Hiker Headlines: Now Hiring, Volunteer Appreciation Week, Closures, Park Improvements

It’s October 13. WTA is hiring! Join WTA for Volunteer Appreciation Week. Be aware of closures in North Cascades National Park and Mount Rainier National Park. Skyway Park has fully reopened with multiple improvements. And, wildfire prevention efforts continue — and it seems they are working. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

Sunrise Road is closed for the season! Be sure to check to check for closures at Mount Rainier National Park as summer ends. Photo by Brian Felt.

Now hiring: WTA is currently searching for our 2023 Emerging Leaders Program cohort! We are also hiring for a Central and Eastern Washington regional manager, multi-day trips program coordinator, and a training and leadership development coordinator.

Volunteer Appreciation Week: Join WTA from November 2-8 for Volunteer Appreciation Week! We will have several online and in-person events to celebrate everyone who helps WTA — trip reporters, ambassadors, trail maintenance volunteers and more.

Closures: The East Bank Trail from Lightning Creek Camp to the junction with Desolation Trail and the Desolation Trail itself — this includes Desolation, Lightning Creek hiker and Cat Island camps, but Lightning Creek stock camp is open — are both closed due to the Desolation Fire. Additionally, Mount Rainier National Park is shifting into fall mode and the following are closed for the season: Sunrise Road; Ohanapecosh visitor center and campground; Longmire, White River and Paradise wilderness information centers; Cougar Rock and White River campgrounds and Paradise Inn. Check for closure statuses in the park before heading over there.

Park improvement projects: Skyway Park in Seattle has been fully reopened after improvement projects were completed. New improvements include a new playground, two additional ADA parking spaces and a new lit and paved path. 

Wildfire prevention: There is planned prescribed burning at the Mill Creek Municipal Watershed around Oct. 17-25 and near Mount Adams through Oct. 16 for conservation and wildfire prevention  — be aware if you see smoke in the area. Hilary Franz, commissioner of public lands at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, expanded the Wildfire Ready Neighbors program in Central Washington, which combines the forces of residents, community leaders and fire districts to prevent wildfires and mitigate damage. At a briefing about the wildfire season, Franz shared that wildfire prevention efforts this year resulted in the least area burned across the state in a decade and an overall moderate wildfire season.

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