Hiker Headlines: Fee-free day, road closure, a big win in Congress

It’s Jan. 16. Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and parking fees are waived in some areas. Share your thoughts to help Washington State Parks develop a park on Miller Peninsula. In a big win, Congress just passed the EXPLORE Act! A road near the Quinault River is closed. Olympic National Forest has expanded their office hours. And Washington has sent firefighting aid to California. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

South Shore Road along the Quinault River has experienced severe erosion and is closed until further notice. Photo courtesy of the Forest Service/Jefferson County.

Free day: Monday, Jan. 20, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and parking fees are waived on lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Washington State Parks, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Natural Resources and the Bureau of Land Management.

Share your thoughts: Just outside Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula, Miller Peninsula is a Washington State Parks property with existing trails for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. WTA has even worked here in the past! But it's not a state park… yet. Washington State Parks is working on developing the area and wants to know what you'd like to see at the new park. Tent camping? Cabins? A children’s play area? Something else? Take 5 minutes to share your ideas before the survey closes at the end of January.

A big win: The EXPLORE Act, a bundle of recreation-focused bills, passed Congress and was signed into law at the end of 2024. One of WTA's favorite parts of the law is that it permanently authorizes the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program that funds parks and greenspace. Upland Playfield Park in Kent recently benefited from the program and is receiving more than $3 million in federal funding. We are excited that this important funding source for parks is protected! 

Road closed: South Shore Road along the Quinault River is closed until further notice due to severe erosion, which has restricted access to the Fletcher Canyon Trail trailhead.

Open longer: Olympic National Forest has expanded their walk-in winter office hours in Olympia, Quinault, Quilcene and Forks. Please see its website for specific open days and hours. 

Firefighting help: The Washington Department of Natural Resources and the Forest Service have sent firefighting crews and engines to the Los Angeles area to aid the firefighting efforts as wildfires continue to blaze. DNR has sent 10 fire engines and 35 firefighters, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest has sent a North Bend fire engine and crew and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has sent a crew from across multiple ranger districts. 

BE IN THE KNOW

• Keep up to date with Trail News, our monthly email newsletter.
• Search our Hiking Guide to find your next adventure.
• Check trip reports for latest conditions on trails. And if you go for a hike, file your own trip report.
• Sign up for Families Go Hiking, our email newsletter for families with plenty of tips on keeping kids busy.
• Sign up for Trail Action Network to stay up to date on issues impacting trails and ways to get involved.