Several closures in place to facilitate winter storm damage repairs

information released, USFS photo

With the arrival of Memorial Day weekend and the kick-off of the 2026 Camping Season, recreationists are encouraged to be prepared and become aware of forest road conditions. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has been working to assess and address roads that were damaged in the December 2025 heavy rain event. As higher elevation roads and trail systems throughout the Forest continue to melt out, we continue to receive new reports of road or trail damage that occurred over the winter.

Damage is variable but includes roads blocked from clogged culverts, road washouts, mud, rock and debris slides, or many downed trees. Some bridges are closed due to loss of structural integrity from flood damage. Forest Service crews continue to assess damage in areas that are accessible, but it will take time to understand the full extent of damage.  Repairs are being completed in-house where possible and we are developing plans and seeking funding to restore access where more major damage occurred.

There are several closure orders in place on the Chelan, Entiat, Methow Valley, and Wenatchee River Ranger Districts to address road damage from the 2025 storms.

Post-fire road repair work on the Labor Mountain fire started in early May is near completion. The area closure associated with the fire has been terminated, but several roads within that area remain closed due to storm damage.

New road and trail status information is coming in regularly as crews are out assessing the road damage reports, and repairs in some locations have started.  We encourage you to check the Forest website regularly for updates. The best place to check the current status of known road impacts is the Current Conditions page. Current closure order information can also be found on the Alerts pages of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest webpage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/okanogan-wenatchee.

If you must travel on forest roads, expect to encounter down trees, washouts, and slide or debris flows. Be ready to turn around and find alternate routes. Give the roads and trails a chance to dry out to reduce damage, and please report any damaged sites or washed-out roads to the nearest Forest Service office.

Methow Valley Ranger District: The following trailheads are not accessible due to road washouts: War Creek, Williams Creek, Reynold Creek, Monument Creek.  The 5400 Harts Pass Road is closed from the junction with 5400-015 Monument Creek Trailhead to its terminus.  Due to storm damage it is prohibited to use a motorized vehicle on the following NFS roads (see closure order for list).
 
Chelan and Entiat Ranger Districts: The 5501 Preston Creek Road is closed from the junction with the Entiat River Road to the end of the road due to storm damage.  The 5100 Entiat River Road has a major landslide about ¼ mile from the end of the road, blocking access to the Entiat River trailhead and Cottonwood Campground. A temporary road has been put in through the slide area which will allow for high-clearance vehicles, trailers will not be permitted.  Visitors should use the Three Creeks Campground as a turnaround point.  For details see the closure order.

Wenatchee River Ranger District:
A closure order has been enacted for roads that were impacted by the winter storms due to washouts, rock and debris and landslides slides, plugged culverts, see closure order page for details.  Affected areas broadly include 6200 Chiwawa road, 6400 White River Road, Little Wenatchee Road, Scotty Creek, 7100 Mission Creek Road (Devils Gulch trailhead), Old Blewett and Rainy Creek Road to the Smithbrook Trailhead. The Icicle Road has multiple landslides limiting vehicle access to the end of the road.  Please check the closure order and campground pages for the details.

Naches Ranger District:
Three bridges sustained flood damage and are limiting public access, those include: 1502 Little Naches Road Bridge, 1504 Nile Road, and the Middle Fork Little Naches 1914-787 Road (which connects with the 70 Road Greenwater Road on the Mount-Baker Snoqualmie National Forest).The 1808 Deep Creek Bridge, located at 3.6 miles from the intersection of Bumping River Road and Deep Creek Road, is impassable.

The 1200 Rimrock Dam/Tieton Reservoir Road is closed road between 1203 and 1000 South Fork Tieton/Conrad Meadows Road. The Forest Service roads in that area are not affected but through travel is not possible.

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About the Forest Service: The Forest Service has brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation for more than 100 years. Grounded in world-class science and technology—and rooted in communities—the Forest Service connects people to nature and recreation opportunities. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, supports the nation’s forest industry and energy needs, and operates the largest and most respected wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. By providing assistance to state and private landowners and working with Tribes and other partners, the Forest Service also helps steward an additional 900 million forested acres within the U.S.