Hiker Headlines: Icicle Creek, Stehekin areas closed; Rainier reservations; free weekend

It’s June 5. The Icicle Creek area near Leavenworth and the Stehekin area in North Cascades National Park are closed for an active law enforcement operation. This is a fee-free weekend on state-managed lands! A batch of Mount Rainier timed-entry reservations will be released this Friday, June 6. A couple of fun events are this Saturday: a talk on Spokane hikes and a celebration of a new trail segment opening. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

The Icicle Creek area, including the Enchantments, is closed until further notice. Photo by Mancunian_hiker.

Icicle Creek, Stehekin recreation areas closed: The U.S. Forest Service has closed the Icicle Creek area near Leavenworth until further notice due to a law enforcement operation. The closure includes trails in the Enchantments recreation area, as well as multiple other trails in the Icicle Creek area. Additionally, North Cascades National Park has closed the Stehekin area, which includes the Pacific Crest Trail within the park complex, and multiple other trails in the Stehekin area. Check our Hiking Guide for information on which trails are closed.

Fee-free weekend: This weekend, June 7 and 8, is Free Fishing Weekend, and parking fees will be waived where you need a Discover Pass — lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 

Mount Rainier reservations: Advance timed-entry reservations will be released this Friday, June 6, at 8 a.m. for trips to Mount Rainier National Park at the Sunrise entrance between Aug. 1 and Sept. 1. Timed-entry reservations will be required from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day at the Sunrise area between July 11 and Sept. 1, as well as weekends and holidays after Sept. 1 through the end of the season (typically mid-October). Starting July 10, you can also get next-day reservations at 7 p.m. Make reservations on Recreation.gov. 

Spokane hikes: Join WTA at Spokane Public Library’s South Hill branch this Saturday, June 7, from 11 a.m. to noon to learn about the best local day hikes near Spokane! Holly Weiler, WTA’s senior Eastern Washington regional coordinator, will share details and photos of fun local trails and appropriate gear, as well as tips for hiking with kids, information about our online hiking resources and some ways to get involved and give back. 

New trail segment: Celebrate the opening of a new segment of the Lake to Sound Trail with King County Parks, the cities of SeaTac and Burien and other trail partners on Saturday, June 7 from 11 a.m. to noon! The trail will eventually become a 16-mile trail connecting Renton and Des Moines. 

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