The Mountaineers
For over a century, the Fairfax Bridge has carried hikers, climbers, and campers into Mount Rainier National Park’s northwest corner. Now, the bridge is permanently closed, cutting off access to some of the most popular destinations in the park.
The aging bridge has faced mounting restrictions over the last decade, with its load-bearing capacity reduced several times since 2009. This past April, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced its permanent closure after an inspection revealed severe structural deterioration in the bridge’s steel supports.
The closure blocks all public access to Mount Rainier’s Carbon River and Mowich Lake areas, as well as the nearby Clearwater Wilderness on the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. While a temporary logging road now provides limited emergency access for first responders and local property owners, the route is closed to the general public.
Impacts on The Mountaineers and local communities
For The Mountaineers community, this closure hits close to home. The Carbon River and Mowich Lake corridors have long been gateways to adventure - places where our members learn to climb, scramble, and backpack, and where families experience their first taste of Mount Rainier’s wild beauty. Now, iconic trails such as Tolmie Peak, Spray Park, and Summit Lake are suddenly out of reach, and classic climbing routes like Observation Rock have grown harder to access.
The closure has also severed the route to our Irish Cabin Property, a simple but well-loved site that has supported Mountaineers programs since the 1920s. Longtime Mountaineers members fondly recall the annual Thanksgiving dinners once hosted there. While the cabin itself has since been dismantled, the property remains a key location for many programs. Irish Cabin is a home base for youth summer camps, family outings, and field trips for navigation courses - a place where kids roast marshmallows around a campfire, members test their gear before embarking on nearby trips, and families experience the joy of sleeping under the stars. Without access to this property, many of our programs had to relocate or cancel, losing a cherished gathering place woven into our community’s history.
The impacts of the Fairfax Bridge closure reach well beyond our organization. The Carbon River corridor serves as a vital recreation gateway for communities on the mountain’s west side, a key resupply point for Wonderland Trail hikers, and an economic lifeline for towns like Wilkeson and Carbonado that rely on outdoor tourism. The Mountaineers has been involved in regional planning efforts for the future of the Carbon River corridor, such as the Carbon River Corridor Cooperative Action Plan and the Carbon River Landscape Analysis. Restoring access would support local economies, disperse recreation pressure across the park, and reopen one of Mount Rainier’s quieter corners.
What’s next for Carbon River access?
In May of 2025, WSDOT launched a planning study to evaluate long-term solutions for the closure. The study initially considered seven alternatives, ranging from constructing new crossings to rerouting the highway entirely. After months of analysis and public input, WSDOT announced in August that two options will move forward:
- Build Alternative: Construct a new bridge just north of the current site to restore access to the Carbon River and Mowich Lake corridors with an estimated cost of $160 million.
- No-build Alternative: Permanently remove the existing bridge and close the route, with $70-80 million of estimated costs for demolition and compensation to affected property owners.
For many Mountaineers, the possibility of permanently losing access to this area is devastating. The Carbon River corridor has shaped countless trips, courses, and personal adventures - it’s where many of us first learned to navigate, backpack, or lead a rope team. The Irish Cabin Property is special to members across generations, from life-timers to summer campers. Losing access to this area would mean far more than a logistical challenge - it would mark the loss of a place rich with shared history and outdoor learning.
We understand how deeply this news resonates with our members, and we’re committed to advocating to restore access to this beloved area. The Mountaineers is actively engaged in the planning process and is in close communication with WSDOT, Mount Rainier National Park, and the Governor's Office. We’ll continue to share our priorities as planning moves forward and ensure our community’s voice is represented in every stage of the process.
Share your bridge closure impacts
The next step in WSDOT’s planning process will be conducting an environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This process will include opportunities for the public to weigh in on the environmental and community impacts of the proposed actions.
We’ll keep our community updated as the effort to reestablish access to the Carbon River area moves forward and share information on how to make your voice heard in support of restoring access.
In the meantime, we want to hear from you. Have your Mountaineers trips or courses been affected by the Fairfax Bridge closure? Share your experience through our recreation impacts survey. Your feedback will help us demonstrate the importance of reestablishing access for programming.
