Middle Fork Road Closures

**Read scheduled closures of the Middle Fork Road for the next two weeks.**

This link is updated weekly, so it will reflect the most current schedule. 

Finishing touches to the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road paving project will occur between August 7 and August 25, between noon Monday and noon Friday. The road will be open Friday noon to Monday at noon.

The paving project on the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road began in early May 2014 and will continue over the next three summers. Its projected completion date is August 2017.

October 12, 2016: The Middle Fork Road is open 7 days a week for the winter season until construction resumes in the spring.

February 18, 2016: The Middle Fork Road has been closed due to landslides just past the Mailbox Peak trailhead until further notice.

December 17, 2015: The Middle Fork Road will reopen Friday, December 18 and will remain open 7 days a week until construction resumes again in the spring.

December 4, 2015: The Middle Fork Road remains closed past the Mailbox Peak trailhead due to storm damage from mid-November.

October 23, 2015: The weekly closures on the Middle Fork Road have been extended to November 20th. The road is open Fridays at noon until Mondays at noon, with 60 minute delays at the construction site possible.

October 5, 2015: A bridge installation near milepost 5 on the Middle Fork Road will close the road entirely over the weekend of October 10 and 11. There will be no access to Mailbox Peak or any of the trailheads beyond during this time.

Ten miles of the Middle Fork road will be paved from the end of the current pavement at the Mailbox Peak trailhead to the Middle Fork Campground.

2015 Closure Schedule

Weekend Closure - 2015

Weekday Closures - 2015

Paving the Middle Fork means better access for hikers, is a win for the river and fish

Each year, more than 100,000 hikers and other recreationists venture to the Middle Fork to hike, camp, kayak and fish all year-round. The Middle Fork Valley—in the backyard of North Bend and only a 45-minute drive from Seattle—is incredibly scenic, with jagged peaks, towering old-growth trees and a raging river along the road. The Middle Fork is the main access road for a number of popular hiking trails like Mailbox Peak, Granite Creek, Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail and Taylor River—to name just a few.

By paving the road, hikers will have easier and safer access to their favorite places. In addition, water quality in the Middle Fork valley will improve due to a decrease of sediment run-off that currently flows off the dirt road and into streams. Old road culverts (those metal pipes that run under roads to allow streams to continue flowing downstream) will also be replaced and made more fish-friendly so trout can migrate upstream.

WTA sees this project as a win-win for hikers and the environment.

How will construction impact my trip to the Middle Fork?

The Middle Fork Road construction will be occurring through August 2016. While the land agencies aim to keep the area open as often as possible, occasionally individual projects may close the road entirely for a few days.

Consider this a reason to explore a new set of trails, maybe the Issaquah Alps, the Teanaway region or along Highway 2.

ROAD CLOSURES

The Lake Dorothy Road, which some people use as an alternative to one section of the Middle Fork Road, will be closed to all public traffic. (See map.)

Closures on the main Middle Fork Road began May 5, 2014 and extend through October 31, 2014 as follows:

Eastern Intersection of Lake Dorothy Road (Upper Couplet) at Valley Camp to Middle Fork Campground
Road Closed: 12:00pm Monday — 12:00pm Friday
Road Open: 12:00pm Friday — 12:00pm Monday (Up to 60 minute delays may occur.)

Note: The Mailbox Peak Trail and all trails beyond will be inaccessible when the road is closed.

CCC Trailhead to Middle Fork Campground
Road Closed: 7 Days a Week - July 28, 2014 to September 26, 2014

Resources

Washington Federal Lands Highway Middle Fork project webpage