The Parks division of Clark County Public Works is beginning repairs to a footbridge located on a trail to the lower falls in Lacamas Regional Park. An announcement will be made when the repairs are completed and the trail is reopened.
The trail has been closed since an inspection last winter determined that there were major structural issues compromising the safety of the bridge. The trail to the lower falls will remain closed until the repairs are completed. While the prolonged trail closure has been disappointing to many park users, it is necessary and part of the department’s careful stewardship of public resources. Publicly used infrastructure in parks, like bridges, must be constructed by licensed staff and with the required engineering and environmental reviews. Allowing volunteers to build or repair these structures increases liability for taxpayers and can make volunteers personally liable for damages brought by park and trail users.
Signs, barricades and caution tape currently mark the closed area. The lower falls can still be accessed via other trails which remain open. Visitors are reminded to never enter areas closed off by barricades, signs, cones, tape, fencing or other barriers, for their safety. To protect the area’s valuable ecosystem and visitor safety, visitors are also reminded to never follow unofficial trails or create their own trails or “shortcuts”.
Updates will be posted at clark.wa.gov/public-works/lacamas-regional-park.
For information about road and park projects, closures, opportunities for community input, and more, residents can follow Public Works on X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram and view information on Nextdoor.