Methow Valley Trails Collaborative

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Methow Valley Trails Collaborative

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Methow Valley Trails Collaborative, Nonprofit Organization, Winthrop, WA.

The MVTC builds and strengthens relationships among trail managers, advocates and user groups to support and enhance sustainable trail experiences in the Methow Valley.

09/24/2026

Another successful MVTC trail bridge replacement is in the books! A huge thanks to the 18 volunteers who lent their time (360 hours of it!) to make this project a success. Many hands — and some rigging equipment —truly made light work, and there was a lot of skill-sharing throughout the process. Some volunteers were expert bridge builders, some were novices, but all can now call themselves bridge builders.

This footlog crosses State Creek and accesses the Stiletto Spur and Copper Pass trails off of the Pacific Crest Trail. This crossing is challenging early season due to high water, and navigating algae-covered rocks is tricky in the late season. The footlog has been out for at least a decade. MVTC's replacement will enable safe, sustainable access for hikers of all skill levels for years to come. This work is part of our ongoing effort to accomplish deferred trail maintenance in the scenic SR-20 corridor, and we hope it will provide more desirable options for fall hikes in that area.

Deferred tread work on the Copper Pass trail is ongoing, but the trail through the Blue Lake burn scar is in much better condition than earlier in this season. A volunteer crew will work on Copper Pass next week to further define and stabilize the tread.

09/11/2026

September brought a decisive transition to fall in the mountains around the Metow Valley. MVTC staff are still frantically busy, like pikas preparing for winter, trying to squeeze as much work out of the field season as possible while the weather cooperates. This week, our crew spent another hitch in the Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness working on the Eagle Oval trail, and staff continued progress on our footlog replacement on Copper Pass. The larches haven't turned yet, but we know many will enjoy the work on these two trails later in the fall.

The MVTC pro crew spent a wet week on Eagle/Oval, based at West Oval and Silver Lakes. Despite soggy, snowy conditions, they cleared over a hundred trees from the trail to West Oval Lake, including our fifth pass of the first two miles this year. Oval Creek Trail is now clear from the TH to West Oval Lake. Our crew spent the last two nights of their week on the Eagle Creek side, based at Silver Lake, clearing down the trail. Time ran low, so logs remain for about 1.5 miles between Silver Lake and the Eagle Creek crossing at 48.32901, -120.42895. Stock users note: there is a problem spot on the Eagle/Oval Trail at 48.33354, -120.41902. An uprooted tree has created a steep up-and-down that may challenge riders.

In the front country, we made progress on our ongoing foot log replacement project at State Creek. We carted railing lumber to the site, with only minor mishaps. We rigged the stringer and sill logs to their appropriate work sites with zero mishaps. Most of our materials are now staged, and we're looking forward to putting the pieces together next week!

09/04/2026

A lot of good trail work has been done across the Methow Valley Ranger District over the past two weeks. MVTC and our partners have been working from Copper Pass to the Pasayten to the multi-use Sawtooth Backcountry to maintain safe, sustainable recreation access across the valley.

The MVTC trail crew just spent a pay period doing necessary erosion control work on the Larch Creek trail. The crew camped just past Billy Goat Pass and installed stone water bars and check steps to promote drainage and prevent trail braiding on this Pasayten thoroughfare. Building with stone is hard work, but when done well, structures last for seasons to come.

Another smaller crew of MVTC staff spent three days clearing logs and addressing brush on the Williams Lake trail in the Twisp River Drainage. Unfortunately, the crew ran low on time, so they had to leave some logs; however, fire crews cleared the remaining blowdowns from the trail as part of their response to a lightning fire in the area. That fire is contained, and the trail to Williams Lake is logged out! Be advised that despite our work, there is still lots of brush to contend with on the Williams Lake trail.

The USFS trail crew, aided by an MVTC short-term hire, just spent a pay period replacing a trail bridge and repairing turnpikes on the multi-use Eagle Lake trail. The previous bridge was deteriorating, and their work allows safe access for trail users of all types.

