Hiker Headlines: Gold Creek Pond summer closure, early fire season, free day
Saturday is National Get Outdoors Day, and parking will be free at national forests. Wildfire season is here, and Mount Rainier National Park and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest now have fire bans. A landslide on Albion Hill Road is making the road difficult to navigate. Gold Creek Pond is closed for the summer. And it was hot last weekend — folks really got outside!
It’s June 12. National Get Outdoors Day is Saturday, June 14, and parking will be free at national forests. Wildfire season is here, and Mount Rainier National Park and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest now have fire bans. A landslide on Albion Hill Road is making the road difficult to navigate. Gold Creek Pond is closed for the summer. And it was hot last weekend — folks really got outside! Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.
Gold Creek Pond will be closed this summer for a restoration project. Photo by trip reporter zaranth.
Fee-free day: This Saturday, June 14, is National Get Outdoors Day, and parking fees will be waived on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Fire season is here: It’s fire season, and it’s early this year. The Dog Mountain trail system is closed due to the Grant Lake Fire, and unofficial trails in the Rowena area are closed due to the Rowena Fire. The Red Bridge Road Fire started burning earlier this week near Cle Elum. Mount Rainier National Park now has a parkwide fire ban, including White River and Cougar Rock campgrounds. Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest is also adding campfire restrictions on Friday, June 13. Fires will only be allowed in designated, developed recreation sites and some designated wilderness areas. Be fire aware as you plan your upcoming hikes, and check the AQI forecast and wildfire layers on our Hike Finder Map so you know where it’s safe to hike.
Landslide: A landslide on Albion Hill Road in Colville National Forest has blocked most of the road, though passage is still possible by vehicles about the size of a pickup truck. Please use caution if navigating around the landslide, and find alternate routes if possible. This affects access to the Old Stage and Ryan Cabin trails.
Gold Creek closure: The Gold Creek Pond day-use area, FR 4832-142 and access to the Gold Creek Trail are closed for the summer for the Gold Creek Valley Restoration Project. The area is anticipated to reopen in December for winter recreation if it is safe. This closure is expected to occur every year for the next 3 to 10 years.
It was hot! Last weekend, lots of folks got outside for some fresh air and lots of sun. The temperatures were high across the state, and hikers shared what they saw — a family of mergansers, a vibrant sunrise, a mass of harbor seals, a count of all of the switchbacks at Teneriffe Falls, blossoming wildflowers, volunteers rangers reporting on the toilet situation at Mount Adams and more!
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