Hiker Headlines: GiveBIG, Road Closures, Spring Hiking Prep, New Trail

It’s April 28. GiveBIG is on May 3-4! Roads to Ira Springs and Talapus Lake trailheads will be closing intermittently through spring and summer. WTA wants to help prepare you for spring hiking. A new trail that would give safer access to Clayton Beach is slated to be completed this summer. Priest Point Park will be renamed Squaxin Park, after the Squaxin Island Tribe. Here's some news you may have missed while out on trail this week. 

Spring is in the air! Photo by BeaverDawg.

GiveBIG is on May 3-4: GiveBIG is vital to funding our work for trails in 2022, and a group of generous board members and donors will match $75,000 of donations. Each year, WTA provides integral leadership for Washington’s outdoor recreation community by building and maintaining trails, advocating for public lands and helping hikers like you get outside. Our work wouldn’t be possible without our community of generous donors. Will you help us support trails by making a donation?

Road closures: The roads to Ira Spring and Talapus Lake trailheads will each be closing periodically through the spring and summer for the Bandera Restoration Project by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. At least one of the roads will be open at all times, and both will be open from noon Fridays until Sunday nights and on federal holidays. Work will begin on the road to Ira Springs trailhead first; the road to Talapus Lake trailhead will likely stay open until late May or early June.

Spring hiking prep: After the dark days of winter, spring is bringing birdsong, bright green leaves and best of all more sunlight! If you're ready to hit the trail this season, be sure to join us on May 7 at Meridian Habitat Park in Puyallup. We'll cover everything you need to know to find an excellent spring hike, as well as tips on what to pack. Tickets are $4 per family, so be sure to register in advance. (Can't make it in person? You can still check out some of our spring hiking tips online.)

New trail: A new route to Clayton Beach in Larrabee State Park is now under construction thanks to a grant from the state Recreation and Conservation Office. The new trail and overpass will serve as a safe and legal path to the beach, while existing social trails will be removed. The project is expected to be completed in June or July.

New name: Olympia City Council unanimously voted to change the name of Priest Point Park to Squaxin Park to honor the Squaxin Island Tribe, who have inhabited the Olympia area since time immemorial. The Squaxin Island Tribe plans to have a land blessing this summer, and invites the Olympia community to join.

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