Submitted by Olympic National Forest
High Steel Bridge will close periodically to all traffic on April 7, 2022, to allow Mason County Fire District #6 to perform search and rescue training. The bridge which crosses over the South Fork Skokomish is located on Forest Service Road 2340 northwest of Shelton, WA. Each year the Mason County Sheriff’s Office and regional partners respond to search and rescue operations in the South Fork Skokomish Canyon under and adjacent to the bridge.
Forest officials are reminding the public that areas surrounding the High Steel Bridge are closed to the public due to the high-risk environment including the deep canyon, steep cliffs, and fast-moving water.
“By only using the High Steel Bridge as a roadway visitors can keep both themselves and our partners at Mason County safe,” said Susan Beall, Deputy Forest Supervisor. “This training helps prepare a response to incidents, but we expect that forest users respect the closure order and don’t trespass into the area.”
The training allows for the Mason County Fire District #6 to mimic the rescue scenarios frequently seen at the High Steel Bridge and perform operations safely.
For more information about the bridge closure, contact the forest’s Quilcene Office at 360-765-2200. For alerts and notices, follow us @olympicforest or visit the Olympia National Forest website.
