Field Reports: Mount Rainier limiting road access to Paradise; sled runs to stay closed this winter
From staff reports
Visitors to Mount Rainier National Park this winter will have one fewer day per week to drive to the Paradise area and they won’t find any open sledding runs there.
Starting Nov. 12, vehicle access to the Paradise area will be open four days per week, from Fridays through Mondays, the park announced in a news release. That’s one day fewer than last winter, but still two more days than in 2022.
The release also said the Paradise sled runs will be closed for the duration of the 2024-2025 winter season because staff “will be focused on plowing roads and parking lots to maintain access into the area.” Sledding is not allowed in any other parts of the park.
Winter camping will be allowed Friday through Sunday nights only, conditions permitting.
Meanwhile, vehicle access will be open to the Longmire area seven days a week through the winter, barring major storms. The Longmire General Store will be open daily.
Park officials limit winter access because of staffing levels. In the release, the park said it will revisit the access schedule if staffing levels change. Otherwise, access will be limited until early May.
Other typical wintertime closures will be enacted , such as closures of State Routes 410 and 123 at the park’s boundaries. The park’s east side will be open for visitor use throughout the winter, including camping with a valid permit.
Washington takes public comment on sharp-tailed grouse review
Washington wildlife officials are recommending that the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse remains on the state’s endangered species list.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife this week released its draft periodic status review for the small birds, which rely on intact shrub-steppe landscapes for habitat and have suffered steep declines in the state.
The document, which is open for public comment until Jan. 28, recommends maintaining protections for the birds.
Sharp-tailed grouse were once abundant in Washington but now number fewer than 500, according to WDFW. Habitat fragmentation and destruction are to blame for the decline.
Hunting for sharp-tailed grouse hasn’t been allowed since 1987. They were listed as threatened in the state in 1998 and uplifted to endangered in 2018.
WDFW staff regularly analyze the status of the state’s protected species and make recommendations to the Fish and Wildlife Commission about whether to maintain or remove protections for a particular species.
Following the public comment period, WDFW will complete a final draft. The commission is expected to take up the status review in the spring.