PUBLIC LANDS – Renting the historic Red Ives Ranger Cabin on the St. Joe  River is being switched from a mail-in lottery to a national online reservation system, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests reports.

Starting this month, reservations will be made through the Reserve America Website, reserveamerica.com, on a first-come first-serve basis up to six months before a user's targeted rental date.

The Red Ives Ranger Cabin is scheduled to appear on the Reserve America website next week.  However, the site will not become active for the first reservation opportunity until Nov. 27 at 7 a.m.  The first date available for reservation will be May 25-27, 2018.

Reservations for the Red Ives Ranger Cabin in previous years had been managed through a lottery from the district office in St. Maries.  The furnished cabin, formerly a ranger station residence, is in an area well situated for fishing the popular St. Joe River or heading out to the area's trails.

Reserve America has been in use across the Idaho Panhandle National Forests for sites such as Arid Peak and Surveyors Lookouts for several years.

Info: Jake Biar, (208) 245-6013.