Oregon
McKenzie Highway 242 reopens, allowing access multiple recreation sites and trails
Scenic McKenzie Pass Highway 242 reopened Tuesday, just in time to restore access to popular Cascade Range recreation sites before the snow starts to arrive.
The Oregon Department of Transportation lifted the closure following downgrades in evacuation levels due to decreased wildfire activity on the Lookout Fire and other smaller wildfires nearby.
The reopening of the highway restores access to recreation sites such as Proxy Falls, Obsidian Trailhead and Dee Wright Observatory, among many other sites.
Some closures remain in the area, including in the Three Sisters Wilderness to the south and in the McKenzie Bridge area. For a full view of the closures, see this map.
McKenzie Highway 242 is seasonal and typically closes when the snows arrive in late October or November.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.