CONTACT:

Jonathan Guzzo, Director of Advocacy, Washington Trails Association (206) 625-1367 / Jonathan@wta.org

Susan Saul, Volunteer, Washington Trails Association (360) 892-5643

SEATTLE - Not long ago, Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest conjured images of heavy logging and road-building, but a decline in logging in the 1990s and an increase in recreation visitors has helped polish that image.

Now, hundreds of thousands come to the high ridges and green valleys of the Gifford Pinchot to take in the scenic vistas, watch wildlife, and have fun in the woods.

Washington Trails Association (WTA), the state’s leading hiking organization, has a strong desire to see recreation opportunities in this magnificent Forest protected for future generations, and they’ve done something about it. WTA’s latest recreation guide is “The Forgotten Forest: Exploring the Gifford Pinchot,” to be released on National Trails Day, this Saturday June 4th. In it you’ll find ten different ways to enjoy the Gifford Pinchot and its environs, from hiking along ridgetops in the Dark Divide, to flycasting in the Cowlitz River to mountain biking the wild country of Siouxon Creek.

“National Trails Day celebrates the diversity of recreation opportunities on our public lands, and we're celebrating a remarkable diversity of recreation opportunity in this guide, hoping that everyone gets out and finds something to enjoy in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest,” said Jonathan Guzzo, WTA’s Director of Advocacy. “We believe the opportunities are there waiting to be discovered.”

And, WTA hopes people who discover recreation in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest will be inspired to protect it for future generations to enjoy.

“The way to protect wild places like the Gifford Pinchot is to get people into the wilderness and on the trails,” said Guzzo.

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest, at 108 years, is one of the oldest National Forests in the United States, and comprises over a million acres. The Forest offers myriad recreation opportunities for hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, anglers, and those just seeking a great place to hang out by a lake and watch the sun set over Mount Adams. The Forest has 1,475 miles of trails, and Washington Trails Association puts 3,000 hours of volunteer labor into trail maintenance on the Forest every year.

More and more Northwest outdoor enthusiasts, 1,800,000 visitors annually, have begun to discover the Gifford Pinchot, and the Forest Service is beginning to take notice, recognizing the days of big timber cuts are turning to recreation.

Local communities have noticed the movement towards recreation in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, too, and many are beginning to show it: towns like Trout Lake and Stevenson offer lodging, such as B&B’s, camping supplies, and all the amenities that wilderness travelers relish after a long journey into the woods.

“The Gifford Pinchot has started to move away from managing their lands for timber and minerals, and toward management for recreation and the visiting public,” said Guzzo. “Yet, much of the Gifford Pinchot remains vulnerable because these areas lack real protection. While many of these areas have administrative protections, through the Forest Plan and other documents, these are not legislated and can be undone at the stroke of a pen, opening areas up to logging, mining, and increased motorized use.”

One particular area featured in “The Forgotten Forest” is the Dark Divide Roadless Area between Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens. The largest unprotected roadless area in the Washington Cascades, it has long been a candidate for permanent protection, but was not included in the 1984 Washington Wilderness legislation due to strong opposition by the timber industry, which hoped to log the old growth forests. Its 76,000 acres contain a diverse landscape of steep, open, mile-high ridges and two old-growth forested valleys. Today, the gravest threat to the Dark Divide comes from motorized recreation.

“Hikers and horseback riders can enjoy the scenic vistas, wildflowers, huckleberries and wildlife—until a motorcycle roars by,” said Susan Saul, volunteer for Washington Trails Association. “There is a real threat of expanding motorcycle use on the Dark Divide’s trails. That’s why we included it in the guide. The more boots and hooves we can get on these trails to see what’s at stake, the more people will care about protecting this area.”

The showpiece of the Dark Divide is fourteen–mile–long Juniper Ridge, with its dramatic views of five major Cascades volcanoes. WTA’s guide recommends the Juniper Ridge Trail for a long hike, but warns the Juniper Ridge trail has suffered significant damage from heavy use by motorized vehicles. In fact, only 10 of the 100 miles of trails in the Dark Divide are closed to motorized vehicles. Yet, most of the trails in this area were not designed for motorized used. The result is heavy soil erosion and trail degradation.

Those ten miles are on the Quartz Creek Trail, one of the most scenic in the Gifford Pinchot, and suggested as an excellent equestrian trail in WTA’s recreation guide. It’s easily accessible from the Lewis River horsecamp. Nearly 22 miles round trip, Quartz Creek takes you and your horse through old growth stands of cedar and Douglas fir, and over three stream crossings best attempted later in the season.

Much later in the season, the guide suggests you venture to the other side of the Gifford Pinchot, the Wind River area, to play in the snow. It’s a great place to get out and ski and snowshoe, especially crosscountry skiing at Oldman Pass, part of the Wind River Winter Sports Area.

Families will enjoy picking huckleberries in the Sawtooth berryfields, or car camping at the Takhlakh Lake Campground, which boasts views of Mount Adams and is a great place for fishing, swimming, kayaking or canoeing.

For the anglers out there, the guide includes a fantastic outing on the Cowlitz River. Famous for salmon and steelhead fishing, this river presents anglers the opportunity to fly fish all year round, with its large runs containing 10,000 summer fish and up to 20,000 winter fish.

Copies of “The Forgotten Forest: Exploring the Gifford Pinchot” are available free from Washington Trails Association starting June 4th at www.wta.org, or by calling (206) 625-1367.

Click here to view the Gifford Pinchot Guide, PDF.

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