Hiker Headlines: Olympic Permits, Mountain Loop Hwy, Public Lands Day, Spring Ahead

It’s March 7. Olympic National Park has a new permit process. Washington could get a day to celebrate public lands. The future of the Mountain Loop Highway is under consideration. And don't forget to change your clocks! 

Here’s some hiker news that you may have missed while out on trail this week.

Officials are considering the future of the Mountain Loop Highway. One option on the table is paving part of the route, which provides access to many hiking trails, including Barlow Point. Photo by Haley Winter.

To pave or not to pave: Should the Mountain Loop Highway be paved? The Federal Highway Administration has been researching ways to improve the route, which runs between Granite Falls and Darrington, and offers access to many trails. Paving the unpaved section of the loop is one option on the table. A public meeting was recently held in Granite Falls. Another meeting is this evening in Darrington.

Worth a celebration: A bill to name the fourth Saturday in September as Public Lands Day in Washington passed the state House of Representatives today. As hikers, we know the value of public lands — it’s where we do most of our hiking, after all. The day would be celebrated at the same time as National Public Lands Day, which WTA marks every year. You can add your voice to help make Public Lands Day a reality.  

Plan for permits: Olympic National Park is moving to a new permit process for backcountry permits. Applications open on March 18. Online permit applications will now be submitted through recreation.gov. Hikers can also make permit reservations in person. By late April, there will also be an option to make reservations by phone. Other permits are also opening soon. Permits for Mount St. Helens also open March 18. And Rainier and North Cascades national park permits open on March 15.

Spring ahead: Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead an hour on Sunday. Take advantage of that extra hour of daylight in the evening to squeeze in a short hike after work. And if you’re the morning type, enjoy a sunrise hike now that the sunrise will be a bit later.

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