A popular hiking trail in Mount Rainier National Park has closed after a log foot bridge became dislodged over the past weekend.
According to the National Park’s social media, there’s currently no safe way to cross over the Nisqually River along the Carter Falls Trail, leading to its closure. The closure is set to remain in place until the conditions improve, likely until trail crews return in the spring and repair the bridge.
The Carter Falls Trail takes hikers to Carter Falls, a horsetail-shaped waterfall about 50 feet tall. The falls can be reached about 1.1 miles up-river from the Cougar Rock Campground. Though the Carter Falls Trailhead can be reached year-round, the bridge over the Nisqually River is often washed out in the fall or winter, leading to closures.
Despite the ongoing federal government shutdown, Mount Rainier National Park remains open to the public. Several areas within the park, including West Side Road, Cougar Rock Campground and Picnic Area, Paradise Picnic Area, Paradise Valley Road, Stevens Canyon Road, White River Campground, and White River Road, are closed for the winter. Learn more about current conditions and closures here.
