14 WA motorized Sno-Parks will not open this winter

Washington State Parks announced Friday that it will not open 14 motorized Sno-Parks — plowed winter trailheads on public lands that primarily serve snowmobiles — for the 2024-2025 winter season.

State Parks stated in a news release that the decision was prompted primarily by “a roughly 25% reduction in funds available from snowmobile registrations.”

The closures represent 16% of the state’s 89 motorized Sno-Parks.

The preemptively closed Sno-Parks, scattered from the Umatilla National Forest in southeast Washington to the Colville National Forest in the north-central part of the state, are: Bethel Ridge/Soup Creek, Clear Lake, Cloverland, Crawfish, Crow Creek, Echo Valley, Elk Heights, Fish Creek, French Cabin, Nile, Nine Bark, Reecer Creek, Skate Creek and Taneum.

No motorized Sno-Parks in Snoqualmie Pass or along Highway 2 are included in the closure, and closures will not affect nonmotorized Sno-Parks designated for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Those Sno-Parks are self-funded by permit sales to human-powered recreationists.

Meanwhile, the motorized Sno-Park program receives $94.20 per annual snowmobile registration, and parking a vehicle at a motorized Sno-Park costs $50 per season. The program is self-funded from those fees plus a percentage of the gas tax.

Washington State Parks says snowmobile registrations in Washington have declined more than 50% over the past two decades, from 38,331 in 2002 to 18,434 in 2024, resulting in a funding slump. Last winter also saw relatively low snowfall, which may have resulted in lower-than-average Sno-Park permit sales.

Per the news release, Washington State Parks’ Winter Recreation Program compiled the list of closures with the input of the volunteer Snowmobile Advisory Committee, land managers and snowmobile clubs. Factors such as proximity to other Sno-Parks, popularity, and elevation and typical snowfall were taken into account. The goal of the closures is to support the continued “operation of the most used Sno-Parks” and to preserve “access to the broader network of groomed snowmobile trails.”

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Noting that this winter’s closures are temporary, the news release stated that Washington State Parks is “continuing to work with the Snowmobile Advisory Committee and stakeholders to look at the long-term future of the snowmobile program.”

In June, State Parks launched a survey for Washington snowmobile owners alerting them to the funding crunch and asking if they preferred to raise fees or reduce services. Washington State Parks’ winter recreation spokesperson did not make those survey results available by press time.

The Winter Recreation Program manages both motorized and nonmotorized Sno-Parks, working with two separate volunteer committees to manage these recreation areas. The program coordinates snow removal, sanitation and other services for more than 2,300 miles of groomed snowmobile trails and over 800 miles of nonmotorized trails.