Hiker Headlines: Sunrise Road opening, fee-free weekend, be careful with fire

It’s July 2. We’ve got a big weekend coming up: Sunrise Road opens on July 4, and there are some fee-free days on federal lands. More fires have broken out, including at Lyle Cherry Orchard trail and in North Cascades National Park. And construction is closing roads for several weeks, including the road to Rialto Beach. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.

Sunrise Road will open this weekend! Photo by lpick10.

Sunrise Road opening: Sunrise Road at Mount Rainier National Park will open for the summer season on July 4. Once it opens, all seasonal roads at the park will be open. (Carbon River and Mowich roads remain closed due to the Fairfax Bridge closure.) 

Fee-free weekend: It’s a fee-free long weekend! 

• Saturday, July 4, is a fee-free day on Forest Service lands. 
• Friday–Sunday, July 3–5, are free days on National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management lands. 

Fires, fires, fires: We’re really in fire season now, and with the Fourth of July this weekend, land managers like Washington State Parks and the Bureau of Land Management are urging folks to celebrate this weekend by taking extra care of our public lands.

Here’s what happened in fire news this week:

• The Lyle Hill Fire started last week and has closed the Lyle Cherry Orchard trail. 
• Multiple fires have started in North Cascades National Park. Firefighting crews are working to contain fires and fire behavior has been minimal. Be prepared for smoke and diminished air quality in the park. 
• Fire restrictions are now in place in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park. If you are camping this weekend, check the rules for where you are going. And if you do have a fire, make sure you do so safely. 

Road construction closures: 

• Mora Road in Olympic National Park will be closed to all traffic July 8–Oct. 15. This restricts access to Rialto Beach via the road. 
• Baker Lake Road in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest will be closed to all traffic past Shannon Creek Campground to the end of the road July 15–Aug. 31. This restricts access to the northern terminus of the East Bank Baker Lake trail. 

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