What winter flooding will mean for towns and trails, and how hikers can help

In mid-December, a series of atmospheric rivers dumped record rains, then wind and snow on Washington and the Inland Northwest. The floods that followed have been catastrophic. Up to 100,000 people were told to evacuate and more than 100 people had to be rescued. Winds knocked out power for tens of thousands. Major routes are closed, and some will remain closed for quite some time.  

The Index-Galena Road washed out during recent flooding. The road provides access to popular hikes like Blanca Lake, as well as to private property. The road had re-opened in 2023 after a prior washout, at a different location, had been repaired. Photo by trip reporter I-like_2_hike_. 

What this means for hikers right now

The response to this disaster is going to take all of us. Right now, the focus is on helping deal with the immediate aftermath of the disaster. The best thing hikers can do is to observe closure signs, avoid driving through water and help those in their community who need it.

Consider delaying any hiking plans or hike on nearby neighborhood trails, if you know they’re safe. The situation is still quite unstable. By staying close to home, you’re leaving roads clearer for those who are doing recovery work. And you’re not putting yourself at risk from falling trees or landslides. 

See below for an overview of conditions around the state. See the Hiking Guide for information on specific trails. 

Communities hit hard by flooding, landslides

A state of emergency has been declared, but even with that help, recovery is going to take a long time. 

Communities have been hit hard. Many people who work and depend on public lands live in towns that were affected by the storms. People in Monroe, Sedro-Woolley and many other areas saw their homes flooded and they will need time and money to be able to return home. 

Leavenworth and Chelan County were hit by widespread flooding and power outages. Leavenworth canceled winter festival events for the weekend. Stehekin and Holden Village, both on Lake Chelan and popular stopping spots for hikers, had evacuation orders after massive slides. Holden is expected to be closed until May. Communities around Randle and Packwood were cut off by water. The residents of Greenwater and Crystal Mountain Resort, northeast of Mount Rainier, have had their access limited due to major damage to Highway 410. 

For trails, especially with wind and snow in the forecast, some of the impacts won’t even be known until next year, when land managers and hikers start to return to higher elevation and more remote areas. And some areas won’t be accessible at all, until roads can be repaired.

What this means for trails, and those who rely on them

Trails are more than just places to hike. They are an extension of the communities in our state. They are the places where people work, picnic or vacation with families, where they fish and forage. Trails are a driving force for local economies, and when those trails become inaccessible, that reverberates in town. 

Much of the damage that was caused by these recent storms is going to take years to recover from.

The Suiattle River Road, for instance, washed out about 4.5 miles from Highway 530 — much closer to the highway than where the road washed out in 2003 and 2006. The washout leaves more than a dozen trails out of reach, and cuts off an important access point to the Pacific Crest Trail. It also cuts off Darrington from the benefit of visitors who stop in town on their way to hike. After the washouts in 2003 and 2006, the road didn’t reopen to vehicles again until 2014. And, once it was open, crews had a monumental amount of work to restore trails that hadn’t been maintained for years. 

The Index-Galena Road, which leads to Blanca Lake and other popular hikes, also washed out during the recent flooding. That road had re-opened in 2023 after being closed for 17 years. (The recent washout is in a different location.) While the road was washed out, emergency access was more difficult and hikers and other recreators had to access trails via the Beckler River Road, a 40-mile mostly gravel detour. The detour bypasses Index, meaning the town doesn’t get to benefit from hikers stopping by to grab a meal. The washout is on a county road and cuts off access to private property, in addition to the many recreation opportunities. 

Many more roads to trailheads and trails have been affected, and it may take months before the full damage is clear. 

Damage to U.S. 2 near Skykomish. The roadway remains closed from near Skykomish to Leavenworth. Sections of the road have washed out in several areas. Photo courtesy Washington State Department of Transportation.

Highway 410, east of Enumclaw, washed out in recent flooding. The road is only open to essential traffic. Photo by Enumclaw Police Department. 

How you can help trails and be part of the recovery 

WTA will be leading the way and coordinating with our partners across the state to advocate for funding to repair these roads and trails — and to ensure they’re better prepared for storms like this in the future. We’ll continue to ask state and federal officials to fully fund public lands, so that land managers have the resources they need to maintain roads, bridges, trails and other resources at risk. 

For decades, public lands have not had the funding they need, which means maintenance and upkeep is always way behind what is needed. That means, when flooding like this hits, bridges, roads and trails are vulnerable. 

In the coming months and years, we’ll be asking for your help to recover from this disaster. From volunteering on trail to talking to your lawmakers to donating to power our work, you can help restore access to the wild places we love. 

We’ll keep you up-to-date on the situation on trails. Check our Hiking Guide for information on trail closures. And sign up for action alerts to be informed when you can speak up to help trails. 

The Foothills Trail in Pierce County is closed due to flooding. Photo courtesy Pierce County. 

The river access to the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River was flooded near Big River Bridge. Photo by Monty VanderBilt. 

What hikers need to know right now

While the state is still in an active disaster response, consider delaying your hiking or recreation plans and respect all closures. Saturated soils mean trees are more likely to fall, and as snow begins to fall, avalanche danger will climb in the high country. 

Give responders and communities the space and time they need to address immediate needs. 

Once conditions stabilize, check road conditions, trip reports and our Hiking Guide before heading out. We’re keeping the Hiking Guide up to date with information on trails that are closed or inaccessible. Planning to spend time in the snow? Visit our friends at the Northwest Avalanche Center and check avalanche conditions. Stay safe out there. 

Here are some of the key impacts from recent storms that hikers should know about.
(Updated Dec. 17, 2025.) 

• State Route 542, the Mount Baker Highway, is closed at milepost 36, Canyon Creek. That blocks access to Mount Baker Ski Area, and surrounding areas. 
• On the west, Highway 20 is closed in both directions near Beacon Creek, east of State Route 530. That cuts off hiking to trails along Highway 20, including Diablo Lake. The road is also closed for the season just past Diablo Lake. 
• On the east, Highway 20 is closed 12 miles west of Winthrop, although there is a detour. The road is closed for the season at Early Winters, milepost 178. 
• State Route 530, north of Darrington, is closed in both directions. 
• The Suiattle River Road is washed out about 4.5 miles from State Route 530.
• U.S. 2 is closed from Skykomish to Leavenworth due to rocks, trees and mud on the roadway. There are no detours and no estimated time for reopening. This means that Stevens Pass, and the trails for hiking and snowshoeing in that area, are all inaccessible. 
• Index-Galena Road is closed near Index. That means access to Blanca Lake or other hikes in that area require a long detour via Beckler Road. (Note that there is also a washout about a quarter mile before the Blanca Trailhead.)
• The road along the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River has been partially cleared, but still has trees across, and more are continuing to fall. Hikers should avoid the area for now. That cuts off access to the many trails and day use areas along the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River. 
• Two lanes of I-90 eastbound, east of North Bend, were closed due to a landslide. Expect delays if heading east toward trails in the Snoqualmie Pass area. 
• State Route 410, is restricted to essential traffic only from just east of Enumclaw to the town of Greenwater. With Chinook Pass closed for the season, that cuts off access to the northeast side of Mount Rainier, including Crystal Mountain Ski Area and the trails and snowshoeing routes in the area. 
• The Hoh River Rainforest area in Olympic National Park is closed due to flooding.