Willamette issues temporary closure for section of Forest Road 19

The Willamette National Forest issued a temporary closure order this week for a portion of Forest Service Road (FSR) 19 to complete a paving project to resurface the road and repair slope failures, providing safe access for those traveling the scenic roadway.

The road closure order, which covers all access along FSR 19 from milepost 32 to 50.5, will be in place until Oct. 19, 2023. Access to the roadway will be open for transit on the following dates: Sunday, Oct. 8, and the following Friday through Sunday, Oct. 13-15.

Forest Service Road 19, also known as Aufderheide Road, is part of the West Cascades National Scenic Byway and connects the McKenzie River and Middle Fork Ranger Districts. The closure area will include Terwilliger Hot Springs south to Box Canyon. The hot springs will remain open but will only be accessible from the north on most days, and visitors should expect heavy truck traffic. The following recreation sites will not be accessible during the closure: Cougar Crossing Campground, French Pete Trailhead, Rebel Creek Trailhead, Frissell Crossing Trailhead, Ollalie Trailhead, and Roaring River Ridge South Trailhead.

“A backlog of maintenance on roads limits our ability to respond to wildfires and offer recreation opportunities to the communities we serve,” said McKenzie River District Ranger Darren Cross. “This road improvement project will help provide visitors safe access to our public lands.”

The project is funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) and Disaster Relief funding. For more info about the GAOA, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/gaoa