Hiker Headlines: Perseid meteor shower peaks, Mount Adams and Pasayten area fire closures

It’s Aug. 8. The Perseid meteor shower peaks this weekend! Wildfire growth across the state and construction projects are impacting trails. Hunting season is here. Washington State Parks is updating its campsite fees next year. And do your part to help secure $150 million in trail funding! Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week. 

The Williams Mine Fire started earlier this week in the Mount Adams area and has resulted in many trail closures. Photo courtesy of the Forest Service.

Meteor shower: The Perseid meteor shower peaks this upcoming Sunday, Aug. 11, and Monday, Aug. 12! If you’re planning to head somewhere dark to watch the show, choose your viewing spot responsibly and have a backup plan (or two!). There are plenty of wonderful places to see the stars all across the state — remember that you don’t need to find high-elevation locations to get clear views of the sky. Many places in areas like Central and Eastern Washington provide spaces with open skies at lower elevations. 

Fire closures: With warmer weather returning, new fire activity has impacted some trails and roads:

• Easy Fire: Highway 20 will be closed through the weekend between Easy Pass trailhead (milepost 148) and Rainy Pass (milepost 157).
  
  
• Pioneer and Flat Creek fires: Many more trails in the Stehekin area have been impacted by growing fires nearby. Among the many closures include: Upper Stehekin Valley Road Trail, Flat Creek trail and Horseshoe Basin trail.
  
  
• Williams Mine Fire: Numerous trails near Mount Adams have been impacted. Among the many closures include: Mount Adams South Climb, Mount Adams Highline, Takhtakh Lake and Takh Takh Meadow and Divide Camp trail. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is closed between the Williams Mine trailhead and Potato Hill, and Forest Road 23 — which provides access to Trout Lake via the PCT — is also closed.
  
  
• Calcite Creek Fire: Many trails in the Pasayten Wilderness have been impacted. Among the closures include: Tatoosh Buttes, and the Pacific Northwest Trail (as the Boundary Trail) from its junction Quartz Lake to its junction with the PCT. 

Construction closures: The following trails will be temporarily closed for construction:

• Denny Creek trail will be closed between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Aug. 13 through Aug. 15 for trail work. 
• The Beaver Pond and Road I trails on Taylor Mountain will be closed from Aug. 12 through early October.  
• The road to Mount Pilchuck will be closed at the Heather Lake trailhead (2 miles in) from the evening of Aug. 13 through mid-afternoon of Aug. 14. 

Hunting season starts: August 1 marked the beginning of bear and a limited elk hunting season in Washington. As more public lands open up to hunting this fall, 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 and orange if you are hiking somewhere hunting is allowed. If you would like to avoid areas that allow hunting entirely, national and state parks in Washington do not allow hunting. Most national forest lands in Washington are open to hunting (though the elevation and specific zones vary).

Campsite fees updated: Washington State Parks campsite fees are being updated, with changes taking effect on May 15, 2025. Standard campsite fees will increase between $3-5, partial utility campsite fees will increase between $5-6 and full-utility campsite fees will increase $6. Primitive site fees remain $12. Roofed accommodation fees will not be affected during these changes.

Help secure trail funding! We need your help to secure $150 million for Washington's outdoors. Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program is the largest source for conservation and recreation funding in Washington. Ensure it continues to fund critical projects across the state by adding your name to Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition's request for $150 million for WWRP in the 2025-2027 budget cycle.

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