In a huge blow to hikers, access to the northwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park has been closed, after the discovery of serious damage to an old bridge.
This means it's currently not possible to get to the Carbon River and Mowich Lake areas, meaning popular trails such as Tolmie Peak Lookout, Spray Falls and Spray Park are now inaccessible. Visitors also cannot access Carbon Glacier, which has the largest volume of any glacier on the mountain.
The move comes after Washington officials deemed the Carbon River Bridge, located three miles south of Carbonado town, unsafe to use.
The bridge has been closed to drivers and pedestrians while engineers evaluate what repairs are needed to be made to the steel supports which have deteriorated and are showing cracks and rust.
Last year the Carbon River entrance saw nearly 16,000 vehicles drive through it, SFGate reports. It is unknown how long it will take to repair or replace the 103-year-old bridge.
“I think it’s fair to say the hiking community will be eager to see access restored to the Carbon River and Mowich areas,” Meilee Anderson from Visit Rainier, told SFGate. "It’s often called the quieter side of the park – a contrast to the more visited Paradise and Sunrise areas. The Carbon River corridor has a rare inland temperate rainforest climate. You think you know the color green – then you hike here and realize you didn’t.”
Residents south of the bridge, plus loggers, propane delivery trucks and emergency responders are able to use logging roads as detours. These routes require keys to pass through locked gates, The Seattle Times reports. There is no detour available for park visitors the National Park Service has confirmed.
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