MVTC staff have been working on the Copper Pass trail from Bridge Creek Trailhead. We are replacing a failed foot log bridge on this trail, and partners plan to continue necessary post-fire tread restoration. If you want to help out, we'd love to have you! A work week is scheduled for September 17th-24th. More details on our site!

Enjoy the long weekend, and remember, several trails are still closed due to fires in the area, especially in the Pasyten Wilderness. Please respect closures. They are for public safety. There's still lots of terrain to explore, and hard-working trail crews have opened up many options at this point in the season. Check out the MVTC trail conditions page for the latest info.

08/13/2026

July and August can be tough months to be out on trails. Fire closures change even the best-laid plans, and chasing a good AQI is a constant challenge. Fortunately, the MVTC trail crew is pretty tough and has still been hard at work maintaining trails where conditions allow. There’s still lots of open trails to explore across the Methow Valley, and there are windows of blue sky to take advantage of. For an exhaustive list of which trails have been worked on across the summer, and updated closures, head over to our trail conditions page.

For the past month, our crew has mostly been concentrating on the highly used trails in the Scenic SR-20 corridor. Last pay period, we stabilized two eroded switchbacks on the Heather Maple Loop, started significant deferred tread repair on the Copper Pass trail, which has eroded significantly after the 2023 Blue Lake Fire, and took a pass at the first few miles of the East Creek trail--including clearing one of the largest root wads of the season. Deferred trail maintenance in the SR-20 corridor pays dividends, as these heavily used and highly loved trails can experience significant erosion.

This pay period, our crew was able to sneak back into the backcountry and just completed a logout, tread, and brushing tour of the 40-mile Jakita Ridge-Devil's Dome loop. A WTA crew was hot on their heels doing some tread and brushing on the Jakita switchbacks, so that loop should be in prime condition for the remainder of the trail season.

Be safe, enjoy the clear days as they come, and don’t forget we’re in stage II fire restrictions.

07/27/2026

Heads up, trail users! The US Forest Service, Methow Valley Ranger District, has much-needed maintenance work planned for seven recreation sites along the North Cascades Scenic Highway. There will be temporary closures at these sites while contractors make repairs to roads, trailheads, and campgrounds. The work is a continuation of deferred maintenance that began in August of 2025 and will include repaving, chip sealing, and striping. While closures will interrupt public access, the work is necessary to improve the visitor experience for years to come.

Some key notes:
❗️Trailhead closures include all trailhead facilities (Stock ramps, stock rails, and bathrooms)
❗️When Feasable, contractors will allow hikers to pass through to access Heather Maple Pass Trail, Lake Ann Trail, and Rainy Lake Trail. There is limited adequate roadside parking at this site, and it will max out quickly. The most reliable plan is to choose an alternative area to visit during the planned closures.
❗️In all locations, parking along SR20 is limited, and it is never OK to park over the white fog lines. If trailheads are full or closed, and adequate parking cannot be found, please choose another trail to visit. (Check out the Trails Collaborative's trail conditions page for other options, or call the Methow Valley Ranger District at 509-996-4000)
❗️Work is planned for the proposed closure dates, but work plans may have to change based on external factors like weather.

Please plan accordingly, and remember these interruptions are temporary and will ensure adequate access to these popular destinations for years to come.

07/17/2026

The MVTC crew spent the last hitch back in the Twisp River drainage. The theme of the trails in the Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness this year has been lots of logs and large logs. This hitch was certainly on theme. Fortunately, the crew's in shape and our saws are sharp, so they got some great trail work done. The MVTC crew cleared North Lake and Twisp Pass entirely and made a good push up the Oval Creek Trail.

Work accomplished by the crew:
Twisp Pass: Two days logging out with some spot brushing. Several large-diameter trees made for slow going, but the trail is now logged out from the trailhead to Twisp Pass.

