Washington state hikers have lost access to two popular trails located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near Seattle.
The Franklin Falls trail and the Denny Creek trail each have a closure notice on the Washington Trails Association website.
The notice, posted on February 19, 2025 on both trail pages, reads: “The Franklin Falls Sno-Park — which is the parking area for this area in winter — is closed due to staffing concerns and hiker safety.”
This closure comes after recent cuts to the federal workforce.
In a post on the WTA website, the organization shared that “hundreds of employees in Region 6 of the Forest Service, which includes Washington and Oregon” were included in the Forest Service and National Parks staffing cuts. These workers helped to keep the trails safe and accessible.
In response to the closure, Congresswoman Kim Schrier said that “popular areas like the Denny Creek Trailhead, which was averaging over 1,000 guests per day on the weekend, have had to close down due to staffing shortages” and also warned that these staffing shortages “will cause unsafe conditions.”
In another post by WTA, they shared some of the potential negative impacts that Washington hikers can expect as a result of the staffing shortage. These include:
- Broken bridges
- Inaccessible trails due to brush or logs
- Overflowing trash cans and toilets
- Limited hours at ranger stations and visitor centers
Currently there is no timeline shared from the WTA about when the parking area for these popular trails will reopen. Exercise caution while hiking and be aware of any closure signage. You can check the WTA hiking guide for trail info before setting out.
We will refresh this post with any updates or additional information.