Hiker Headlines: Mowich Road Open, Forest Protection Wins, Active Rainbow Fire, A Seattle Times Profile

It’s July 13. Mowich Road at Mount Rainier is open! Be aware of several campfire and recreation use restrictions being put in place, as well as an active wildfire in the Lake Chelan area. Exciting news about some recent forest protections coming about as a result of the Great American Outdoors Act. And WTA’s CEO took a hike with The Seattle Times to outline WTA’s priorities in the outdoor recreation space. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

Campfires are not allowed in many areas now, so make sure to pack your camp stove (one that can be switched off)! Photo from WTA archives. 

WTA on homepage of The Seattle Times: Jaime Loucky, WTA’s CEO, recently too a hike with The Seattle Times and talked about WTA’s priorities and our role in Washington’s outdoor recreation community. "My priority for WTA is that we continue to be a driver of solutions for outdoor recreation," Jaime said, talking about WTA's approach to helping hikers connect to outdoor recreation and address challenges to the public lands infrastructure. Read the whole interview as he touches on everything from creating new trails, to the role of technology like our Trailblazer mobile app, to how we create more trail champions, including our incredible community of volunteers. 

Mowich Road open for the summer: Mowich Road in Mount Rainier National Park is back open for the season! Please be aware most of the road is gravel and can be rough for cars with low clearance. At this time, all roads in the park are fully open except for the segment of Stevens Pass Road between Stevens Creek and Grove to the Patriarchs, which is only open on weekends and holidays due to construction. 

Fire restrictions in place: As the state gets hotter and drier, be aware that many areas in Washington have or will soon have fire restrictions in place. 

• Gifford Pinchot National Forest has banned campfires and restricted smoking. Visitors can still use portable cooking stoves, lanterns and heating devices using fuel that can be switched off immediately. Some specific developed campgrounds may still allow for campfires. 
• Umatilla National Forest is in Phase A of Public Use Restrictions, which restricts smoking, off-road travel and chainsaw use. 
• Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest campfire restrictions begin July 14. Campfires will only be allowed in specific developed campgrounds and some specified areas, including certain group camps and summer homes under special permits. Visitors can still use portable cooking stoves, lanterns and heating devices using fuel that can be switched off immediately.
• Olympic National Forest and National Park no longer allow any backcountry or dispersed area campfires, including beach campfires. Gas or propane camp stoves that can be switched off immediately may be used. 
• The Washington Department of Natural Resources is banning all campfires in its Southeast Region starting July 14. This restriction includes the Teanaway Community Forest and Ahtanum State Forest. 
• The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has banned all campfires on managed lands in Eastern Washington. Visitors can still use portable cooking stoves, lanterns and heating devices using fuel that can be switched off immediately. There are additional restrictions on smoking, as well as firearm, off-road vehicle and motorized tool use. 
• Various state parks have burn bans in place — check ban statuses before heading out to a campground. 

We've also got resources on how to report a wildfire or check air quality. 

Rainbow Fire is still active: The Rainbow Fire in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area — within the North Cascades National Park — was detected earlier this week. Firefighting efforts are ongoing. Due to the fire, the Boulder Creek Trail from the junction with the Rainbow Loop trail to the trail’s junction with the War Creek trail is closed. Additionally, the Hooter, Rennie and Reynolds hiker and stock camps along the trail are closed. 

Forest protection wins:  In 2020, hikers like you joined WTA to help pass the Great American Outdoors Act, permanently funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Just recently, over 3 million acres of working forests have now been protected by the LWCF-funded Forest Legacy Program. These projects keep jobs in the woods, provide natural climate solutions, protect clean safe drinking water and open up recreation access across the country.

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