Think you can hike in North Cascades during stay-home order? You can’t, as of April 3
North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area will be closed to park visitors beginning Friday, April 3, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They will remain closed until further notice for the health and safety of visitors, workers and volunteers, according to a news release.
A park official said on Thursday that the park complex is following guidelines provided by the state Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order.
Denise Shultz, a ranger and chief of Visitor Services for the park complex, said staff law enforcement will enforce the closure.
And what might that mean to visitors who decide to head for a trail or the back-country anyway?
“Law-enforcement officers will use their best judgment,” Shultz told The Bellingham Herald, adding that hopefully people will heed the demand.
North Cascades Highway (State Route 20), which runs through part of the park, will stay open to just west of the town of Newhalem.
On the east side, the highway will remain closed at milepost 177, which is the Early Winters Campground.
People who own or operate facilities and need access to them are allowed to go through the closed areas to maintain and/or occupy them, according to the release.
Pressure has been growing for the federal government to unilaterally close national parks as the novel coronavirus continues to spread — sickening employees — and towns in and near still-open parks see a surge in visitors despite stay-at-home orders.
Coronavirus etiquette
On Thursday, the Washington state Joint Information Center put out a do’s and don’ts list for getting outside during the pandemic.
“As you know, most local, state and federal recreational lands and fisheries are temporarily closed to discourage travel and slow the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, some folks are violating these closures and at the same time, not practicing social distancing. Adventure can wait. The more we can social distance, the sooner we’ll get through this,” the agency said in its daily briefing.
Here are the guidelines for Washington state residents:
▪ Outdoor activities should be done with your immediate household only, not with your extended family.
▪ Gatherings of any size are not allowed outside — just as they are not allowed inside. That means you shouldn’t meet up with friends to fish or hike, for example.
▪ Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet if you encounter others while out.
▪ And (this may be hard) enjoy the outdoors close to your home, instead of traveling to it. “If you have to take a car, maybe it’s too far,” the agency said.
This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 4:12 PM.
