Hiker Headlines: Free day; traffic delays and temporary road closures

It’s March 6. March 9 is Billy Frank Jr.’s birthday, and parking fees will be waived on state-managed lands. And some road closures and traffic delays may affect your hikes. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

FR 18 recently experienced a partial washout just south of Segelson Creek Sno-Park. Photo courtesy of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. 

Free day: This Sunday, March 9, is Billy Frank Jr.’s birthday! Billy Frank Jr. was a Nisqually tribal member who advocated for Native American fishing rights. The Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is named after him for his advocacy and work to help preserve the area as a refuge. Lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will have their parking fees waived on his birthday. 

Closures: Be aware of the following closures when you’re planning your next hike: 

• Steptoe Butte State Park Heritage Site is closed until further notice due to a road washout. There is also a planned road improvement project starting late May or early June, which will close the park through September. 
• Forest Road 4109 — near the Tarbell and Silver Star Mountain trailheads — is temporarily closed between the junction with State Route 1100 and the Copper Creek Bridge due to bridge damage. The section of road will be closed until the bridge is repaired.

Traffic delays: Some road damage and construction projects are causing traffic delays: 

• The I-90 Vantage Bridge deck replacement project is starting up again, and traffic will be reduced to a single lane. Note that this lane restriction is in place around-the-clock, every day of the week, so drivers should expect long delays during peak traffic hours and when events are happening at the Gorge Amphitheatre. The closure will be lifted temporarily between May 23 and July 8. 
• FR 18 has experienced a partial road washout just south of Segelson Creek Sno-Park. The road is still passable, but use caution around the area and find alternate travel routes if possible. 
• Expect increased traffic on FR 53 in Umatilla National Forest between the junction with FR 115 and Highway 395 through April due to work to reduce wildfire risk. 

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