Hiker Headlines: Celebrate Trails, Park Planning, Maps in Libraries, Wildfires

It’s July 29. Get ready for some upcoming hiking holidays. The public can comment on two different management plans, one for the Olympic National Forest and one for Mount Rainier. Hikers can borrow maps, guidebooks and Discover Passes from Seattle libraries. It’s fire season—keep up to date on the closures and fire bans that remain in place. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

In celebration of Great American Outdoors Day, admission fees will be waived at National Parks, like Mount Rainier, on August 4. Photo by Kailey Cozart. 

Two reasons to celebrate trails: Get excited about some upcoming hiking holidays. Great American Outdoors Day is happening next Wednesday, August 4, to celebrate the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act. Entrance fees for national parks and Bureau of Land Management lands will be waived on August 4. On the local level, Washington Trails Day is coming up next Saturday, August 7, to celebrate the public lands in our own backyard. WTA will be celebrating the annual holiday by asking Congress to support trail funding. Hikers can join in too by signing our petition.

Olympic National Forest survey: The Olympic National Forest is working on a Sustainable Recreation Plan — a forest-wide vision for ensuring recreation opportunities will exist well into the future. They are looking for public input as an important part of this process. Learn more about this process and take the survey to make sure your voice is heard.

Input for Mount Rainier planning: Mount Rainier National Park is looking for public input as they develop a visitor use management plan for the Nisqually Corridor, the road between the Nisqually entrance and Paradise. According to the park the plan is needed to, “support positive visitor experiences in a sustainable manner.” Learn more about the plan and comment by September 14.  

Outdoor resources in Seattle libraries: A map is one of the ten essentials to bring on every hike, and you may be able to check one out from the Seattle Public Library. The library lends topographic hiking maps, guidebooks and even Discover Passes. Check out the resources they offer and don’t forget to read the latest trip reports before heading out.

Washington wildfires: Burn bans, which prohibit campfires, are in place across much of Washington, including the latest forest-wide ban on campfires from Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Lands managed by the State Department of Natural Resources east of the Cascades remain closed to reduce the risks associated with wildfires and to aid firefighting efforts. Highway 20 is closed between milepost 165 and 185 (west of Winthrop) due to the Cedar Creek and Cub Creek 2 fires. Check the latest fire conditions before heading out on any trip as conditions change fast.

BE IN THE KNOW

• Keep up to date with Trail News, our monthly email newsletter.
• Check our Hiking Guide for information on what trails are open.
• Check trip reports for latest conditions on trails. And if you go for a hike, file your own trip report.
• Sign up for Families Go Hiking, our email newsletter for families with plenty of tips on keeping kids busy.