Visitation numbers were down at Fossil Creek over the summer, according to numbers collected by the U.S. Forest Service, but only slightly.

Approximately 90,000 people visited the rare natural habitat, down 3,000 from the previous year as the Forest Service worked to keep people out of the area after a predetermined capacity for visitation had been reached.

While the number of visitors is low-to-moderate this time of year, according to a Forest Service hotline, Forest Road 708, which provides access to the creek, remains closed from the Strawberry side.

For the full story, see the Wednesday, Jan. 2, edition of The Camp Verde Journal.