Emergency closure for Ray Benson Sno Park

The Willamette National Forest has issued a temporary emergency closure order for Ray Benson Sno Park, which will be utilized as an incident command post to effectively respond to nearby wildfires and station firefighters. The closure order is effective through October 15, 2024, unless rescinded or modified sooner.

Visitors are encouraged to support firefighters and crews working the Pyramid Fire east of Sweet Home by recreating elsewhere in the coming weeks. Nearby recreation options include Little Nash Snow Park, Potato Hill, and Santiam staging areas that can provide riding opportunities and public access to the OHV trail system. The remainder of the Santiam Pass Recreation Area remains open to approved activities.

The closure is the Ray Benson Sno Park site (T13S, R7 ½ E, Section 35) located within the Santiam Pass Recreation Area and its associated access road FS Road 2690-902. All the facilities located there and within the park are closed. FS Road 2690-902 is closed with this order. Currently, the remainder of the Santiam Pass Recreation Area remains open to approved activities.

The public is encouraged to stay safe, observe closures, pay attention to evacuation warnings, and avoid active wildfire areas to give firefighters and first responders the room they need to move heavy equipment and work.