JOYCE — The Lyre River campground just west of Joyce has been closed temporarily after vandals made off with $800 worth of wood from the site’s picnic tables.
State Department of Natural Resources staff members have no clues about who or how many people might have been involved in the vandalism, said Wayne Fitzwater, Port Angeles-based recreation manager for DNR, which manages the campsite.
The damage was discovered Monday, and DNR closed the campground Tuesday, Fitzwater said.
Vandals stole wooden planks from two tabletops that had been replaced the week before as part of spring maintenance, Fitzwater said.
The campsite had to be closed because the theft left metal brackets exposed that could be dangerous for campers, said DNR spokeswoman Diana Lofflin, speaking from Olympia.
“Right now, there are exposed metal pieces that pose a safety hazard,” Lofflin said.
Fitzwater said the campground off East Lyre River Road along state Highway 112 is expected to reopen in two weeks after new table planks are installed.
“It’s just a temporary closure until we get things back the way they should be,” Fitzwater said.
The theft was reported to DNR’s law enforcement branch, Fitzwater said, and the vandals, if found, could face citations and pay replacement costs.
The campground is open year-round but is especially popular in the summer, Fitzwater said.
The campground and its 11 individual campsites see an estimated 300 campers per month in the summer, he added.
“It’s not unusual in the summertime to have [the campground] completely full,” he said.
Anyone with information about the vandalism is urged to call DNR’s Olympic regional office at 360-374-2800.
Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
