Blue Lake Trailhead (WA Pass) Removed from USFS Fee Demo

[Andy Fitz]

The U.S. Forest Service has removed certain trailheads from its recreational fee program, under which you need buy a daily or yearly pass to park. I scanned the list and it looks like the most notable one for climbers is the Blue Lake trailhead near Washington Pass (jump off point for west faces of Liberty Bell, North Early Winter Spire, South Early Winter Spire). You can view the full list here: http://wid.ap.org/ss/05recfees.xls

[Matt Perkins]

The Blue Lake trailhead referred to on that list is NOT the same one that you are thinking of, Andy. It is near about 10 - 15 miles south of Mount Baker, near Baker Lake, in the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Fores.

I stopped at the information booth at REI to ask about this and they had difficulty figuring it out but eventually they told me that not only is the "Blue Lake" listed not the one we are interested in as a destination rock-climbing area, but also that they think the list you refer to is incorrect and that the Blue Lake trailhead near Mount Baker (it also serves Dock Butte), remains subject to the fee anyway.

[Andy Fitz]

Well, I had good intentions, anyway. :rolleyes: Thanks for the correction, Matt. Hope I didn't contribute to anyone getting a ticket!

[Matt Perkins]

The people at REI told me that list you saw has caused a lot of confusion for many people.

The basic premise behind the list is that they have been told they cannot charge a fee at trailhead where there are no facilities as in no toilet or picnic table or anything but just a trail, and in addition to this they have decided that certain low traffic trailheads are not appropriate for the fee program -- presumably because the cost of enforcement outweighs any receipts. They said that the fee program remains in place at vitually all heavy use trails and certainly at any with the lavish facilities provided at the Washington Pass Blue Lake trailhead.

The trailead for Three O'Clock Rock, in Darrington, is not a fee demo site. Ironically, as much as I personally disapprove of the fee demo program in concept, I would like to see it become one because I believe this would make the future maintenance of that road more secure.