Hiker Headlines: Dog Mountain permits soon, Hiker Happy Hour, Highway 20 spring clearing starts

It’s March 26. Join WTA in Ellensburg on April 2 for a fun Hiker Happy Hour! It’s almost Dog Mountain hiking permit season. There’s an emergency closure on the Palouse to Cascades Trail near Lake Easton. And Olympic National Forest has released their campground schedule for the 2026 season. WSDOT has started clearing the North Cascades Hwy. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has started spring clearing on Highway 20! Photo courtesy of WSDOT.

Hiker Happy Hour: Join WTA for a night of talking trails with fellow hikers and folks who love the outdoors at our Ellensburg Hiker Happy Hour on Thursday, April 2, from 5–7 p.m. at Fortuity Cellars! We’ll provide updates about what’s coming up for trails in Central Washington and share more about ways you can help get involved. Tickets cost $25 and include a complimentary drink ticket, heavy appetizers and a one-year membership to WTA. 

Dog Mountain hiking permits: Dog Mountain permit season starts Saturday, April 11, and ends Sunday, June 7. Permits are required for each vehicle per day of use at the trailhead on each weekend day during the permit season, as well as on Memorial Day, May 25. Note that a permit is only valid for the date reserved and does not guarantee a parking space at the Dog Mountain trailhead. More permits are released 4 days prior to each permit date at 7 a.m. Visitors parking at the trailhead also need a Forest Service recreation pass (Northwest Forest or America the Beautiful). Those who wish to bypass the permit system may consider taking the CAT shuttle. You could also check out these nearby hikes. 

Trail closure: The Palouse to Cascades Trail is closed until further notice between Monahan Road and the Whittier Tunnel near Lake Easton due to a landslide. 

Seasonal campground schedule released: Olympic National Forest has released its 2026 seasonal campground schedule. All campgrounds except Willaby and Falls Creek in Quinault operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Most campgrounds use self-service stations or scan-and-pay. (To use scan-and-pay, download the Recreation.gov app while still in cell service and log in, then you can pay when at the campground even if offline.) 

Spring clearing on Highway 20 begins! The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has started spring snow clearing on Highway 20, the North Cascades Highway. It typically takes WSDOT about 6 to 8 weeks to clear the highway. 

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