Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Recreation

General Recreation Information

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


• Contact Us - Telephone numbers, fax numbers and hours of business for a number of Forest and other recreational information offices.


• Current Conditions - Current conditions for campgrounds, roads, trails, snow and weather within the Forest and Monument. This area is constantly updated so check here for the latest updates. (You will find the date of the last revision prominently displayed at the top of each page.)
• Roads - Getting around on Forest Roads is different from driving on a city street, or State Highway.  This brochure tell how to determine road conditions from signs, maps, and road entrance conditions. Adobe .pdf file (256 KB).
• Special Forest Conditions - current recreation special conditions existing within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and/or Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.


• Visitor Centers and Information Stations - Information about locations, hours of operation.


• Weather Reports - Current weather information from the National Weather Service.

Camping

• Forest Campgrounds - Planned closures tenative date is September 30, 2007. Please call ahead before you leave for most current information on closures.
• A list of campgrounds, rustic camp sites and horse camps on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Basic information is shown.


• Forest Cabins - You have an opportunity to rent a Forest cabin at two different locations within the Forest.

Climbing

• Climbing Mt Adams - Specific conditions about Mount Adams, including climbing reports and recreation reports. This area is constantly updated so check here for the latest updates. (You will find the date of the last revision prominently displayed at the top of each page.)


• Climbing Mount St. Helens - Specific conditions about Mount St. Helens, including climbing reports and recreation reports. This area is constantly updated so check here for the latest updates. (You will find the date of the last revision prominently displayed at the top of each page.)

Finding Your Way

• Current Conditions - Current conditions for campgrounds, roads, trails, snow and weather within the Forest and Monument. This area is constantly updated so check here for the latest updates. (You will find the date of the last revision prominently displayed at the top of each page.)


• Recreation Trails - You can travel more than 1,200 miles of trail of varying difficulty. Nearly 300 miles of trail are located within the Wildernesses. Approximately 150 miles of trails are constructed to barrier-free standards with several levels of difficulty. Approximately 150 miles of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail traverses the Forest through spectacular, scenic high country, including the Indian Heaven, Mt. Adams, and Goat Rock Wildernesses.


• Mountain Biking - More than one thousand miles of trails are woven throughout the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, and many are open to mountain bikers.


• Roads - Current road conditions report.


• Trail Bikes - The Gifford Pinchot National Forest offers an extensive set of trails for motorized trailbikes. There are some other isolated trails open to trailbikes, which may be found in the District trail guides. Most of the trails in the Blue Lake area have been reconstructed to trailbike or ATV standards and are easier to ride than other trails.
• Adventure routes - Scenic "backroad" routes around the Forest.  Challenging routes for dualsport (street legal trailbikes) and SUVs. The routes have been chosen for their more difficult surface conditions and outstanding scenery.

• Some favorite hiking trails and places (on and around) the Forest

  Click on the line above to see the map, then click on the trail or site to go to the description.

   

Firearms

• It is legal to openly carry a firearm in most areas of most National Forests. It can be an issue if a weapon is carried in a concealed manner in which case the wearer/owner needs to have a legitimate concealed weapon permit for that privilege. It is important you know what is the requirement for the area you are using since any one of the circumstances noted above may apply.
  
  It is unlawful to discharge a firearm, air rifle, or gas gun or other implement capable of taking human life, causing injury, or damaging property as follows:
  
  (1) In or within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site or occupied area, or,
  (2) Across or on a National Forest System road or a body of water adjacent thereto, or in any manner or place whereby a person or property is exposed to injury or damage as a result in such discharge, or,
  (3) Into or within any cave.
  
  The National Parks Service (Department of Interior) has much stricter regulations and most National Parks do not allow firearms, visitors should check with the National Park they plan to visit for more information.
  

Lakes & Streams

• Fishing - The Gifford Pinchot National Forest has more than 20 species of fish in 1,360 miles of streams and over 100 lakes. Three species of anadromous fish (chinook and coho salmon, and steelhead trout) and several species of resident salmonids (rainbow trout, kokanee salmon, brown trout, and cutthroat trout), including two species of char (bull trout and eastern brook trout), can be found within Forest waters.


