Hiker Headlines: Mount Rainier timed-access permits, construction closures, spring is here!
Timed-access permits for July entry into Mount Rainier National Park will be available on April 1. Some construction projects throughout the state may cause road and trail closures or delays. $6 million has been allocated to preserving the Bridge of the Gods. And spring is here!
It’s March 28. Timed-access permits for July entry into Mount Rainier National Park will be available on April 1. Some construction projects throughout the state may cause road and trail closures or delays. $6 million has been allocated to preserving the Bridge of the Gods. And spring is here! Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.
It's starting to feel a lot like... spring! Photo by trip reporter mytho-man.
Mount Rainier: This year, in addition to a national park pass, visitors to Mount Rainier National Park will need to have a timed-access reservation to enter the park through the Nisqually/Stevens Canyon and Sunrise entrances. The reservations are required beginning in May and July, respectively, and are for visits between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Permits for park entrance in July — starting July 1 for the Nisqually/Stevens Canyon entrance and starting July 4 for the Sunrise entrance — will be released April 1 at 8 a.m. Reservations can be made on Recreation.gov.
Road and trail construction: Some upcoming construction may cause closures and delays:
- Construction will start on Forest Road 90, southeast of Mount St. Helens, on April 15. Construction will take place Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the first month. Starting at the end of May, construction will increase to include Friday. Expect delays and closures during this period. The road will be completely closed from 9 p.m. on May 2 to 4 a.m. on May 3. The road will be fully open during all weekends during the construction period, as well as Memorial Day — Monday, May 27 — and between July 1 and July 5.
- Two bridges near State Route 18 on the Cedar River Trail will be closed for several days in April for repairs. Bridge 2266-1 will be closed on April 9-10. Bridge 2266-2 will be closed on April 18-19.
- The trail and road closures on Taylor Mountain have been extended through April 15.
- The Lewis and Clark Trail State Park day use area is closed at least through May 1 due to maintenance.
Bridge of the Gods: $6 million has been allocated for studies about preserving the Bridge of the Gods, which is the official Pacific Crest Trail route to cross the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon. The bridge currently does not have a pedestrian walkway, and hikers must walk across the grate bridge with vehicular traffic. This funding and these studies will help with maintaining the health of the bridge, and may also be a step toward an eventual pedestrian lane on the bridge.
It’s spring! We’re seeing all sorts of shoulder-season weather and features on the trails right now: sunshine, snow, blossoming wildflowers (including cherry blossoms!), rain … With conditions so variable and changing every day, sharing your outdoor adventures with other hikers by writing trip reports can help other folks stay safe by knowing what to expect. (Plus, spring hikes always make for some beautiful photos!)
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