River access open only on weekends

Lake County commissioners last week considered several alternatives for the Rainbow Drive access to the Swan River, but the public access remains open only two days a week.

The access, south of Bigfork on the Swan River, is one of three public access to the Swan River between Swan Lake and the Pacificorp spillway near Bigfork. The Rainbow Drive access has been a popular access for several years, but was closed this spring by Lake County commissioners after neighbors in the area voiced their concerns about overcrowding at the site.

Lake County parks board chairman Mike Roberts said the county commissioners last week heard from several neighbors at a meeting in Polson to discuss options for the site. “I thought we had a couple of excellent suggestions at the meeting,” Roberts said.

The majority of participants at the meeting were residents of Rainbow Drive in Ferndale. Park board member Janet Sucha suggested creating additional parking at the county’s seven-acre parcel about a quarter mile from the Rainbow Drive access. She suggested the county create a picnic area at that county land with a trail that leads to the river access.

Lake County commissioner Ann Brower proposed adding parking along Rainbow Drive near the river access, but residents of the area opposed that, Roberts said, because of what they said were wet lands being on the roadside.

However, Roberts said, “I suspect that it could possibly be engineered to work nicely.”

While the Rainbow Drive site remains popular with floaters because of its access to a mild section of whitewater and good fishing, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has a fishing access site about two miles north. That site provides restrooms, parking and is far-removed from neighboring landowners. Roberts said all of the Rainbow Drive residents at the meeting spoke against have the access open and said it should be closed permanently.