Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Recreation

Lower Falls Viewpoint (Lewis River)

Accessibility in National Forest areas is different than in the city.

Steep topography, uneven terrain, and lack of electricity and water are just a few of the challenges. Few areas have lighting after dark. Weather can make accessibility more difficult; icy conditions in the winter and trail erosion are some examples. Each visitor has different abilities and expectations. We encourage you to give us a call before your visit for additional information and to check current conditions.

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument welcomes visitors of all abilities. We offer this guide for visitors with special accessibility needs. We hope you will find it useful in planning both daytime excursions and overnight camping trips.

The Forest’s long-term accessibility goal is to offer barrier free recreation opportunities at most, if not all recreation areas and sites.

Accessible Sites

Click here to see a downloadable and printable map of accessible sites in the Forest.  The sites include campgrounds, interpretive sites, trails and other locations which have accessible facilities.  When viewing the map, you can click on most of the sites shown and this will take you to a web page with information about the site. Special note for 2007 - the map does not show currently blocked or washed out roads. For road conditions and a map, check the Current Conditions page.

Campgrounds

Many Forest and Monument campgrounds have accessible features. These features include specially designed camp sites, toilet facilities, water, and picnic areas. For example, the Iron Creek Campground in the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District has a nearby creek-side accessible trail.

Hunting

The program that set aside a few specific roads exclusively for disabled hunters on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest is discontinued starting with the 2007 hunting season. The Forest continues to be open to all hunters and legal hunting modes, and much of the Forest is accessible on the existing open road system. Follow this link to an online map of roads that have an open character and are in known elk areas.

Other opportunities remain available on Washington State lands. For additional information please contact the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Interagency Access Pass

The Interagency Access Pass entitles the holder to a 50% discount on some expanded amenity fees like campgrounds (does not include hookups for water/sewer/electricity), highly developed boat launches and swimming sites and for specialized interpretive services.

There is no charge for the Interagency Access Pass, but you must be medically designated as either disabled or blind to receive one. The passports are not available by mail or phone, but can be obtained in person at any Forest Service office.

Interpretive Sites

Enjoy the Johnston Ridge Observatory. This visitor center has accessible interpretive programs. At Johnston Ridge, in the heart of the Mount St. Helens Blast Zone take a one-half mile walk on the Eruption Trail and learn how the eruption shaped the surrounding landscape. Visitors can expect to see views of the lava dome, crater, pumice plain, and the landslide deposit.

Trails

You can travel more than 1,200 miles of trails of varying difficulty. 13 trails are accessible, with 4 of the trails over 1 mile in length.  Approximately 11 miles of trails are constructed to barrier-free standards with several levels of difficulty.   For example, The Trail of Two Forests is a boardwalk trail located through a 1900-year-old lava flow. The scenic loop provides access to many examples of vertical tree molds and also provides an opportunity to explore a horizontal mold formed when lava covered a fallen tree. The trail list shows the trails that are accessible. The grade shown is the maximum grade, often for only a short section.