• Forest Lakes - There are more than 100 lakes on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Here you will find information about boat access, fish species, lake locations and use restrictions.


• Waterfalls - Here are some outstanding waterfall-viewing opportunities on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Many descriptions are complimented with new digital images.

Pets

• While visiting the Forest or hiking a trail, please keep your pets under control or on a leash. However, within the Congressionally designated Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, pets are prohibited at many sites and trails, especially in the most sensitive landscapes. Along State Highway 504, pets are very restricted to the small pet areas at the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center, Coldwater Lake Recreation Area, and Johnston Ridge Observatory, and must be leashed when using these sites.  We do not recommend bringing pets to any of these facilities on hot, sunny days due to lack of shade or cover.   There are some areas within the Monument where you can hike and camp with your pet. Contact the Monument Headquarters (360) 449-7800 or visitor centers (360) 274-2114 for more information.
  
  Pets are NOT to disturb the native wildlife and their owners are responsible for any unreasonable disturbance or nuisance they might create.
  
  Other agencies such as Fish and Wildlife Service have ordinances related to pets that also apply to National Forest lands. Pet owners may also be held legally responsible if their pet kills a protected species or chases livestock in a grazing allotment.
  
  Pets in campgrounds and other developed recreation sites is addressed in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR):

• CFR Title 36, Section 261.14(j)(k)
  
  Developed Recreation Sites
  
  The following is prohibited:
  
  (j) Bringing in or possessing an animal, other than a seeing eye
  
  dog, unless it is crated, caged, or upon a leash not longer than six
  
  feet, or otherwise under physical restrictive control.
  
  (k) Bringing in or possessing in a swimming area an animal, other
  
  than a seeing eye dog.
  
  Bail is $50.

Outfitter Guides

• Outfitters and guides provide services supporting many kinds of outdoor recreation-- skiing, boating, rafting, climbing, backpacking, horseback riding, fishing, and more.

Passes & Permits

• General Information - Information about the Golden Age and Golden Eagle Passes, the Northwest Forest Pass, Special Forest Products, Wilderness Regulations and Woodcutting Permits.


• Christmas Tree Cutting Permits - Beginning in mid-November permits will be available at several locations for cutting your special Christmas tree from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.


• Northwest Forest Pass - Information about the Northwest Forest Pass. Also, reports about where your recreation fee dollars went to improve your Forest and National Monument.

Recreation Trails

• Recreation Trails - You can travel more than 1,200 miles of trail of varying difficulty. Nearly 300 miles of trail are located within the Wildernesses. Approximately 11 miles of trails are constructed to barrier-free standards with several levels of difficulty. Approximately 150 miles of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail traverses the Forest through spectacular, scenic high country, including the Indian Heaven, Mt. Adams, and Goat Rock Wildernesses.

Safety Information

• Current Conditions - Current conditions for campgrounds, roads, trails, snow and weather within the Forest and Monument. This area is constantly updated so check here for the latest updates. (You will find the date of the last revision prominently displayed at the top of each page.)


• Roads - Getting around on Forest Roads is different from driving on a city street, or State Highway.  This brochure tell how to determine road conditions from signs, maps, and road entrance conditions. Adobe .pdf file (256 KB).
• Preventing Crime in our National Forests - (Adobe Acrobat PDF format - 172 kb)
• Special Forest Conditions - current recreation special conditions existing within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and/or Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.


• Weather Reports - Current weather information from the National Weather Service.

Something Special

• Autumn Colors - This is the place to find information about the Gifford Pinchot National Forest Fall Colors Report.
• Huckleberry HotSpots - Information about some of the best berry picking in the Pacific Northwest.


• Panorama Digital Library - The panorama library is a collection of 360-degree panorama photographs of popular viewpoints from around the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. All images date from 1998.


• Wilderness - "A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain."

Winter Recreation Activities

• Current Conditions - Winter recreation current conditions within the Forest and Monument. This area is constantly updated so check here for the latest updates. (You will find the date of the last revision prominently displayed at the top of the page.)


• Snowmobiles - General information about using a snowmobile on the Forest and Monument.


• Winter Safety - Better to be safe than sorry!