Gifford Pinchot National Forest

	USDA Forest Service Gifford Pinchot National Forest
For Immediate Release: May 19, 2008
Contact: Robin Rose (360) 891-5177 or Chris Strebig (360) 891-5005

Visitors Encouraged to Plan Ahead When Visiting the Forest for Memorial Day Weekend, Snow still Limits Access

VANCOUVER, WA – With the beginning of the traditional summer recreation season, a number of campgrounds, roads, and trails on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest will be open for Memorial Day Weekend. However, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest is still feeling the effects of a long winter. Record low elevation snowpack this past winter and spring will limit access some popular sites in the Forest for several weeks. Heavy snow pack remains at high elevations and will delay the opening of a number of recreation facilities until late June or early July.

The Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mount St. Helens is operating daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. under summer hours. A Monument Pass ($8 per person 16 years and older provides admission to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Youth ages 15 and younger are free). A Northwest Forest Pass is required at some trailheads, picnic areas, boat launches, visitor centers, and interpretive sites in the National Forests of Oregon and Washington.

Some campgrounds open for Memorial Day Weekend include:

• Beaver, north of Carson
• Panther Creek, north of Carson
• Tower Rock, south of Randle
• Iron Creek, south of Randle
• North Fork, south of Randle
• Sunset Falls, southeast of Amboy
• Trout Lake Creek, north of Trout Lake
• Government Mineral Springs, north of Carson
• Mt. Adams Horse Camp, north of Trout Lake
  

For more information about Forest, campgrounds, including a list of fees, visit the camping page on the Forest web site http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/campgrounds/fees-table.shtml.

A limited number of Forest trails that are open and passable:

• Dog Mountain Trail #147
• Bunker Hill Trail #145
• Siouxon #130 (open to snowline with some blowdown)
• Whistle Punk Trail #59

For more information about Forest trails, visit the trail current conditions page on the Forest web site at http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/current-conditions/trails.shtml.

An Interagency Recreation Pass or Northwest Forest Pass is needed where there are facilities or trailheads that the Forest Service provides to enhance your experience. These can be purchased at Forest Service offices or local vendors.

Many other high-elevation campgrounds such as Takhlakh Lake, Olallie Lake, Chain-of-Lakes, and Walupt Lake should be open by late June or mid-July, depending upon weather conditions. Later this spring, La Wis Wis campground, east of Packwood, Wash., will be open after hazard tree removal and inspection is completed. Due to flood damage, the E loop at this campground will be closed for this season. Crews will be working this summer to restore this loop which should be re-opened for the 2009 camping season.

Forest Road 23, between Randle and Trout Lake, Wash., near Babyshoe Pass, remains closed due to washout 0.8 miles north of the junction with Forest Road 90. Access to the popular Takhlakh Lake Campground will again be limited this summer. Campers will need to access the campground by traveling south from Randle, on Forest Road 23 to Forest Road 2329. Repairs to this road are scheduled during the summer and fall of 2008. For the 2008 camping season there will be no access to Takhlakh Campground from the south, via Forest Road 23, or west via Forest Road 90.

Forest Road 25 connecting Randle to the Lewis River Highway (Forest Road 90 east of Cougar) remains impassable because of snow at the higher elevations. This road is expected to open by late June or early July. A bridge project will close the road just north of Iron Creek Campground. Plans for an alternate detour or route is in progress.

Forest Road 90 is currently open to the Big Creek Falls Trailhead. The Lower Falls Campground will be open by late June. Travelers on this road should be alert for portions of the road that may have slumped over the winter.

Forest Road 99 leading from Forest Road 25 to the Windy Ridge viewpoint on the east side of Mount St. Helens, currently closed by snow, should be open in July pending snowmelt. Forest Road 81 to the Kalama Horse Camp should be open by mid-June. Forest Road 83 on the south side of Mount St. Helens is open to the Cougar Sno-Park, access to the Marble Sno-Park is currently closed by five feet of snow on the road. Access to Lava Canyon, Lahar Viewpoint, and Ape Canyon trailhead will remain closed until Forest Road 83 is repaired. Currently blocked by snow, Forest Road 830 to Climbers Bivouac is expected to open sometime in mid to late June. Visitors to the Ape Cave will need to park at the Trail of Two Forests trailhead and hike ¾ of a mile to the Ape Cave. The Apes Headquarters will re-open in late June for the summer season.

Visitors to the Forest should take an extra measure of caution this year, and research thoroughly their planned route to learn of any known hazards, or if access to trailheads is blocked by snow or road washouts. Travelers should drive cautiously on all Forest roads and be prepared to encounter sections of roads damaged this past winter. As always check on current road conditions before traveling in the Forest. Visitors near the volcano need to be prepared for a potential ash fall.

On Saturday, June 7, in recognition of National Trails Day all Northwest Forest pass sites will be free.

Some offices will be open over the Memorial Day weekend. For more information, call the Gifford Pinchot Forest Headquarters (360) 891-5009, or one of the Forest Ranger Districts:

• Mount St. Helens Monument Headquarters closed Memorial Day weekend. (360) 449-7800
• Apes' Headquarters at Ape Cave will re-open for the summer in late June until Labor Day.
• Mt. Adams (509) 395-3400 (Open 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Friday - Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, closed for lunch)
• Cowlitz Valley (360) 497-1100 (open 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. on Saturday May 24, closed for lunch)
• Mount St. Helens Johnston Ridge Observatory (360) 274-2140 (Open Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
  

Additional information is available on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest website www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/.

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US Forest Service
Gifford Pinchot National Forest - Vancouver, WA
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument - Amboy, WA
Last Modified: Thursday, 22 May 2008 at 18:33:31 EDT