Hiker Headlines: Permit Changes, Snow Closures, Outdoor Jobs

It’s February 18. Mount Rainier National Park announced changes to their backcountry permitting system. Some popular trailheads are temporarily closed due to heavy snow. Many land managers are hiring for summer seasonal positions. Last weekend’s lowland snow transformed nearby parks into winter wonderlands. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

Mount Rainier National Park announced changes to its permitting process. Photo by Yuki Sofronas. 

Rainier permit process: Wilderness permits for Mount Rainier’s peak hiking season (June 1-September 20) will now be processed through recreation.gov. The new permitting process includes three options. The first is an early access lottery (applications accepted March 2-March 14). Applicants will be selected at random, then assigned a date when they can book their trip. The second option is general access (April 27-September 28) when anyone can make a reservation online. A third of all permits will be reserved as walk-up permits (May 28-October 11). The Early Access Lottery offers the best chance of reserving a trip around the Wonderland Trail, so be sure to get your application in on time.

Closed trailheads: The Longmire to Paradise Road is currently closed due to heavy snow. With more snow on the way, no date has been set for reopening. The Mount Teneriffe Trailhead and the upper Mailbox Peak Trailhead near North Bend will also remain closed this weekend due to snow. The lower parking lot along Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road will remain open for Mailbox Peak. With more snow coming to the mountains, travel may be difficult and many areas may be inaccessible.

Work for public lands: Winter is the season when many outdoor organizations hire up for the busy summer season. WTA is hiring for several permanent and seasonal positions. State Parks is looking to hire close to 450 seasonal aides. King County Parks is hiring seasonal park maintenance workers.

Neighborhood adventures: Last weekend’s snowstorm made for some unique close-to-home winter adventures. Trip Reporter GoatPackin hiked from their front door along snowy roads to set up a winter camp. And Trip Reporter just a hiker, took the opportunity to ski around Greenlake Park in Seattle.

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