Hiker Headlines: Mental Health, Wildlife Win, Fire Safety, Parking Reservations, Forest Expansion

It’s May 20. Get some #FreshAir4MentalHealth this Saturday. Wild fishers born in the North Cascades are a landmark in bringing this endangered species back. It’s Wildfire Awareness Month: brush up on campfire safety. Visitors to the Lewis River Recreation Area will need a parking reservation this summer. A new land acquisition nearly doubled the Nisqually Community Forest. Get Trail Smart with WTA’s new email series. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

 
Spending time outside is great for mental health and wellbeing. If you go outside this Saturday, share your photos on social media with the hashtag #FreshAir4MentalHealth to raise awareness for Mental Health Month. Photo by Katie Hoynes. 

#FreshAir4MentalHealth: Get outside this Saturday, May 22 to recognize May as Mental Health Month. You can get outside in whatever way works for you—sit in the sun, go for a walk or hike—and post your photos on social media with the hashtag #FreshAir4MentalHealth to promote the importance of time spent outside for our wellbeing.

First wild fishers born in fifty years: A female fisher with 4 kits was recorded on a wildlife camera in western Chelan County, marking the first wild fishers born in the North Cascades in nearly half a century. Fishers, a member of the weasel family, became endangered in 1998. These new births are a great first sign that fisher populations are taking hold since being reintroduced a couple years ago.

Wildfire Awareness Month: Last year 81% of wildfires in Washington and Oregon were human-caused. With HB 1168 signed into law, more resources will be available to fight fires this summer, but prevention is the best solution. Become familiar with campfire safety to do your part in reducing the impact of wildfires this summer. The Recreate Responsibly Coalition also has new guidelines for fire safety. Check conditions and regulations, consider alternatives to a campfire, build a fire in a safe place and always thoroughly extinguish a campfire with water.

New reservation system for Lewis River Recreation Area: Visitors wanting to park in the Lewis River Recreation Area will need a permit starting June 15. The new parking permit reservation system is intended to improve congestion and public safety at 6 parking lots along this popular recreation corridor. Starting May 20, visitors can reserve a parking ticket on recreation.gov. Additional permits will be released on a rolling basis 2 days prior to the date you want to visit.  

Nisqually Community Forest expansion: The Nisqually Community Forest has nearly doubled in size after a recent land acquisition carried out in partnership between the Nisqually Land Trust and the Nisqually Indian Tribe. The additional 2,200 acres of land include over 3 miles of critical habitat and secures most of the Mount Tahoma Trails Association’s cross-country ski trail network.  

Get Trail Smart: With Memorial Day weekend right around the corner, now is a great time to brush up on your trail smarts skills. You can get tips on planning your adventure, packing your backpack and staying safe on trail delivered straight to your inbox through our free, weeklong Trail Smarts email bootcamp.

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• 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.