A back country road that starts at the Palisades Reservoir and the more popular route to places like Little Lemhi Boy Scout Camp is shifting and buckling in places.

It's enough to cause some concern about the overall safety of the road, just two weeks away from one of the busiest holiday travel weekends - Memorial Day.

There are places where the asphalt is no longer visible and where large cracks cover the road. But the road is still open to the public despite repeated calls for its closure.

The road is a scenic passage to Idaho's back country, winding over and around the beautiful Palisades Dam and Reservoir. But a small section of the road, about a quarter mile, is anything but scenic. There are cracks, bumps, tears, and tons of dirt that covers up where the road is all but gone.

Mayor Ann Walsh, Swan Valley: "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that there is major land disturbance going on."

There are buckles and cracks in the road, but none more dramatic than a major shift in the earth that just a week ago was still just flat surface.

Ron Frazell, Swan Valley Fire District Commissioner: "What you see here is fairly recent in the last two weeks. So we are very concerned from a public safety standpoint."

A closer look at the Calamity Guard Station - it's not just the road that's being affected. The entire concrete foundation is cracked and damaged.

Ron Frazell: "That concrete slab there was all one slab last Saturday."

Ron Frazell wants the road closed.

Ron Frazell: "It should probably be closed - temporarily at least. We've got a lot of traffic that's going to come across here Memorial Day weekend."

His feeling is echoed by the Swan Valley Mayor Ann Walsh, who asked for the closure through the Forest Service.

Ann Walsh: "I've been told yesterday by someone with the Forest Service that they don't feel there is eminent danger."

Since it is part of the U.S. Forest Service, only they have the authority to make the call.

Ann Walsh: "To me, it's a public safety issue now and this road needs to be closed."

The mayor and fire commissioner both say it's best if people avoid driving that area, even though an official road closure hasn't been issued.