Burnt Cabin Trail reopens with new bridge

PENDLETON, Ore—Umatilla National Forest has reopened the Burnt Cabin Trail to the public.

Contractors completed the installation of a new bridge on the trail approximately six miles up the South Fork Walla Walla Trail in the Walla Walla Ranger District. This project was the final repair on the Burnt Cabin Trail to restore access to this popular route connecting South Fork Walla Walla to Target Meadows. 

The previous Burnt Cabin Trail bridge had been closed to the public due to safety concerns in 2017. It was finally removed in 2021 after the bridge sustained further damage from the 2020 flood event.

The Umatilla National Forest received funding from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to replace the Burnt Cabin Trail bridge and reestablish access to the area. 

Additional GAOA funded projects may be implemented on the Umatilla National Forest and will be announced should funding be allocated.

The funding for the Burnt Cabin Trail bridge replacement project is part of a $285 million investment on National Forests that is made possible by the newly created National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, established in 2020 by the Great American Outdoors Act. 

Nationally, the funds will allow the Forest Service to implement more than 500 infrastructure improvement projects essential to the continued use and enjoyment of national forests lands this year.

Projects funded by the Legacy Restoration Fund will contribute to efforts to develop more sustainable infrastructure resilient to climate change impacts. Projects may also address Administration objectives to provide improved recreational opportunities and access to underserved communities.

For more information on these projects in the Pacific Northwest Region, visit https://tinyurl.com/4hm5ttja.

Information about the Umatilla National Forest is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla.