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Washington

Hunting

Hunting

Cooperative Road Management Areas

Why Close Roads?

Studies in the Pacific Northwest have shown that most big game animals avoid active roads by at least one-quarter mile, and some move as much as four miles to escape traffic. Closing roads can provide large undisturbed areas for wildlife, like elk, deer, bighorn sheep, eagles, and wild turkeys during critical times of the year.

Intensively managed forests may have three to nine miles of road for each square mile of habitat. For each mile of road, at least four acres are directly removed as productive habitat.

Animals need energy to survive. Energy spent moving away from disturbances can deplete the energy needed to survive to late spring or give birth to a healthy elk calf. By limiting disturbance, road closures can enhance the health, reproduction, and number of animals in an area.

What's Being Done

WDFW, with the help of state, federal, and private landowners, coordinates the closure of certain roads to reduce hunter crowding and disturbance to wildlife. Roads have been closed to vehicular traffic in over 65 areas, providing over a million acres of relatively undisturbed prime hunting habitat. It is illegal to operate a motor-driven vehicle on closed roads unless exempted by WDFW or the cooperative agency or company.

Road management areas are generally not closed to all entry, just motorized vehicles. You can walk, bicycle, or horseback ride in the area as much as you like!

There two types of road closures in the program:

  1. “Posted Closed” System. Roads that are closed in an area are posted “closed to vehicular traffic, including ATVs.
  2. Green Dot System. Under this system, all roads in an area are closed unless posted OPEN with a green dot. You may drive on any roads that have circular green reflectors posted along the roadway. Roads without green reflectors are closed to motor vehicles. To help users, large information boards can be found at major points of entry into the area. Areas under the Green Dot System are designated with (*) below.

Only portions of the identified GMUs below contain road management areas. Due to changes in land ownership and multi-partner agreements, the final status of Cooperative Road Management areas may change. Check with cooperating landowners and Regional WDFW offices for any changes.

U.S. Forest Service Road Closure maps can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/umatilla/maps-pubs/?cid=stelprdb5414334

Cooperative Road Management Areas

GMU

Name

Area

Effective

101

Sherman

Sherman Creek

Dec. 1-Apr. 1

111

Aladdin

Dominion Mountain

Year-round

113

Selkirk

Sullivan Lake

Year-round

Snyder Hill

Sept. 1-Nov. 30

CCA 15

Year-round

Loop Creek

Year-round

USFS road closures:

"ID Panhandle Travel map"

117

49 Degrees N

Winchester 35

Year-round

Donaldson

Year-round

Buck Creek

Year-round

Nelson Peak

Year-round

121

Huckleberry

Lane Mtn

Year-round

Dry Crk/Service Crk

Year-round

Huckleberry Crk

Apr. 1-Dec. 31

Deer Crk

Year-round

124

Mt. Spokane

Hancock Blanchard/Lake of the Woods

Year-round

127

Mica Peak

Mica Peak IEP

Year-round

162

Dayton

Griffen Peak/Chase Mt

Oct. 1-Nov. 30

175

Lick Creek

Hogback/Triple Ridge

Aug. 1-Nov. 30

Lick Creek

"Umatilla USFS Road Mgmt. guide"

Closures variable;

251

Mission

Naneum*

Year-round

328

Naneum

Naneum*

Year-round

329

Quilomene

Naneum*

Year-round

Whiskey Dick*

Year-round

336

Taneum

L.T. Murray*

Year-round

340

Manastash

L.T. Murray*

Year-round

342

Umtanum

Cleman Mt./Wenas*

Year-round

360

Bethel

Oak Creek*

Year-round

368

Cowiche

Ahtanum/Cowiche*

Year-round

615

Clearwater

Clearwater

Sept. 1-May 1

621

Olympic

Lilliwaup

Oct. 1-Apr. 15

636

Skokomish

Upper Wynoochee R

Oct. 1-Apr. 30

Skokomish River

Oct. 1-Apr. 30

Lake Cushman

Oct. 1-Apr. 30

648

Wynoochee

Polson/Hoppers

Year-round

West Wynoochee

Year-round

East Wishkaw R

Year-round

653

Greenwater River/White River Elk Winter Range

FSR 7010, 7012, 7013, 7160, and 72***

Closed Dec. 15-May 1

Greenwater River/White River Winter Recreation-SnowPark***

FSR 70 (beyond MP 10.3), 7060, 73***

Closed Dec. 15-May 1

Greenwater River Year-round Wildlife Closures

FSR 7012-240, 7020, 70-223, 7080-210

Closed year-round

654

Mashel

Hancock/ORM/Hampton/Muckleshoot forestlands

Year-round except special permittee access*

DNR Elbe Hills Road 5

Sept. 1-Mar. 15 except special permittee access**

660

Minot Peak

Lower Chehalis

Year-round

Williams Creek

Year-round

666

Deschutes

Black River/Scatter Crk

Year-round

667

Skookumchuck

Skookumchuck Wildlife Area

Year Round except special permittee access**