How the Government Shutdown Affects Oregon Forests and Trails

['Rachel Saslow', 'Rsaslow Wweek.Com', 'Rachel Saslow Is An Arts', 'Culture Reporter. Before Joining Ww', 'She Wrote The Arts Beat Column For The Washington Post. She Is Always Down For Karaoke Night.', 'October'] Willamette Week 2025-10-01 00:00:00

A hiking trail in Mount Hood National Forest is an awful long way from the Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C. But the federal government shutdown that began today has immediate consequences for all national forests and other national recreation sites in the state and region, including places like Multnomah Falls. The U.S. Forest Service manages 24.9 million acres of land in Oregon and Washington—think Mount Hood, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, the Deschutes National Forest, Malheur National Forest and more. That is the case today at Multnomah Falls, according to Chris Willis, general manager of Multnomah Falls Lodge. “Multnomah Falls is public land, so you can certainly go and see the falls,” Willis says.