Mount Rainier National Park reopened public access Friday to the Carbon River area, reversing an emergency closure issued on Nov. 15, 2021.
Visitors to the Carbon River area should be prepared to navigate around road and trail washouts and expect to encounter normal late winter hazards such as downed trees, snow and changing weather conditions.
Portable toilets are available at the beginning of the road closure area. Bicycling is permitted but not recommended due to extensive trail washouts and downed trees, according to a news release from the National Park Service. Visitors are encouraged to follow safety guidelines for winter season hiking.
The Carbon River area is subject to impacts from heavy precipitation events and the dynamic nature of the river. The Fairfax Forest Reserve Road has been partially washed out just west of the Carbon River entrance since February 2020, but enough of the road had remained in place to allow safe access to the park. The remainder of that road segment eroded away during heavy precipitation in November 2021, which is why the area was closed.
According to the release, park staff are working in cooperation with area partners to restore stable access to the Carbon River area. Additional engineering design work will be needed following the increased impacts from the November 2021 storm event.
Mount Rainier National Park trails staff members recently stabilized a temporary path partially located on the adjacent Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest to allow visitors to access the park entrance.
The Rainforest Loop Trail is currently inaccessible due to downed trees and the Ipsut Creek bridge been washed out due to several high-water events. Log bridges over the Carbon River have also washed out, rendering the Chenuis Falls Trail inaccessible. Visitors can still access the Carbon River Trail and the Green Lake Trail by navigating around typical early season hazards.
For more information on Mount Rainier National Park, visit https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm.
