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Hiker Headlines: Discover Pass cost increasing; Blewett Pass, Lena Lake and more fire closures; free day

Posted by tiffanyc at Sep 25, 2025 01:24 PM |
Filed under: Hiker News, State Park, Department of Natural Resources, discover-pass, Olympic Peninsula, Advocacy

The cost of an annual Discover Pass will increase from $30 to $45 on Oct. 1. Wildfires have closed Blewett Pass and some trails. This Saturday is National Public Lands Day, and parking fees will be waived on federal and state lands. And, thank you for speaking up for the Roadless Rule!

It’s Sept. 25. The cost of an annual Discover Pass will increase from $30 to $45 on Oct. 1. Wildfires have closed Blewett Pass and some trails. This Saturday is National Public Lands Day, and parking fees will be waived on federal and state lands. And, thank you for speaking up for the Roadless Rule! Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

A smoky landscape on a hike to Monte Cristo Ghost Town. Photo by trip reporter Rhabbie.
Smoke from the Labor Mountain Fire earlier this week. Photo by Rhabbie. 

Discover Pass cost: The cost of a Discover Pass — the annual pass that allows for unlimited parking and entry on lands managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) — will increase from $30 to $45 on Oct. 1. A Discover Pass can be shared between two vehicles and can be purchased online, over the phone, at the time of driver’s license renewal or at various licensed vendors, retail locations, Washington State Parks offices and state parks. 

More fire closures: With recent growth of the Labor Mountain and Bear Gulch fires, new fire closures are in place: 

Free day: This Saturday, Sept. 27, is National Public Lands Day, and parking fees will be waived on state lands (managed by Washington State Parks, DNR and WDFW) and federal lands (managed by the Forest Service, National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management.

Hikers spoke up! Over 3,900 hikers spoke up with WTA about saving the Roadless Rule and the 45 million acres of national forest and 25,000 miles of trail that it protects. Thank you! There will be more steps in the federal government's attempt to remove the Roadless Rule. We’ll keep you posted every step of the way. Join our Trail Action Network to stay in the know. Roadless areas provide irreplaceable benefits to all of us, including clean drinking water for communities across Washington and outstanding opportunities to get outside.

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Comments

1digger on Hiker Headlines: Discover Pass cost increasing; Blewett Pass, Lena Lake and more fire closures; free day

Roadless Rule has always been an absolute disaster for forest management and to think that the WTA prattles on about it's so-called 'benefits' while at the same time reporting on the ever increasing fire closures. Roadless Rules need to be rescinded once and for all. Just how is this state fighting the fires? It's not by properly managing the forests as fires were much more manageable when roads were cut to maximize access so instead we get poorly maintained forests with increased brush, sick and dying trees with little to no access which then allows these forests to burn uncontrollably. The Roadless Rule needs to die a quick death and allow the nation to regain control over its forests rather than allowing them to burn to the ground which puts them out of public use far longer, if not permanently. It's common sense. Thank GOD for President Trump putting common sense back into protecting our environment from irresponsible feel good leadership which has seen our forests burn to the ground. https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/06/23/secretary-rollins-rescinds-roadless-rule-eliminating-impediment-responsible-forest-management

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1digger on Oct 22, 2025 09:34 PM