Travel
Cayuse, Chinook Passes Close For The Winter Thursday
Both roads close every year due to avalanche concerns and poor conditions through Mount Rainier National Park.
MOUNT RAINIER, WA — Ahead of more potential mountain snow, two of the roads that run through Mount Rainier National Park will close for the winter Thursday morning. WSDOT crews close the gates at Cayuse Pass (SR 123) and Chinook Pass (SR 410) annually, typically in mid-November, for safety reasons. According to WSDOT, avalanche dangers, poor road conditions and a lack of nearby emergency services make both roads too hazardous to drive on.
State Route 410 will close between Crystal Mountain Boulevard and Morse Creek. State Route 123 will be closed from Crystal Mountain Boulevard and the entrance to Stevens Canyon Road.
Skiers can still access Crystal Mountain from Enumclaw on State Route 410. White Pass can be reached from U.S. 12.
According to WSDOT, maintenance crews clear more than 30 miles of snow between the two passes before they can reopen in the Spring. The work can take up to six weeks to complete. Both roads usually reopen around Memorial Day weekend, but the timeline depends on how much snow has accumulated.
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