THE TRAIL IS CLOSED
In cooperation with the Forest Service and other adjacent landowners the Great Shasta Rail Trail is CLOSED! Those landowners have closed access to their property because of high fire danger and hazardous conditions and the Great Shasta Rail Trail Association has adopted the same policy.
There are also smoky conditions at various points on the trail, varying depending on nearby fire status and weather (wind) conditions. Evacuation warnings are in place as of August 18, 2021. In addition wind gusts are blowing down trees. Do not attempt to use the GSRT – it is unsafe!
Current reports show that road closures on the Bradley Incident have been removed, BUT the area north of Highway 89 from the Great Shasta Rail Trail’s Pilgrim Trail Head to the Bartle Trail Head is under evacuation warning due to the Antelope Incident (forest fire) on the Klamath National Forest to the north. The evacuation warning area also extends from Bartle Trail Head to Hambone Trail Head.
Pilgrim Creek road is still closed due to the Mud Creek debris flows. There is a solid barrier just north of the Pilgrim Trail Head and “road closed” signs at Highway 89 and just below Pilgrim Trail Head.
Mud Creek bridge on the GSRT is still intact, but the risk of large amounts of debris / mud flow from glacier melt is still there.
Depending on where the wind is coming from, the trail is getting smoke from fires to the north, the Antelope at 59,127 acres and fires in Oregon; the fires to the west - the River complex at 53,071 acres on the Klamath NF; the fires to the southwest - the McFarland at 107,102 acres and Monument at 128,613 acres on the Shasta Trinity: the fire to the south / southeast, Dixie fire at 662,647 acres on the Plumas and Lassen National Forests. None of these fires are anywhere near containment or control. Containment estimates range from 10% to 51% as of August 18 (acres involved are as of the same date).
Smoke ranges from light, three to five mile visibility to heavy 1/4 to 1/2 mile visibility. On August 18 areas around Fowlers Campground to the Cattle Campground was heavy (i.e. turn your headlights on when on Highway 89).
Wind events since the start of the fire siege, with recorded gusts up to 30 mph, have resulted in various windfall trees across the trail, both dead trees (snags) and green trees. Foot and bicycle traffic can get around or over most of them, but while windy conditions exist it is not a good idea to be on the trail.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THE TRAIL UNTIL NOTIFIED THAT CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED. THERE IS EXTREME FIRE DANGER AND OTHER UNSAFE CONDITIONS.
Resources for verifying conditions in areas around the trail include:
For Antelope fire status: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7764/
For the National Forests Closure Area for the Antelope fire:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd943558.pdf
Siskiyou County Evacuation Map showing Antelope & other fires in Siskiyou County:
https://arcg.is/1nnHKm0
Area Map showing air quality in the general vicinity of the trail:
https://www.airnow.gov/?city=Mccloud&state=CA&country=USA
