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Know before you go: Areas near Portland remain closed due to fire damage

Amanda Arden

Olallie Lake on Mt. Hood National Forest 9 months after Lionshead Fire. Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – As many people make plans for summer hiking and camping, they should know that some parts of the Pacific Northwest are still closed as a result of damage from wildfires that occurred within the last six years. 

In 2020, wildfires across Oregon burned more than 1 million acres. Many of the damaged areas were on state and federal land, in places where the public was welcome to hike, backpack, and camp. 

Since then, hazardous trees have been removed from most places, allowing outdoor enthusiasts to return to the places they love, but some spots remain closed as crews continue to work to make them safe for the public. 

Near the Portland metro area, the Beachie Creek Fire in the Santiam Canyon and the Riverside Fire in Clackamas County in 2020 were two that caused significant damage to popular recreation areas. Closures also remain in place from the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire in the Columbia River Gorge.

In 2022, several fires damaged parts of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Southwest Washington, causing closures that still remain in place. 

Here is a roundup of state and federal lands that are closed near Portland and Salem due to wildfire damage. 

Oregon Department of Forestry Land 

According to Jessica Prakke, public affairs officer for the Oregon Department of Forestry, the only ODF land with recreation impacts due to fire is the Santiam State Forest. This forest was damaged by the Beachie Creek Fire in 2020. 

The Butte Creek Campground and trailhead, along with three primitive sites in the High Lakes Recreation Area are all closed. The High Lakes Recreation Area includes Rhody Lake and Butte Lake north of Gates. 

The trails at Shellburg Recreation Area and Butte Creek Crail are also closed, Prakke said. 

She suggests people use trails at the Santiam Horse Camp or Rock Creek Campground instead. The Monument Peak Trail System is another alternative that’s open in the Santiam State Forest.  

ODF recommends people use the Find a Camping Area tool online to see which campsites are open. 

U.S. Forest Service Land in Oregon 

Mt. Hood National Forest 

As of May 1, 2021, some closures remain in place in the Mt. Hood National Forest as a result of the 2020 Riverside Fire on the Clackamas River Ranger District. 

The USFS says there are currently no open campgrounds past Promontory Park. 

The following roads are still closed to motor vehicles until dangerous trees are removed: 

People are allowed to walk, run or bike on these roads, since the USFS says they’ll have more situational awareness to hear a tree falling and will hopefully have time to move out of the way. 

In the Barlow Ranger District, where the White River Fire burned in 2020, there are a few roads still requiring tree work before they can open. They’re visible on this road closure map. 

As a result of the Lionshead Fire in 2020, some campgrounds at Olallie Lake, Peninsula Lake and Horseshoe Lake remain closed. 

The Pacific Crest Trail has reopened, although the PCT trailhead near Olallie Lake is still closed. 

Mt. Hood National Forest after Lionshead Fire north of Olallie Lake. Photo taken June 11, 2021. Courtesy U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region

Willamette National Forest  

According to the USFS, a large part of the Willamette National Forest remains closed due to the Cedar Creek Fire of 2022. The Cedar Creek Closure is north of Highway 58, just northeast of Oakridge. 

The closure includes Huckleberry Lake, Warm Springs, Waldo Lake, Swan Lake, Winchester Lake, and Bunchgrass Tie/Eugene to Pacific Crest. For all the trails, campgrounds and viewpoints closed in the area, see the USFS closure map. 

The 2020 Beachie Creek Fire and Lionshead Fires, which essentially merged in the Santiam Canyon, are causing ongoing closures in the Willamette National Forest. According to an August 1, 2022 update from the USFS, dozens of trailheads and recreation sites remain closed. 

Here are several of the closures, but a full list is available online, including the many stretches of roads that remain closed. 

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area 

The 2017 Eagle Creek Fire is still causing closures in the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side. Oneonta Gorge, between the Historic Columbia River Highway and the Horsetail Falls Trail bridge, remains closed. 

Tanner Butte Rail, Ruckel Creek Trail, Moffett Creek Trail and Bell Creek Trail are all still closed in the Columbia River Gorge area. 

The USFS expects Ruckel Creek Trail, Bell Creek Trail and Horsetall Creek Trail will all open in the fall of 2023.

Bureau of Land Management Land in Oregon 

The damage from the 2020 Beachie Creek Fire has kept three BLM recreation sites closed: 

Access to the boat ramp and adjacent day-use areas at Fishermen’s Bend are currently open. 

The BLM says these sites will open when hazardous trees are removed, but the agency has not provided a date on when it anticipates that will be. 

U.S. Forest Service land in Washington 

Gifford Pinchot National Forest 

Several 2022 wildfires are causing ongoing closures in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Southwest Washington. These fires include the Goat Rocks Fire which burned in the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, the Siouxon Fire in the Mount St. Helens District and Mount Adams Ranger District, the Kalama Fire in the Mount St. Helens District, and the Sunset Falls Fire in the Mount St. Helens District. 

In the Goat Rocks Fire burn area, the following roads and trails remain closed: 

The Goat Rocks Fire was ignited by lightning in early August 2022 near Packwood, Washington. It burned in steep terrain and dense forests in and around the Goat Rocks Wilderness on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region

In the Siouxon Fire burn area, several square miles remain closed north of NFS Road 54. The area includes Horseshoe Falls and Horseshoe Ridge. 

The closure resulting from the Sunset Fire is south of NFS Road 54 and it borders the East Fork Trailhead and the Sunset Falls Campground. 

The Kalama Fire closure is a small area, about 2 square miles, with no notable recreation sites in it.  

The USFS asks visitors to pay close attention to signs and their surroundings, even in areas that are not closed, to help ensure their safety. In areas with fire damage, standing dead trees or even living trees with root damage can fall at any time. 

Anyone who recreates in the forest should only light fires when weather conditions are cool and the wind is calm. Adhere to any fire restrictions in place and consider bringing a stove with you to cook food instead of relying on cooking it over a fire while camping.