All NF trailhead & campgrounds in Wa and OR closed

[Widgeondeke]

Last Sunday on an essential drive on Mt Loop Hwy. Most campgrounds were locked, but one had the gate open and half a dozen camps set up. Garbage cans were over flowing 
Also a good dozen or more dispersed camps set up
Trailheads were packed!

Appears no one is patrolling up there 

[timberghost72]

 

Last Sunday on an essential drive on Mt Loop Hwy. Most campgrounds were locked, but one had the gate open and half a dozen camps set up. Garbage cans were over flowing 
Also a good dozen or more dispersed camps set up
Trailheads were packed!

Appears no one is patrolling up there 

Took the family up the Mountain Loop Highway on Sunday and found a spot by the river with no one around. Had a mini picnic and played around by the Sandbar. Decided to drive around and check out the campgrounds and all the trailheads. All the campgrounds were closed except for Red Bridge which is probably the one you are talking about? All the trailheads like Heather Lake, Lake 22, Mount Pilchuck and the gate at Deer Creek we're all packed full of cars at least 40 cars per trailhead minimum. And the cars were piling up on the highway and on the sides of the Forest Service Roads. You are right there is zero patrolling up there. They are opening up the gate on the highway at Deer Creek tomorrow so all the campgrounds FS roads and trails beyond that are now accessible.

Edit: The gate at Deer Creek opened today.

[hughjorgan]

Last Sunday on an essential drive on Mt Loop Hwy. Most campgrounds were locked, but one had the gate open and half a dozen camps set up. Garbage cans were over flowing 
Also a good dozen or more dispersed camps set up
Trailheads were packed!

Appears no one is patrolling up there 

Took the family up the Mountain Loop Highway on Sunday and found a spot by the river with no one around. Had a mini picnic and played around by the Sandbar. Decided to drive around and check out the campgrounds and all the trailheads. All the campgrounds were closed except for Red Bridge which is probably the one you are talking about? All the trailheads like Heather Lake, Lake 22, Mount Pilchuck and the gate at Deer Creek we're all packed full of cars at least 40 cars per trailhead minimum. And the cars were piling up on the highway and on the sides of the Forest Service Roads. You are right there is zero patrolling up there. They are opening up the gate on the highway at Deer Creek tomorrow so all the campgrounds FS roads and trails beyond that are now accessible.

Who exactly is supposed to be patrolling?

From what I heard from a reliable source you aren’t going to get stopped by the state patrol...

[timberghost72]

8

Last Sunday on an essential drive on Mt Loop Hwy. Most campgrounds were locked, but one had the gate open and half a dozen camps set up. Garbage cans were over flowing 
Also a good dozen or more dispersed camps set up
Trailheads were packed!

Appears no one is patrolling up there 

Took the family up the Mountain Loop Highway on Sunday and found a spot by the river with no one around. Had a mini picnic and played around by the Sandbar. Decided to drive around and check out the campgrounds and all the trailheads. All the campgrounds were closed except for Red Bridge which is probably the one you are talking about? All the trailheads like Heather Lake, Lake 22, Mount Pilchuck and the gate at Deer Creek we're all packed full of cars at least 40 cars per trailhead minimum. And the cars were piling up on the highway and on the sides of the Forest Service Roads. You are right there is zero patrolling up there. They are opening up the gate on the highway at Deer Creek tomorrow so all the campgrounds FS roads and trails beyond that are now accessible.

Who exactly is supposed to be patrolling?

From what I heard from a reliable source you aren’t going to get stopped by the state patrol...

The forest service patrols up there all the time. At least pre covid-19 they did. They write hundreds of tickets a weekend for parking on the Mountain Loop Highway on the over crowded trails. And for no forest service recreational pass. Also the Snohomish County Sheriff has the contract for law enforcement all the way through the Mountain Loop Highway to Darrington. Those are the two who typically patrol up there.

If the trailheads were supposedly closed for the last month and a half you would think they would be up there writing tickets for all the cars parked up there. but who knows.? The DNR has been writing tickets and towing cars from places like Mount Si and Mailbox Peak out of North Bend.
 

[hughjorgan]

8

Last Sunday on an essential drive on Mt Loop Hwy. Most campgrounds were locked, but one had the gate open and half a dozen camps set up. Garbage cans were over flowing 
Also a good dozen or more dispersed camps set up
Trailheads were packed!

Appears no one is patrolling up there 

Took the family up the Mountain Loop Highway on Sunday and found a spot by the river with no one around. Had a mini picnic and played around by the Sandbar. Decided to drive around and check out the campgrounds and all the trailheads. All the campgrounds were closed except for Red Bridge which is probably the one you are talking about? All the trailheads like Heather Lake, Lake 22, Mount Pilchuck and the gate at Deer Creek we're all packed full of cars at least 40 cars per trailhead minimum. And the cars were piling up on the highway and on the sides of the Forest Service Roads. You are right there is zero patrolling up there. They are opening up the gate on the highway at Deer Creek tomorrow so all the campgrounds FS roads and trails beyond that are now accessible.

Who exactly is supposed to be patrolling?

From what I heard from a reliable source you aren’t going to get stopped by the state patrol...

The forest service patrols up there all the time. At least pre covid-19 they did. They write hundreds of tickets a weekend for parking on the Mountain Loop Highway on the over crowded trails. And for no forest service recreational pass. Also the Snohomish County Sheriff has the contract for law enforcement all the way through the Mountain Loop Highway to Darrington. Those are the two who typically patrol up there.

If the trailheads were supposedly closed for the last month and a half you would think they would be up there writing tickets for all the cars parked up there. but who knows.? The DNR has been writing tickets and towing cars from places like Mount Si and Mailbox Peak out of North Bend.

Got it 👍.

Could be that they were told not to make contact unless it is a serious crime?

I know everywhere I’ve been during “quarantine” from Yakima to Chewelah there are still plenty of people outdoors. Highway 2s traffic has picked up plenty since fishing and hunting reopened