Hiker Headlines: Photo Contest Opens, Highway 20 Closure Expands, New Fire Restrictions, Art in Parks

It’s Aug 17. WTA's 2023 Northwest Exposure Photo Contest is open! The recent Blue Lake Fire in the North Cascades has closed more trails and roads, and there are new fire restrictions in place across the state. Take a King County Parks survey on plans for art and culture in our parks. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

From now until Oct 17, submit your favorite photos from your hikes to our Northwest Exposure Photo Contest! Photo by Mitchell Amundsen.

Northwest Exposure Photo Contest open: The 2023 Northwest Exposure Photo Contest is officially open! Northwest Exposure is WTA's annual photo contest that celebrates outdoor photography and the community of hikers that explore Washington's trails. The 2023 contest will run from Aug 17 to Oct 17 and features six categories — Trailscapes, Hikers in Action, Trail Family, Flora and Fauna, Instagram and East of the Cascades. Enter your photos today! 

Blue Lake Fire closures: Due to the Sourdough Fire and more recent Blue Lake Fire in the North Cascades, Highway 20 is now closed from Newhalem to the Silver Star campground until further notice. Additionally, the Stiletto Spur, Stiletto Peak, Twisp Pass and Pacific Crest Trail between the National Park boundary near Bridge Creek Trailhead south to the junction with the McAlester Trail are closed until further notice. 

New fire restrictions enacted: The Forest Service has issued Red Flag Warnings for much of the Pacific Northwest — largely the region of Washington west of the Cascades and the Olympic Peninsula — which indicates that wildfire risk is very high due to weather conditions. Be aware of the following explicit fire restrictions as you’re planning time outside:

• All campfires are now banned on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Additionally, all campfires will be banned in Mount Rainier National Park, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and Olympic National Park and National Forest (including the coast) starting tomorrow, Aug 18.
• The Washington Department of Natural Resources has banned all campfires in their Northwest, Southwest and Olympic regions.
• Washington State Parks has implemented campfire bans in many of their parks. Some bans include smoking and all open flames. 

Help inform art in parks! King County Parks and 4Culture are developing a new plan for art and culture in King County’s Parks and Trails. As part of this process, we are building a map of the parks and trails with a focus on what makes each park or trail special to the people who use it. Share your thoughts with us! 

Join the coastal cleanup effort: Help clean up the shores of Olympic National Park at the International Coastal Cleanup on Sept 16. Each year, volunteers spend a day picking up trash from multiple Olympic coast beaches. This year, there will be events at Third Beach, Ruby Beach and the Ozette beaches. Free camping will be available for volunteers on a first come first serve basis. 

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