Mount Rainier National Park Announces Trail Closure — but Not Because Winter Is Approaching

If you were planning to walk the trails of the Mount Rainier National Park in winter, you won't get the chance. The park has announced the closure of its trails. This announcement isn't unusual, as most national parks close operations in some parts during the winter, especially trails and areas that are prone to harsh climatic conditions. Yellowstone National Park, one of the most prestigious parks, has announced road closures this year due to snow warnings. However, the reason behind the trail closure of Mount Rainier National Park is something else entirely. More than the worsening weather conditions, the park authorities are concerned about infrastructure damage. The park is set to close a major area to prevent recklessness and further property damage.

The official Instagram page of the national park announced the closure of the Carter Falls Trail in a lengthy post. "Until further notice, the Carter Falls Trail is closed," the caption read. The post revealed that the footover bridge that's accessible to visitors has been damaged. "The log footbridge over the Nisqually River was dislodged during the past weekend, and there is currently no safe way to cross the river," the park officials added. So, when will the bridge get repaired or replaced? The authorities announced that the area will be closed until the weather conditions improve. It wouldn't be possible to organize the repairs during the peak of winter, nor would it make sense. Therefore, the rework will likely begin once the spring season sets in. The post didn't mention that the authorities would conduct the repair but revealed that the visitors will have to wait till the trail crews return to work following the Holiday season.  

"This closure will remain in place until conditions improve, and trail crews return in spring. Thank you for putting safety first," the post added. The Carter Falls Trail is a famous and highly populated path in the park that leads to its homonymous waterfall. The horse-shaped Carter Falls is 50 feet high, according to TheTravel. It was named after Harry Carter, the person who built the majority of the trail between Longmire and Paradise. It was established in 1899 in Washington and has welcomed and entertained thousands of national park visitors ever since. The trail is open all season long, which makes this closure more disappointing, especially for those who planned their winter getaways around it. Nevertheless, it's for the sake of the public's safety and a right call preventive decision by the authorities. 

However, the ongoing federal shutdown adds another challenge to the reconstruction work. Before, trail crews were responsible for looking after and preventing damage to the property, but with close to no employees at these parks, maintenance has become difficult. Nobody can intervene when an infrastructure is damaged, as seen at Mount Rainier. Without proper staffing, issues like erosion, landslides, broken infrastructure, and more are bound to increase and worsen the condition of these parks. Recent reports have suggested that the Trump administration might be looking to fire more National Park Service employees. If the government decides to go through with this plan, the consequences may be dire. Former park employees have written letters, requesting not to allow public access to closed national parks, but no action has been taken yet.

More on Green Matters

One Man Stood Between National Parks and Oil Leaks — Then He Was Let Go

Voyageurs National Park Wolf Population Just Hit 11-year-Low And There's One Key Reason For It

Rocky Mountain National Park’s Ecosystem Suffers Without Beavers — and Experts Blame Two Animals