Take advantage of Capitol Forest trails soon before many areas shut down

THE OLYMPIAN | • Published October 16, 2009

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Now is the time to enjoy many campgrounds and trails on Capitol Forest, as many of them will shut down Dec. 1.

The Margaret McKenny, Middle Waddell Off-Road Vehicle, Mima Falls Sherman Valley, North Creek, Fall Creek and Porter Creek campgrounds will be closed December through April.

The Middle Waddell, Off-Road Vehicle, Rock Candy and Fall Creek trailheads also will be closed from Dec. 1 until May 1.

Capitol Forest is located in Grays Harbor and Thurston counties, west of Olympia. The easiest access is off Highway 8, west of the U.S. 101 interchange or along the east side of the forest.

Tahuya State Forest, located in Mason County, shut down Camp Spillman and the Kammen Campground on Thursday. The campgrounds are closed indefinitely because of state budget cuts.

The Merrill Lake Campground in Cowlitz County closes on Nov. 15 and will reopen on April 15 – if the snowpack allows.

For more information on state Department of Natural Resources recreation areas, visit www.dnr.wa.gov.

The Olympian