Hiker Headlines: Free Day, Closures, Youth Trail Work Parties

It’s June 16. This Sunday, Juneteenth, is a fee-free day at state managed lands. Ruby Beach is now closed for construction. A restoration project in the Upper South Fork Skokomish and repaving projects along Highway 20 will impact some trailhead access. Your hike can help inform research on pink snow. And, WTA invites you to join us on a youth trail work party this summer. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

Ruby Beach is closed until mid-September due to construction. Photo by Ryan Thomas.

Fee-free day: This Sunday, parking fees will be waived on lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in honor of Juneteenth. 

Ruby Beach closure: Ruby Beach will be closed from June 16 to mid-September for improvement projects. The closure includes the road to the trailhead, parking lot and trail to the beach. The beach south of Ruby Beach will still be accessible via Beach 1, 2, 3, 4 and Kalaloch Campground.

Trail and parking lot closures: Lower and Upper South Fork Skokomish trails and Church Creek trail will be closed to the public from June 13 to 24 for a habitat restoration project. Ross Dam Trailhead parking lot will be closed for approximately the next week, and visitors to Marblemount Ranger Station may experience long wait times from June 20 to July 22 due to repaving projects.

Pink snow research: Western Washington University is looking for hikers to help them with research on pink snow, caused by snow algae. If you come across any pink snow on your hikes, let WWU know where you found it, and write a trip report so other hikers can come check it out before it melts! 

WTA youth work parties: Want to get outside and make new friends this summer, while earning community service hours for school? Youth ages 14-18 are invited to join WTA for single-day trail work parties this summer, July 4 to 8 and August 22 to 26, creating a new trail at Glendale Community Forest! Check out all of our youth day work parties and sign up today.

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