KING COUNTY, Wash. — Federal job cuts could affect your next hike.
The frozen beauty of Franklin Falls is attracting many visitors, despite limited access.
“We hike a lot around here, but never done the Franklin Falls, so it’s been on our list of things to do,” said hiker Danica Corwin.
But for now, getting there is a lot harder.
Because of federal firings, the Forest Service is not staffing the Sno-Park, which is now closed, along with the parking lot.
Because of that, the King County Sheriff’s Office has closed the access road.
“When they couldn’t staff the Sno-Park any longer, we decided to close that section of the roadway because it would just create too many search and rescue calls,” said Sgt. Jason Stanley.
Last weekend, the area was packed with hundreds of vehicles, according to Stanley.
“We had deputies out for the busy weekends to keep the peace and make sure people aren’t blocking the roads with their vehicles and can get up and down safely,” he said.
Despite the roadblock and deputies no longer on-site, visitors are still making the extra-long hike to the falls.
“My neighbor lives and works full time and he’s got to get in and out of here at strange hours and we came in the other day and there were cars blocking us,” said Paul Smith who lives near the trail.
Smith says he likes people enjoying the natural beauty, but the staffing cuts have created confusion.
“There’s no way to police anything. People go up there and they get hurt and that’s happened just recently. Conditions have been really inclement,” said Smith.
The Sno-Park, parking lot and access road are closed indefinitely, as the Sheriff’s Office is warning visitors to be extra careful.
“They should mind the avalanche conditions in the area. Make good choices, stay out of the ice – we’ll have falling ice. It’s beautiful, but dangerous if you don’t keep your distance,” said Stanley.
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