Hiker Headlines: Reopenings, Construction Closures and Wildfires Continue

It’s September 15. Snow Lake and Ruby Beach have both reopened after a summer of construction work! A couple of trails in Beacon Rock State Park will be closed next week for an improvement project. And, wildfires continue to burn throughout the state. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

The popular Snow Lake trail has reopened after over a month of construction. Photo by Aija Daley.

Reopenings: The Snow Lake trail has reopened after a month and a half of construction! The project included a half mile of trail reconstruction and was funded by the Great American Outdoors Act, which has provided much-needed funding for deferred trail maintenance projects. Ruby Beach has also reopened after a summer of construction. The parking area, access road and restrooms were improved, and pedestrian safety and accessibility features were added like sidewalks, crosswalks, curbs and steps. 

Construction closures: The Hamilton Mountain and Hadley trails in Beacon Rock State Park will both be closed from September 19 to 23 for trail improvements; all other trails in the trail system will remain open. 

Bolt Creek Fire: Highway 2 is currently closed between the junction with Index-Galena Road in Index and the junction with 5th Street N in Skykomish due to the Bolt Creek Fire. Updates are regularly being provided online as to the status of the fire and closures surrounding it.

Suiattle River Fire: The Suiattle River fire continues to burn; additional closures or changes may be implemented. The Suiattle Fire Information phone hotline will be inactive after today, so please contact the Darrington District Office directly for information about the fire status and current conditions.

Goat Rocks Fire: Mount Rainier National Park has implemented a full fire ban through the entire park until further notice. Highway 12 and 123 are both open, but be aware that fire vehicles and personnel are attending to the Goat Rocks Fire near Packwood. Currently, the following trails are closed: Bluff Lake, Three Peaks, Pipeline Road, Clear Fork Trail (from the trailhead to the junction with Clear Lost Trail), Clear Lost Trail (from the junction with Clear Fork Trail to the junction with the Packwood Lake trail) and Packwood Lake. Check for updates before heading to the Mount Rainier or Goat Rocks areas.

Chilliwack Complex Fire: Due to the merging of multiple fires and continued fire growth of the Chilliwack Complex, the Twin Lakes and Silesia Creek trails are now closed. An air quality alert has been announced in the North Cascades, with winds blowing the smoke toward the greater Bellingham-Seattle area. As the fire is still active, be sure to check for closures in the vicinity of the fire if you are planning to head up there. 

Fire season: We’re definitely in the thick of fire season, so please check on the status of fires and air quality no matter where you are planning to go and read up on how to be safe and responsible while recreating. File a trip report when you return from your trip to let others know what current conditions are like!

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