Mt. Rainier Trail & Road Updates; Small Park Fire Contained

A notice from the Mt. Rainier National Park Service, September 21, 2012:

FIRE DANGER:

The fire in the Three Lakes area of the park has been contained and is currently being monitored for any possible flare ups.

Record dry conditions are being experienced throughout the state and visitors are reminded to be extremely vigilant on preventing any source of ignition, as the fire danger continues to remain high.

Smoke and haze from ongoing wildfires outside the park is visible in some areas of the park.

At present, campfires are still being allowed in the fire pits in designated front country campgrounds. Visitors are asked to keep fires small and manageable; monitor the fire at all times; when leaving the fire pit, put fire out with copious amounts of water; make sure it is out and cold to the touch. Campers are responsible for their campfires even after they leave it.

TRAILS:

•  The Laughingwater Creek Trail on the east side of the park has been reopened to the public.

Views along the Laughingwater Creek Trail

• The Narada Falls Trail will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, and then closed again on Monday when construction work resumes. This trail has been closed due to potential hazards from construction excavation work on the Stevens Canyon Road.

• The Comet Falls Trail is open to within 300 yards of the falls. Debris and ice from a large winter/spring avalanche cover the last portion of the trail creating a safety risk of breaking through and falling or being trapped. Visitors can still get a good view of the falls from the closure point. Trail access via the Rampart Ridge trail is another option.

• Visitors hiking the Wonderland Trail in the Reflection Lakes area should use extreme caution in the construction area and be very aware of construction traffic. Please follow the marked route through the construction site.

ROADS:

• State Route 123 reopened to the public on Wednesday, September 19 following a two-day closure for culvert replacement work.

•  Stevens Canyon Road is closed to through traffic (for both vehicles and bicycles) from just east of the intersection with the Paradise Valley Road to the east end of the tunnel at Box Canyon for the remainder of the season. Visitors can access Backbone Ridge, Box Canyon and adjacent trailheads via the East Entrance near State Route 123 during the 2012 closure. Wonderland Trail hikers as well as day hikers are permitted to hike through the construction zone to access adjacent trails.

Visit Rainier is a not-for-profit, non-membership destination marketing organization that promotes tourism in the gateway communities around Mt.Rainier.

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