Hiker Headlines: WTA Named Kitsap County Partner of the Year, Longmire to Paradise Road to Stay Open 5 Days a Week

It’s Nov. 9. WTA is hiring for a Mount Rainier National Park trail crew leader. The Longmire to Paradise Road will be open 5 days a week this winter. Nov. 11 is Veteran’s Day, and parking fees will be waived in some areas. A Draft Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan for the North Cascades has been released, and you can comment. And WTA is very proud to be the recipient of Kitsap County’s Partner of the Year award! Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

Trip reporter robgirl ran into snow at Paradise this week. You can check it out too — the Longmire to Paradise Road is open 5 days a week this winter!

Now hiring: WTA is hiring for a Mount Rainier National Park trail crew leader! This position, which is temporary and full-time, works outdoors leading volunteers in building and maintaining trails on public lands. The position’s primary responsibility is to lead single and multi-day work parties in Mount Rainier National Park. The priority application date is Nov. 30. And here’s a reminder that we’re also currently hiring for a development coordinator and a multimedia content coordinator, both of which have priority application deadlines of Nov. 12.

Longmire to Paradise Road access expands: The Longmire to Paradise Road in Mount Rainier National Park will be open 5 days a week — every Thursday through Monday — this winter starting Nov. 15, an increase from the 2 days a week it was open last winter season. The road gates will open at 9 a.m. The uphill gate closes at 4 p.m. and the downhill gate will close by 5 p.m. — make sure to plan your day around the closure. Winter camping at Paradise is permitted Thursday through Sunday nights. Sledding runs will not be open this year. 

Fee-free day: Veteran’s Day is this Saturday, Nov. 11, and parking fees will be waived on all lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Forest Service, Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Closures: Here are a couple of closures you might want to have on your radar while planning your next hike:

• Trail 120 in Mount Spokane State Park is closed until further notice for trail improvement work.
• Westside Road in Mount Rainier National Park is closed for the season (which means it’s time to get out your snowshoes!). 

Share your thoughts: The National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently released a plan outlining different strategies for recovering grizzly bears in the North Cascades. Read the draft restoration plan and share your comments by Nov. 13.

WTA named Kitsap County Partner of the Year: We’re proud to have received Kitsap County’s Partner of the Year 2023 award! This year, WTA led 50 work parties, worked with 581 volunteers and completed over 4,000 hours of trail work in the county. WTA volunteer John Foltz was also awarded the Legacy Volunteer award from the country for his contributions to their trail stewardship efforts. Big thanks to Kitsap County for this honor and your partnership. And a special thanks to WTA volunteer crew leaders Patrick Sullivan, Marji Sullivan and Rick Bennett for making all these work parties possible. 

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