Know Before You Go: Trails That Will be Closed this Summer

• Stay informed
• ~ Check the status of hikes in our Hiking Guide. We put closure alerts on affected hikes as we hear about them
• ~ Or, check conditions in recent trip reports. They're a great source of information. 
• CHALLENGE: After your next hike, take 2 minutes to write a trip report and help other hikers. Conditions change constantly so they’re always helpful. 

Heads up, hikers! A fair number of popular trails will be closed for all or part of the 2023 summer hiking season, due mostly to construction and much-need improvements (yay!)

To help you plan your summer hiking better, here’s a roundup of closures we know about right now. 

You can also hear about upcoming closures or trail news in Hiker Headlines, which we release every Thursday on our blog and share on social media. 

A lot of road and trail work this summer will mean that some popular hiking areas will be closed. Photo by Jessi Loerch.

• Find an alternative hike
• Despite all these closures, there are still plenty of places to hike, and WTA has everything you need to help you find your next hike.
• Check our Hiking Guide — with more than 4,000 hikes, you’re sure to find something right for you. And, for personalized hike recommendations, create a My Backpack account.

Franklin Falls and Denny Creek area

A parking lot expansion and road work will mean that all of Forest Road 58 in the Snoqualmie Pass area will be closed this summer, and until as late as November of this year. This means that the Denny Creek Campground, Denny Creek trailhead, Franklin Falls trailhead, the Franklin Falls Trail and the Wagon Road Trail will all be closed. During the work, parking will be increased by 72 spaces and the road will have an added loop to improve traffic flow. The improvements, which were made possible by the Great American Outdoors Act and the Recreation Conservation Office of Washington state, will benefit hikers for years to come. 

Mount Rainier Area

The Greenwater Lakes Trail will be closed until June 16 for crews to replace two bridges.

Mountain Loop Highway

Some roads and trails on the Mountain Loop Highway (between Arlington and Darrington) will be closed this summer and beyond while the Forest Service makes improvements. Additionally, the section between Barlow Pass and Bedal Creek is still closed due to winter storm damage. A re-opening date is not yet known. (Map of Mountain Loop closures.)

• Mount Pilchuck: The trail to the Mount Pilchuck lookout is currently closed, and will be closed until 2024. The closure is to allow trail work and work on Forest Road 42, which provides access to the trailhead. The road will be gated after the Heather Lake trailhead, so the Heather Lake trail will still be accessible.
• Boardman, Ashland, Pinnacle and Bear lakes: Forest Road 4020, which provides access to the Boardman Lake, Ashland Lakes and Pinnacle/Bear lake trail systems will be closed through July for road repair work.
• Big Four: The Big Four Ice Caves trailhead and trail had been closed for trail work, but are open again as of June 14. 
• Lake Twenty-Two: The Lake Twenty-Two trailhead and trail will be closed in September for trail maintenance. 

Methow and Naches area roads

• Some roads in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest are closed due to storm damage. The roads include:
  • The War Creek trailhead / Forest Road 4430-100 is impassable due to debris and washouts. The road is gated. Crews are looking at options for a short term fix. 
  • East Chewuch / Forest Road 5010 is gated at the 20-mile ford at milepost 9. Up to that point, the road is open but too rough for passenger cars. 
  • Eight Mile Road 5130 is very rough at mileposts 8 to 9 but might be passable by four-wheel drive vehicles.
  • Harts Pass Road 5400 is gated for damage to the roadway. 
  • Mineral Creek trail, which provides access to the Pacific Crest Trail, is closed for the season for bull trout restoration work. Cooper River Road #4600, which provides access to the trailhead, is also closed for the last 1.5 miles.  
  • Forest Road 1504, which provides access to the Rattlesnake trailhead, is closed at milepost 0.8 due to flood damage.

Cougar Mountain

Due to bridge work, the Wildside Trail on Cougar Mountain will be closed between Rainbow Town trail and the Marshalls Hill trail until June 30. The spur trails leading off Wildside trail to the Steam Hoist view point will also be closed.  

Blanca Lake area

Forest Road 63, which provides access to Blanca Lake, is washed out 2 miles before the trailhead. That also cuts off road access to Quartz Creek, North Fork Skykomish, Pass Creek and West Cady Ridge

Cherry Creek Falls

A reminder that there is no designated parking at Cherry Creek Falls, please park responsibly. Cars that are parked in areas signed for private roads may be towed. If you arrive and find no parking, head elsewhere. You can use WTA's Trailblazer app to find nearby trailheads.

Hurricane Ridge

The day lodge at Hurricane Ridge was destroyed in a fire in early May. The road to Hurricane Ridge is closed at the Heart of the Hills Campground, cutting off road access to the trailheads at the ridge. Park official hope to re-open the road this summer, but no date has been set.  

Mount St. Helens

A large landslide has closed access to Johnston Ridge Observatory and some popular trailheads in the area, but most of the monuments other trails will be accessible this season.