Hiker Headlines: Road to Artist Point closed for winter; more Rainier roads, state parks to close; WTA public lands webinar

It’s Oct. 16. Join WTA’s advocacy team on Oct. 29 for a webinar on the latest on our national public lands and how we can continue to champion for our trails and public lands! It’s winter in the mountains — the road to Artist Point is closed for the season, and some roads at Mount Rainier are gearing up to close soon, too. East of Tiger Mountain, SR 18 is also temporarily closing for construction. And the Big Four Ice Caves have collapsed! Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

Mount Rainier National Park is continuing into its winter operations; Stevens Canyon and White River roads are closing on Oct. 20. Photo by trip reporter DRDana.

Where things stand: National public lands update with WTA: Join WTA’s advocacy team for a webinar to learn about how WTA and people who love and depend on our national public lands have stood up for federal lands and workers this year. We'll share the latest on threats to our public lands and trails and how we can face those threats together. This free webinar will be at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 29. Register online. 

Road to Artist Point closed for the winter: The last 2.7 miles of the Mount Baker Highway (SR 542) are closed for the winter season; snowshoers and other recreators can park at Heather Meadows to reach Artist Point. 

More Mount Rainier roads to close soon: Stevens Canyon and White River roads in Mount Rainier National Park are expected to close for the season on Oct. 20. 

Tiger Mountain road to temporarily close: SR 18, east of Tiger Mountain, will be closed from 9 p.m. on Oct. 16 through 5 a.m. on Oct. 20 for construction. No vehicle traffic will be allowed between Issaquah-Hobart Road and I-90. 

State park seasonal closures: Peshastin Pinnacles State Park is now closed for the winter. Several other parks close for the season on Oct. 31 or in November; check Washington State Parks’ winter schedule for more details. 

It’s prescribed burn season: Now that it’s cooling down, national forests are starting their prescribed burns. Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, Okanogan-Wenatchee and Umatilla national forests will be burning as weather conditions allow, so expect smoke in some areas. 

Big Four Ice Caves collapse: The Big Four Ice Caves have collapsed (thanks to trip reporter HikesWith3 for alerting us and fellow hikers!). Remember that due to their high potential for danger, it is never safe to go into or climb on top of the ice caves, even if you see other hikers doing so. It is best to admire the ice caves and Big Four Mountain from afar. 

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