Hiker Headlines: Trail and road closures, a new trail bypass, burn bans, plan your fall hiking

It's July 16. The Palouse to Cascades Trail has a new bypass for a section of trail that washed out at Olallie State Park. The Pratt River Trail will be closed for a few day for trail work. DNR is adding a burn ban for campfires and other burning in Eastern Washington. If you're going to be on U.S. 2 near Leavenworth, be prepared for some delays. And we hope you'll join us for Hike the State in September to get free hiking recommendations! Here's some news you may have missed while out on trail this week. 

The closure gate and all closure signage along the Palouse to Cascades section has been removed as of July 10, reported wafflesnfalafel. 

Ready to hike or ride: A temporary bypass is now available for a section of the Palouse to Cascades Trail that washed out in December 2025. There's even a recent trip report. 

WTA is excited to see the bypass in place for a popular trail, but also know that Washington State Parks doesn’t have the money it needs to keep up its trails and facilities across the whole state. The agency’s maintenance funding has been cut for the last two legislative session. That funding provides for important work on state parks lands. We’ll keep working to get state managers the funding they need. If you’d like to help, we can let you know when there’s a chance to speak up.

Pratt River work: The Pratt River Trail and Pratt Connector will be closed July 23-25 for trail work. The closure starts at the intersection with the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail and extends for 2 miles.

No campfires: The Washington State Department of Natural Resources is restricting burning on the lands in managers in Eastern Washington starting Friday, July 17. The burn ban includes campfires and charcoal briquettes. Propane or liquid gas stoves are allowed if they have a function shut-off valve. Many other burn bans are in place across the state, so check before you go and be extra careful with fire. (You can also download our free app, WTA Trailblazer to see AQI and fire map layers when you plan.) 

U.S. 2 roadwork: A full-closure of U.S. 2 near Leavenworth is expected to last through today. After that, there will be single lane closures with pilot cars on Friday, July 17 and then on Mondays through Thursdays through the end of the month.

Dream about fall hiking: Get a jump-start on your fall hiking with WTA at Hike the State on Sept. 2. At this free, online event, WTA staff will recommend some of their favorite trails across the state and offer tips for safe and fun hiking in the fall. And, after the presentation, we’ll offer a virtual hang, where you’ll have a chance to connect with other participants in informal breakout rooms. We hope to see you there!

Join WTA on Sept. 2 for Hike the State and get expert recommendations to plan your fall hiking. Photo by Slavomir Dzieciatkowski. 

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