediment from the ramp. The Wyoming Game & Fish Department allocated funds through the Sport Fish Restoration Act for the purchase and installation of the dock. Additionally, Wyoming Game and Fish Department also provided funding for improving the parking area at Alpine Landing. Lincoln County Road Department provided the in-kind service of grading and installation of road materials. The Town of Alpine will provide the service of maintaining the dock during the summer season, assuring the dock is functional at various water levels. The Snake River Fund has been the fiscal agent for raising funds and maintaining an earmarked account for future site improvements or maintenance issues.
“Providing safe and efficient boating access is good for the public, it is good for our local economies, and in this case is a great example of multiple agencies and organizations working together in support of getting people outside and on the water,” said Jared Baecker, Snake River Fund Executive Director.
Alpine Landing serves various river and lake recreational opportunities for residents and visitors of the Town of Alpine and Lincoln County. Alpine Landing serves river recreationists who float through “the Snake River Narrows”. It also serves the powerboating community who recreate on Palisades Reservoir. Alpine Landing is now capable of serving a wider spectrum of users and will reduce the need for residents of Lincoln County to travel to the Caribou-Targhee National Forest managed boat access sites of Blowout Boat Ramp, Indian Creek Boating Site, Big Elk Boating Site or Calamity Boat Ramp.
