Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Alcohol Prohibitions
This Order describes acts that are prohibited upon lands, roads and trails within the National Forest System administered by the Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region in regards to alcoholic beverages.
Aquatic Invasive Species
This Order prohibits 1) possessing, storing, or transporting any aquatic invasive animal species AND 2) prohibits possessing, storing, or transporting any aquatic or riparian invasive plant species - on National Forest System lands in the Pacific Northwest Region as specified in the Order.
Restrictions on Use of Forage and Mulch Products
This Order prohibits unloading, storing, or using any straw, hay, grain, seed, or other forage or mulch products that are not state-certified weed free on the National Forest System lands, roads or trails in any Closure Area as specific in the Order. Some examples of these include hay bales, hay…
Fireworks and Explosives are always Prohibited
Fireworks and explosives (including explosive targets) are always prohibited on national forest lands. The prohibition of fireworks and exploding targets on national forest system lands is part of a set of permanent fire safety regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), listed below.…
Forest Roads Closed Due to Rain Event
The past few days has shown heavy rainfall as an atmospheric river moved into the Northern Cascade Region bringing 16+ inches of rain to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This rapid increase in rainfall has resulted in localized flooding and has increased the risk of landslides, debris flows,…
Forest Service Road 6808 Emergency Closure
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest issued an emergency closure of Forest Service Road 6808 from mile marker 3.9 to mile marker 4.2 due to a sinkhole that has developed in the travel way. Closure timeframe is currently unknown, and travel will resume when roads are repaired.
Rd 2810-041 Yellowjacket Bridge Road Closure
Rd 2810-041 will close Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, and will remain closed until mid-November for redriving piles at Yellowjacket.
Spirit Lake Infrastructure Project Trail Closures
The replacement of the Spirit Lake Tunnel Intake Gate and Geotechnical Drilling project to support safe operations and maintenance of the Spirit Lake infrastructure will continue in 2025. Construction will require weekday recreation trail closures within the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic…
Winter Road Closures
Due to large amounts of snowfall, the gates along the fallowing roads will be closed for the winter season. This routine seasonal gate closure is important for public safety as these roads are not maintained and become hazardous in the winter.Forest Road 99Forest Road 25Forest Road 26Forest Road…
Washout on Forest Road 93
Forest Road 93 is closed at milepost 6.95 due to a severe washout. Road signs are posted at the beginning of each side of FR 93 to alert drivers of the inability to drive the entire length of road. Barricades may be present for public safety and block the section of road located by the…
Upper State Route 504 closed at milepost 45.2 due to large slide
Closure Upper State Route 504/Spirit Lake Memorial Highway is closed between mileposts (MP) 45.2 and 51 until further notice with a possible re-opening date sometime in 2026. The road is blocked just outside the Hummocks Trailhead at the normal winter closure gate. *Johnston Ridge…
Adams Fork Bridge Closed (FR 5601)
The Adams Fork Bridge on FR 5601 at MP 2.0 on the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District is CLOSED. The bridge is beyond its service life, was damaged in flooding in 2015, and has suffered ongoing scouring of the foundation since that time. Recent inspections have shown that the bridge can only…
Forest Road 2801 Closure
Forest Road 2801 is closed on both ends of the road due to a washout at milepost 0.25 and a large slide at milepost 7.
Winter Storm Watch issued April 13 at 12:01AM PDT until April 16 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Portland OR
* WHAT...Heavy snow possible above 3500 ft. Total snow accumulations between 10 to 20 inches possible. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. * WHERE...South Washington Cascades and the Northern and Central Cascades of Oregon. * WHEN...From Tuesday afternoon through late Wednesday night. * IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Latest guidance suggests the heaviest snow accumulations are forecast over the Cascades from Marion to Lane Counties.
Winter Storm Watch issued April 12 at 1:40PM PDT until April 16 at 5:00AM PDT by NWS Seattle WA
A strong weather system will bring snow, possibly heavy at times, to the Western Washington Cascades late Tuesday afternoon through late Wednesday night. * WHAT...Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations between 10 and 20 inches possible. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. * WHERE...Cascades of Snohomish and Northern King Counties, Cascades of Whatcom and Skagit Counties, Cascades of Pierce and Lewis Counties, and Cascades of Southern King County. * WHEN...From late Tuesday afternoon through late Wednesday night. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible.
Overview
Gifford Pinchot National Forest encompasses 1.3 million acres in southwest Washington State, including Mt. Adams and the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. The forest is currently open but experiencing significant winter conditions and recent weather impacts. As of December 2025, the forest was hit by an atmospheric river that brought 16+ inches of rain, causing widespread road closures and localized flooding. Multiple forest roads remain closed due to washouts, slides, and damage, including FR 93 (washout at MP 6.95), FR 6808 (sinkhole closure MP 3.9-4.2), and upper State Route 504 at Spirit Lake (closed until possibly 2026 due to large slide). Winter road closures are in effect for seasonal gates - these roads are not maintained and can be hazardous. Most forest roads are not plowed in winter and may require high clearance 4WD or chains. The forest contains multiple ranger districts and offers extensive recreation opportunities including the Lewis River Recreation Area corridor. Current conditions are rapidly changing, so verify road and trail status before your trip, especially for backcountry access or Mt. Adams climbing.
Top Campgrounds
- Adams Fork Campground
- Beaver Campground
- Big Creek
- Burley Mountain Lookout
- Camp Howe Group Campground
- Canyon Creek Campground
- Cold Spring Indian Campging Area
- Cultus Creek Campground
- Govt. Mineral Springs Campground
- Iron Creek Campground
- Kalama Horse Camp
- Keenes Horsecamp
- Killen Creek Campground
- La Wis Wis Campground
- Lewis River Horse Camp
- Mountain View Group Campground
- North Fork Bear Group Camp
- North Fork Beaver Group Camp
- North Fork Campground
- Olallie Lake Campground
- Panther Creek Campground
- Paradise Creek Campground
- Soda Springs Campground
- Summit Creek Campground
- Sunset Falls Campground
- Tower Rock Campground
- Trout Lake Creek Campground
- Walupt Lake Campground
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