Traffic Impacts and Road Advisories

September 18, 2026

The wildfires burning in regions of Washington State that the Cascade Loop passes through are less of a threat than they have been, but no road closures affect the Loop highways at this time. Very rarely travel is impacted by these fires, but occasionally a highway closure or flagger controlled traffic revisions are put in place to assure safe travel.  If fires near the roadway threaten travel, we will post alerts on social media and on this page (find it easily as a 'Travel Alert' bar at the top of every page)

There are closures of some trails and and campgrounds, it is best to check with the land managers in those areas for the most recent information. Forest Service closures are in place since September 3rd in the Lake Wenatchee, for specific coordinates where driving, hiking are prohibited, check this Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest website link.

Conditions can change quickly, so be sure to check with the Visitor Information folks near where you plan to visit for the latest information. 

Road Construction and Maintenance may cause slow downs and flagger controlled traffic in places, and harvest equipment can be seen on the roadways this time of year. Please pack your patience!

Be aware -- when you program your destination into Google Maps, it may warn you of fires in the area. The best way to confirm any road closure changes is with the WSDOT travel app: https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/

Air Quality 

During Smoke Season the air quality can change several times every day. Use your favorite AGI App, or click here to see localized air quality reports, you can search for the location you are planning to visit: https://enviwa.ecology.wa.gov/mobile/ 

North Cascades National Park Service Complex Update, August 20th, 2026: 

SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. — Fire activity has been minimal over the past few days on the Border 2 Fire (estimated 7,296 acres in the United States, 43% contained) due to cooler temperatures, cloud cover, and a heavy smoke inversion. Fire activity remains  concentrated on the southern portion of the fire around Little Jackass Mountain. There is potential for increased fire growth today with above normal temperatures before the return of possible wetting rains tomorrow.  

Moving forward, fire updates will be available on inciweb unless fire activity changes. For additional information visit the Border 2 Fire  and Luna Fire inciweb pages.

Stay apprised of wildfire activities

Okanogan/Wenatchee National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/okanogan-wenatchee/fire

Leavenworth Chamber has a page with information about the Little Giant Fire, with road and trail closure information if you are planning to visit the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest near Lake Wenatchee: https://leavenworth.org/emergency-resources/

Watch Duty: https://app.watchduty.org/

Social Media Resources:

Chelan County Emergency Management https://www.facebook.com/CCSOEM/ (Leavenworth, Cashmere, Wenatchee, Entiat, Chelan and Manson are in Chelan County)

Okanogan County Emergency Management https://www.facebook.com/Okanogan.County.Emergency.Management/ (The Methow Valley, Pateros, Twisp, Winthrop, Mazama are in Okanogan County)

Be Prepared for Smoke Season

No one can see the future, but you can plan the best vacation possible with travel alert resources on this page

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Special thanks to Voortex Productions (Follow them on Facebook and Instagram)

and 

Jamie Petitto (Follow Jamie on Facebook and Instagram)

Video made possible in part with assistance from Okanogan County Tourism and Chelan County Tourism Hotel-Motel Tax funds

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) does an amazing job of keeping our roadways safe and well-maintained. They also are an essential partner in keeping us and our travelers informed about any accidents, closures, or other issues that can impact the normal flow of traffic. Be sure to check out your itinerary using the following resources before you head out!

Washington State Department of Transportation Resources