North Lake: Two days of logout to the lake, and a bonus day of logout and tread work up to Abernathy Pass. Again, big trees were down to North Lake, beyond where WTA volunteers had worked earlier this summer. We had a trip report noting a blown-out switchback and a handful of blowdowns on the trail to Abernathy, and decided to polish up that high route while in the area. This work adds more sustainable connectivity to the Cedar Creek drainage.

Oval Creek/Eagle Creek: The crew finished the hitch, three days of work on Eagle Oval loop. They logged out the first three miles of Oval and a half mile up Eagle, triaging slide alder brushing as they went. A handful of new trees had fallen since our last pass to the Wilderness boundary, and the cutting was consistent, limby spruce. Reports indicate blowdowns don't let up until the trails exit the 2018 Crescent Fire footprint. An uprooted tree created a stock impassable hole in the trail on the switchbacks just after crossing Eagle Creek. Repairing this blowout is on our radar for a later date, and we're coordinating with partners to complete the logout of this loop.

It was a hot hitch, but spirits were high. High heat leads to increased fire restrictions, and the entire Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest went into Stage 2 fire restrictions this week. Campfires are now prohibited forest-wide until further notice.

07/10/2026

For those wanting a deep Wilderness outing, the Pasayten certainly delivers. Maintaining the thoroughfares in this remote landscape takes hard work using traditional tools. Well, volunteers and professional crews just did a ton of work the past few weeks, and Pasayten arterial trails are starting to open up for the season. If you're planning a trip into the wilderness, here's a quick list of recently cleared trails.

Larch Creek: A crew of equestrian volunteers completed the logout of this trail and cut east to Quartz Lake. They had started the trail earlier this season and cut hundreds of logs from the trail between where their work had stopped and Quartz Lake. The tread is narrow and rocky on this trail, so equestrians use caution.

Andrews Creek/Chewuch Trail: Andrews Creek has received some much-needed tread and brushing this season. The USFS pack string took advantage of the work and packed in the USFS and PNTA trail crews for a hitch, working on the Cheuwch and Boundary trails far North in the Wilderness. The crews cleared over 1,600 trees from the Chewuch trail between Spanish Camp to the West and the Tungsten junction to the East. Crews ran out of time, so ~45 logs remain between 4-point lake and the Eastern junction. Still, a significant workload and major improvement! Crews also cleared the boundary trail from the district's Eastern boundary to within a mile and a half of the Ashnola River to the West.

Middle Fork Pasayten: MVTC's professional crew recently cleared a significant portion of the Robbinson Creek trail/Middle Fork Pasayten & did a side trip to clear the trail to Fred's Lake. Their timing was fortuitous since the Hart's Pass Road recently reopened to public traffic.

Thanks to all the volunteers and partners who do the hard work to maintain access to this remote landscape.

07/03/2026

MVTC and our partner organizations are still hard at work clearing trails across the Methow Valley. Our SR-20 work week was a rousing success this year, and an earnest thanks to everyone who joined! Over the week, 178 hours of volunteer trail work went into stewarding the beloved trails in the Scenic SR-20 corridor, just in time for the road's opening. Staff and volunteers logged out most trails in the completion or snow line. We also tackled some deferred boulder removal and stabilization work on the ever-popular Heather Maple Loop and cleared a massive pile of driftwood that had obscured the East Bank connector trail.

Our professional backcountry crew spent a week clearing Robinson Creek/Middle Fork Pasayten. The MVTC crew was hot on the heels of a volunteer who cleared Robinson to the Pass. The WTA crew's work enabled us to push further up the Middle Fork and clear the trail past the Bucksin Ridge terminus in the North and spend a day cutting blowdown from the trail to Fred's/Dorris Lake. The Hart's Pass Rd opened just in time to pick up our crew on Monday, 06/29, saving a long hike back.

MVTC partners have also been clearing too many trails to list. Check out the MVTC trails conditions page for the latest updates!

