Mount Rainier National Park Examines Washed-Out Carbon River Road

Photo by M and T

In November 2006, severe storms washed out Mount Rainier National Park's Carbon River Road.  The road leads to the Ipsut Creek Campground and the Wonderland and Carbon Glacier Trailhead.  The washout, 4.5 miles from the trailhead, places the Carbon Glacier out of reach for many day hikers.  That's why we included the Carbon Glacier Trail in our 2007 Endangered Trails Guide.

Today, Mount Rainier National Park issued a press release to inform hikers and others interested in the Carbon River Road that they are preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) on the eventual fate of the road.  While the park's General Management Plan calls for the road to be closed, it does not establish guidelines on the closure.  The park will have to prepare additional environmental documentation and gather public input in order to decide how to proceed.  The Carbon River Road has washed out numerous times since it was built in the 1920s.  Decisions regarding how to proceed will take the history of the road into account.

In order to gather public input in the early stages of drafting the EA, the park is scheduling meetings for next week.  The meeting times and locations are:

• Monday, June 30 at 7:00 PM.  Location:  Enumclaw Public Library, 1700 First Street, Enumclaw.
• Tuesday, July 1 at 7:00 PM.    Location:  The Mountaineers Clubhouse in Tacoma, 2302 North 30th Street, Tacoma.