A Washington hiker’s guide to the 2025 federal shutdown

On Oct. 1 the federal government began a partial shutdown that will impact National Parks and U.S. Forest Service lands in Washington. While some of the details are still emerging, the majority of government employees, seasonal staff and contractors are likely to be furloughed, though the administration also threatened additional federal staff reductions.

• TL;DR
• Public lands and employees need your support during a shutdown. The infrastructure (such as bathrooms and visitor centers) at national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges and national forests may be entirely or partially shut down.
  
  
• During the shutdown, WTA recommends that you instead head to one of our incredible state, county and local trails across the state.
  
  
• Please respect facility closures on federal lands and recreate responsibly. If you do hike on federal land, take extra care of the cultural and natural landscapes. (Pack out all your trash, even if garbage cans are available.)

In past shutdowns, some staff who were deemed essential remained on duty and continued to work without pay. In the past, that has meant that people like wildland firefighters and weather forecasters continue working without pay. The shutdown will continue until Congress can pass a funding bill or continuing resolution for the president to sign. 

Aside from affecting federal employees, contractors and programs, a government shutdown also impacts the experience hikers and campers will have when they head outside.

Here’s what we know now. As we learn more details, we will continue to make updates to this blog:

National parks, wildlife refuges begin shutdown, will have limited access, with minimal staffing

• Across the National Parks system, 9,296 of 14,500 parks staff will be furloughed. In National Wildlife Refuges, 4,655 of 7,001 staff will be furloughed. 
• Many National Park Service sites across the country will be partially open with minimal staffing and services. This includes Mount Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park and North Cascades National Park, as well as smaller units in the San Juan Islands and elsewhere.
• National wildlife refuge and Bureau of Land Management visitor centers and other buildings will be largely closed to public access, and only essential staff will remain on site for security. 
• Roads that go through or around national parks will remain open, as will some roads through parks. 
• Visitors should be prepared to encounter some roads or areas marked closed or gated. As a general rule, if a facility or area is locked or secured during non-business hours (buildings, gated parking lots, etc.) it should be locked or secured for the duration of the shutdown.
• Expect that most visitor centers and facilities — including bathrooms — to be closed. In most cases, there will be no sanitation management or garbage removal. This comes at the end of a year when short-staffed parks and forests have already been struggling to maintain standard maintenance and visitor safety responsibilities with gutted staffing and funding levels. 
• People already in campgrounds or overnight facilities will likely be alerted by parks staff and asked to leave as some park facilities close down.
• People who hold wilderness camping and climbing permits will likely be notified about the status of their trip if they have not been already. It’s unclear if online reservation systems will be operating for future permitting. Expect to find Wilderness Information Centers (WICs) closed. 
• Hikers should not expect National Park Service staff to regularly update websites with current trail or road information or post to official social media channels. Olympic National Park and Mount Rainier National Park will continue posting "critical information about park access, safety and resources" to their Facebook and Instagram channels. The Bureau of Land Management will not be updating their social accounts.  
• The Volunteers-in-Parks Program at Mount Rainier National Park is shutting down operations during the shutdown. The program staff are among those furloughed. Volunteers will not be permitted to work or represent the park during the shutdown. 

You can read the shutdown contingency plans released late on Sept. 30.

National forest facilities are closed

• Across the Forest Service, 12,744 staff and rangers will be furloughed. 
• The Forest Service will begin shutting down activities starting on Oct. 1 and continuing for the next few days. 
• Expect visitor centers and offices to be closed.
• Hikers should be prepared for trailhead facilities like toilets to be locked and for garbage not to be picked up. Some roads may be blocked by locked gates. (Around this time of year, the Forest Service typically ramps down some seasonal activities and winterizes some facilities.) 
• Any trails closed due to wildfire operations remain closed and should not be hiked. 
• Many of the Washington campgrounds operated by the Forest Service typically close in mid-September for the winter season, so campers should not expect these facilities to be open or serviced by Forest Service staff. 
• The Forest Service website and official social media channels will not be updated after Oct. 1. 
• If you hold a reservation (lookout, cabin, etc.) you will likely be notified about the status of your reservation, though more information is expected later today.

You can read more of the shutdown plans for the USDA.

Mount St. Helens National Monument 

• Hikers can expect that the Mount St. Helens Monument facilities will be closed. (The Johnston Ridge Observatory remains inaccessible and closed due to a landslide.) 
• Hikers should go expecting closed gates, but in past shutdowns, the Climber’s Bivouac, the climbing route and some hiking trails remained open, though bathroom facilities at all parking lots and trailheads will likely be locked. Not sure what to do? It’s best to choose a different location.

During the shutdown, consider visiting one of Washington's 140 state parks. Photo of Deception Pass State Park by Arpad Jasko.

Where to go: State parks, lands and local trails

You can still hike and camp on state and local lands.

Washington State Parks, Department of Natural Resources and Washington Fish & Wildlife lands remain open for hikers and other recreation users. Visitors should continue to bring their Discover Pass to display in their car at these sites. Check out these state parks or in-town adventures. State parks make great basecamps for fall and winter exploring.

County lands and city parks remain open as well, and there are many great places to hike near urban centers.

How do I know if a hike is on federal land?

If you are unsure if your destination is on a national forest, monument, refuge or park, head over to the applicable Hiking Guide entry and scroll down to “Map & Directions.” Underneath the map, you will find trailhead information that indicates the land manager. 

You can also search our Hiking Guide by pass. Look for trails that require a Discover Pass. Those are trails on state land. Any hike that requires a Northwest Forest Pass, National Park Pass or Interagency Pass is on federal land.

You can also read this handy guide to public lands in Washington state.

WTA volunteers

WTA will be pausing all of our trailwork on federal lands until further notice.

Many of our work parties are currently scheduled on lower-elevation state, county and city lands, though our high-country season isn’t over yet. (You can see where we are working and sign up to volunteer.) If the shutdown extends, our staff will relocate or cancel any work parties on impacted federal lands on a rolling basis.

If you are signed up to volunteer in the coming weeks, your crew leader will let you know if your work party has any changes. If you have additional questions, you can email our trails teams at volunteer@wta.org. 

A final word for people who love trails

Washington is full of people who love trails. Moments like this shutdown can be a time for trail users to demonstrate that appreciation with respect for the landscapes and the people who care for them. 

This has been a year when Washington trail users have really shown up for trails — including objecting to the reductions in force earlier this year, rallying to prevent the sale of public lands and speaking up to defend Roadless areas earlier.  We have gone above and beyond to take care of trails and to support the places we love and the hard-working staff, trail crews and rangers who take care of those places. 

Whether this shutdown lasts a day or a month, let’s work together to make sure that our lands and facilities remain well taken care of. Let’s not make more work for the folks charged with stewarding these shared, beloved places. 

• Please respect closures and recreate responsibly.
• Go beyond Leave No Trace values, and leave all lands (including state and local parks that might see higher visitation) better than you found them.
• Hike more cautiously than you normally would, so you don’t trigger emergencies. Search and rescue staff are already spread thin this year. 
• Practice your trail smarts and stewardship.

Thank you!