If you're planning to visit the Methow for the holiday weekend, please remember we are in fire restrictions. On the National Forest, campfires are only permitted in designated campgrounds' metal fire rings. Open fires are not permitted anywhere on the Methow Wildlife Area. If you do have a campfire in a designated steel fire ring, make sure it's dead out before leaving it unattended.

06/20/2026

MVTC had another productive few weeks of trail work across the Methow Valley Ranger District. Our professional crew spent two weeks working in the Twisp River drainage on the West Fork of the Buttermilk and Williams Creek, and we have an ongoing volunteer workweek maintaining trails along the scenic North Cascades Highway. If you want to join us for some deferred tread maintenance next Monday (06/22) through Thursday (06/25), head over to our volunteer page and sign up!

Twisp River Trails:
West Fork of the Buttermilk: Our crew followed on the heels of our volunteer work weekend and spent a week clearing the rest of this trail to Fish Creek Pass. In early June, they ran into snow on the last half mile of trail, but were able to reach the pass.

Williams Creek: Our crew spent a shorter workweek making a hard push on this sometimes-neglected trail. They ran into some BIG trees, so despite their hard work, only made it 3/4 mile past the wilderness boundary. The cutting was consistent and complex, so expect to hop logs if you're venturing to Williams Lake before work can continue.

SR-20: Our staff and volunteers have made some great progress clearing blowdowns to snowline from many of the greatest hits, just in time for the highway reopening. This week we cleared Heather Maple, PCT from Rainy Pass to Cutthroat, and Cutthroat Creek to Cutthroat Pass. We've been hitting snow at about 6,200 feet on all trails. It's navigable, but be advised. If you use these trails and hit snow, please follow established boot packs and stay on the trail surface whenever possible, even if it's muddy from snowmelt. Alpine and subalpine vegetation is very sensitive to human foot traffic. Rerouting around mud or snow can kill the plants and create braided trails in this special environment.

06/08/2026

The cooler May temperatures have been great for working on trails, and MVTC has been taking full advantage of it. Last week was a full seven days of trail work for Trails Collaborative staff and volunteers. Crews accomplished more annual and deferred log-out on Cedar Creek and the West Fork of the Buttermilk, and our crews are starting to clear trails to snowline (North aspects are still holding snow at ~6,000').

Monday-Thursday, the MVTC professional crew worked on the Cedar Creek trail beyond the falls to Abernathy Pass. This non-wilderness trail feels pretty wild and hasn't been logged out in a season or two. After a day's push on Monday, the crew camped 4 miles up trail to clear to the pass. They made solid progress and hit snow at about 6,000'. One stock-stopping tree remains high on the trail, but bikers and hikers will have little issue navigating the last remaining blowdown. EDIT: Through an internal miscommunication, we reported 19 down trees to Cedar Falls. I can't say we're not relieved to clear up that the downed trees are on Crater Creek Trail (Sawtooths), not Cedar Creek Trail. To the best of our knowledge, the Cedar Creek trail is still clear to the falls, but please let us know if that changes!

Friday-Sunday MVTC celebrated National Trails Day with a crew of volunteers on the West Fork of the Buttermilk. A big thanks to everyone who joined! Collectively, we cleared almost 100 trees from the first three and a half miles of this trail and removed a large stock-stopping root ball. We're happy to report no major washouts on this trail, and the route MVTC established through the washout at MP 3 is holding up well. The weekend's work enables our crew to spend this workweek camped in the backcountry, clearing the remainder of the West Fork Buttermilk to Fish Creek Pass, or snowline.

As a bonus, volunteer sawyers cleared the first 2.5 miles of Copper Glance Trail and the first 1.8 miles of the Cutthroat Creek Trail to Cutthroat Lake. Many thanks to all those who steward the trails across the Methow Valley! We hope you enjoy their work, however you recreate on trails.

Address

Winthrop, WA
98862

Website

http://trailscollaborative.org/

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