Hiker Headlines: Hiking Guide Update, Free Day, Fire Restrictions

It’s August 4. We've redesigned and updated our Hiking Guide! Today is Great American Outdoors Day, and parking fees are waived in some areas. Summer repaving continues on Highway 20. Hunting season is starting up on some public lands. And, more campfire restrictions have been put in place. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

Due to the summer repaving project on Highway 20, the road to the Cascade Pass trailhead will not be accessible by car. Photo by Julia Ladner.

Exciting changes: We just redesigned our Hiking Guide pages! The new, more mobile-friendly design highlights the key information you need to plan your best hike, including a new field: calculated difficulty! We added this to give hikers a baseline of what to expect on trail, but you can always let us know how difficult the trail felt to you in a trip report.

Free day: Today is Great American Outdoors Day! Parking fees will be waived on lands managed by the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management.

North Cascades closures: Due to continued repaving on Highway 20, Colonial Creek Campground will be closed August 7-11 and 14-18. Cascade River Road will be closed to vehicle traffic at milepost 20, three miles from the trailhead. Work is currently scheduled for August 5, and only foot traffic will be allowed for permit holders before 7:00 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m.

Hunting safety: August is the start of bear and elk hunting seasons on some public lands. Be sure to research the hunting season schedule and locations before you head out, and make yourself visible by wearing bright colors like pink, red or orange if you are hiking somewhere where hunting is allowed.

Wildfire season: Campfires are now banned in Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and part of North Cascades National Park within Chelan County due to fire danger. Outside of the county in North Cascades National Park, fires are only allowed in established fire pits. Please be responsible with fire, and be sure to check out the wildfire overlay on our Hike Finder Map and wildfire alerts in our Hiking Guide before you hit the trail.

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• 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.
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• Sign up for Trail Action Network to stay up to date on issues impacting trails and ways to get involved.