Red Ives cabin reservation deadline Thursday

FISHING — Procrastinators lose in the quest to bunk in a Forest Service cabin along the St. Joe River, float a prized Idaho wilderness river or backpack through certain prized wilderness areas.

This is the season for thinking ahead to summer adventures that require a special permit or reservations.

Reservations for most permits and rentals on national forests and parks area available through the National Recreation Reservation System (NRRS), (877) 444-6777 or recreation.gov/ .

However, not every choice destination is onboard with the national online system.

Entering the lottery for reserving the Red Ives Cabin on the St. Joe River requires a letter of application to the ranger district.

• Applications must be postmarked by Thursday Feb. 28!

Red Ives cabin reservations are assigned in a lottery drawing. Applications are accepted early January through Feb. 28. The application is available from Forest Service offices or online at www.fs.usda.gov/ipnf ; click on the Red Ives Quick Link . Successful applicants will be notified by the end of March.

More than 500 applications were received for the 2012 season but only 50 applicants could be selected for reservations. Info: (208) 245-2531.