Hiker Headlines: Olympic Camping Permits & Road Closures, Urban Forest Funding, Wildflowers

It’s April 13. Olympic National Park camping permits for the summer will be available to reserve on April 15. Expect some road closures and a trail closure in the Quinault area. The Forest Service is allocating over $9 million to support urban green spaces in Washington and Oregon. And, wildflowers are here! Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

When spring comes, so do the wildflowers! Photo by David Hagen.

Olympic National Park camping permits available soon: Olympic National Park camping permits for the summer season from May 15 through Oct 15 will be available on April 15 at 7:00 a.m. Permits can be reserved on Recreation.gov.

Quinault road closures: Be aware of some closures in the Quinault area. North Shore Quinault Road is closed past milepost 14.5 near the Quianult River Bridge for the installation of a temporary replacement bridge. Additionally, Graves Creek Road, Graves Creek Campground and East Fork Quinault Trail (Enchanted Valley) will be closed from April 17 through May 25 for bridge maintenance, including a replacement of Pony Bridge. 

Urban forest funding: The Inflation Reduction Act invested $1.5 billion in the Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program. The Forest Service is allocating $9.75 million to Washington and Oregon to support green spaces in urban communities that have been marginalized, underserved and lack access to trees and nature. The funding will go toward community-based organizations, tribes, municipal and state governments, nonprofit partners, universities and other eligible entities. Grant funding is open until June 1. 

Spring is here: Wildflowers are starting to bloom — just this last week, hikers saw balsam root, Columbia desert parsley, yellow bells, trillium and skunk cabbage out on trail! If you head outside this weekend, snap some photos and share what you saw in a trip report so hikers know where Washington is in bloom. And remember, be careful not to trample delicate plant-life, and it's never cool to pick wildflowers on public land.

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