Wenatchee River District plans to relocate Icicle Creek Road

Much to the dismay of hikers statewide, a May 2008 debris slide caused massive flooding on the Icicle Creek Road, and it has been closed eight miles west of Leavenworth ever since.

Now the Wenatchee River Ranger District is in the process of planning to reopen the Icicle Road and restore access to these trailheads by next spring.

This is good news for hikers and campers. Prior to washing out, the Icicle served 500,000 campers, hikers, climbers and equestrians each year. It's the primary access for many of our favorite trails and campgrounds, including the Icicle Gorge, Chatter Creek, Jack Creek, Jackpine, Blackpine, Blackjack Ridge, and Icicle Creek trails. And while hikers may notice a certain symmetry in those names, the trails themselves traverse landscapes as diverse as park-like dry side forests, booming river canyons and rambling, open ridges.  

After the 2008 flood, Icicle Creek Road was underwater for several months and became seriously undermined and unstable. The District plans to relocate the washed-out section (just west of the Ida Creek Campground) upslope from the river. They will pave the relocated section, and also pave the currently graveled road from the end of the washout to the Rock Island Campground. 

They'll convert the current road alignment from the Ida Creek Campground to Hoxsey Creek into a short interpretive trail. And finally, they'll close several spurs on the Doctor Bob road system (which, appropriately enough, crisscrosses both Doctor and Bob Creeks) in order to lessen the likelihood of future washouts.

WTA is very pleased that the District is planning to restore access to these important trails and take actions that would preserve the newly-relocated route for the long term.

Want to add your two cents? The District is asking for comments on their proposal no later than June 21 - next Monday.  You can email your comments to comments_wenatchee_river@fs.fed.us. Include "Icicle Road" in the subject line. If you have any questions about the proposal, contact Dean Youkey, Project Team Leader, at (509) 548-2580.