Northern Tier Section 1 maps 4&5. Highway 20 closed due to fire. Aug. 2023

[jeffvine]

State Highway 20 is indefinitely closed from milepost 120 in Newhalem to milepost 156 just west of Rainy Pass, located 45 miles west of Winthrop, due to the Sourdough wildfire.  Unfortunately this means you need to find a detour as there are no alternates nearby. Either going into Canada, using Route 2 (which can be very busy with sometimes limited shoulders), I-90 (think you can now go over Snoqualmie Pass by bicycle) or use the Palouse to Cascades Trail, a rail trail, to go over Snoqualmie Pass. The Palouse to Cascades Trail has a 2+ mile long tunnel at the pass so you really need a headlight to transit. The eastern end of the trail is gravel/dirt and is really rough in parts. The western end of the trail is paved.

Here is where to find updates on the fire and the highway closure: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/warlp-sourdough-fire#sourdough-fire-smoke-outlook-august-6,-2023-141508

[jamawani]

From WSDOT

Sourdough Fire Update 8/22 AM:
SR 20 is CLOSED btwn Newhalem & Silver Star (MP 120-171). In cooperation w/ the IMT we're working to clear debris to reopen the road on 8/23 at 8AM for thru-travel only. No stopping as fire crews work the Sourdough & Blue Lake fires.

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Don't know if they plan to let bicycles through.
There are no services, no camping, no nothing for way more than those 51 miles.
Not to mention serious smoke.

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Both Lone Fir and Early Winters campgrounds on the east side are closed. (water still on)
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/okawen/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprdb5308308
Both Colonial Creek and Gorge campgrounds on the west side are closed.
https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/fire-closures.htm

I wouldn't if I were you.
US 2 is very tricky west of Stevens Pass - with a narrow tunnel and many narrow bridges.
Plus, a good deal of traffic, esp. on weekends.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43646298
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43646327
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43646555
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43646621

[jeffvine]

Adding in a site where you can check the smoke levels for the entire country:

https://fire.airnow.gov/

[Ty0604]

Just an update that 20 has reopened and the campgrounds jamawani linked are also opened except Gorge Lake and Colonial Creek North and part of South but the walk-in sites at Colonial Creek South (64-73) are open on a FCFS basis.