North Coast Sunset Beach, Oct. 2

WARRENTON, Ore. – The Sunset Beach State Recreation Site day-use parking area and the portion of Fort-to-Sea Trail between the Camp Rilea bridge and the beach will be closed to visitor access Oct. 2 – 9 to facilitate a controlled burn in the park. Officials from Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) and Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) will set the controlled burn in the park north of Sunset Beach Road Oct. 2 – 3. The burn will target brush piles that were left over from a recent forest thinning project in the area. Local residents may see smoke from the fires Oct. 2 – 3, however all fires will be closely monitored by state officials. Celeste Lebo, natural resource specialist with OPRD, says the extended day-use parking and trail closure is necessary for visitor safety. “We’ll be monitoring the controlled burn areas and checking for hot spots for a week after the project concludes,” says Lebo. “We’re asking park visitors and hikers to be patient while we ensure the area is safe.” Beach access for pedestrians and vehicles via Sunset Beach Road will remain open during the project work and extended closure. Learn more about Sunset Beach State Recreation Site on oregonstateparks.org. More info about the Fort-to-Sea Trail, including maps, is on https://www.nps.gov/lewi/planyourvisit/forttosea.htm.