Hantwick Rd TH - No overnight parking

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Walkin' Fool
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Hantwick Rd TH - No overnight parking

Post by Walkin' Fool » May 9th, 2019, 2:28 pm

Can someone make a note on the Hantwick Road Trailhead page that there's no overnight parking there?

I did a backpack last weekend using Bells Mountain and Tarbell Trails and parked overnight at Hantwick Rd. Although it is noted in the parking lot that Moulton Falls County Park itself is closed from dusk to 7:00AM, it does not say that there's no overnight parking. Especially since it's part of the Chinook Trail, it doesn't seem unreasonable that someone would want to park there overnight for a backpack well outside of Moulton Falls County Park (as I did), so I decided to chance it. Luckily my car was there when I returned, but there was a note saying not to park there overnight, as my car could be towed. In my defense, I did try to call various Parks and Rec numbers when I arrived Friday morning to confirm I could park there overnight, but couldn't get a live person on the phone.

There's also a new trail in the Yacolt Burn, called Silver Shadow. Its first official day open was Saturday and it intersects the Tarbell Trail in 2 places, between Rock Crk CG and the Tarbell TH and near Kloochman Butte.

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bobcat
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Re: Hantwick Rd TH - No overnight parking

Post by bobcat » May 9th, 2019, 2:40 pm

Thanks. In general "park hours" means your car has to be gone by closure time, but I've put a note in the Field Guide. I agree they need to reassess their overnight parking options as backpackable trail options open up in that area.

Walkin' Fool
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Re: Hantwick Rd TH - No overnight parking

Post by Walkin' Fool » May 13th, 2019, 7:27 am

Thanks!!

sttjones
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Re: Hantwick Rd TH - No overnight parking

Post by sttjones » November 11th, 2019, 8:11 am

The Chinook Trail Association recently published trail guides for the Washington side of the Chinook Trail. Hantwick being a day-use site is noted in the guide:

Trailhead information
The Chinook Trail begins at Hantwick Road Trailhead
29601 NE Hantwick Rd, Battle Ground, WA 98604
• Latitude: 45.83785 | Longitude: -122.433557

Direction: From I-205 or I-5, take the exit for State Route 500. Drive east on 500 until you
reach NE Fourth Plain Road in Orchards. At the Fourth Plain Road intersection, continue
north on NE 117th Avenue/State Route 503.
Follow State Route 503 north through Brush Prairie and Battle Ground. Turn right (east)
onto Rock Creek Road. Rock Creek Road will turn into Lucia Falls Road. Just after the Lucia
Fall Regional Park, take a right on to NE Hantwick Road. You’ll cross the river and shortly
after see the trailhead parking lot on your left.

Overnight Parking is prohibited, please plan on being dropped off at the trailhead.

You can see the trail guides at: https://chinooktrails.org/chinook-trail ... king-guide
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bobcat
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Re: Hantwick Rd TH - No overnight parking

Post by bobcat » November 11th, 2019, 10:24 am

Thanks for the link. Kudos to the Chinook Trail Association for all their perseverance and hard work!

sttjones
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Re: Hantwick Rd TH - No overnight parking

Post by sttjones » November 12th, 2019, 7:29 am

Thanks! We are studying what to do on the Oregon side for the Eagle Creek fire. We want the trail to be in the backcountry as much as possible but we may have to use Trail #400 and the Historic Highway State Trail in places for quite some time.
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bobcat
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Re: Hantwick Rd TH - No overnight parking

Post by bobcat » November 12th, 2019, 6:33 pm

I suspect the USFS won't be working in the way backcountry of the Gorge (Moffett Creek, Eagle-Tanner, etc). When they get to opening the relevant trailheads for the shorter hikes, it may be the CTA's opportunity to go in there on overnights (TKO people would be interested too). Some of that country wasn't burned at all but it has been very much neglected (and not hiked the past two years).

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