Frenchman Coulee (Vantage) Access Issue

Bopped over to TRS from eburg today, only to find a road closed sign approximately 1.5 miles from the parking lot for the feathers. Spoke with the crew working and was told that the road just before the parking lot fell away, will need to be reengineered, and will be closed for the foreseeable future. I was disappointed having made the drive and am hoping to save a few from a similar experience. I am unsure if you would be allowed to hike in.

If you have a high clearance vehicle, driving to the top of winter walk wall and rap in or hiking down the gully is a great option to get some climbing in while the road is closed. 

Just FYI, the Winter Walk Wall is tall, requiring two rappels, a double-rope rappel, or a 70m rope with a little downclimbing. Tie your knots.

If you don't have a 4x4, park off Silica Road just before the transmission lines. From there it's about a 25-minute hike to Winter Walk Wall.

Any whispers on the old highway reopening? 

Do not count on the highway opening anytime soon. It may be time to go explore those other sweet spots you've had in your back pocket for years ;)

I’m going to try to bike in to the Feathers… anyone see any problems with that?

Yes, I have heard they are not taking access lightly as the whole road is fixing to fall into the coulee. If you bike on top of the mesa and don't take the road I doubt they will care though. There are plenty of other access points then the main road.

I’m new to the area, do you mind sharing a few of those access points and nearby crags?  I obviously have the map feature on Mountain Proj. to help me with where the crags are, but not necessarily the terrain/elevation/ access perspective 

Once upon a time many years ago I took my Xterra past the bathrooms, up the dirt road past Agathla's Tower and up last Zig Zag, to the top of the mesa/coulee for some cool views. More recently (2 years ago?) I saw people doing the same with 4runners/trucks while climbing at Zig Zag. Is there any way off the highway or Old Vantage Highway that meets up with this offroad trail? It looks like the attached photo is a continuous trail that connects road to the area in discussion, but I can't remember what that area right off the highway looks like; and I think it might be private property.

I'm probably going to just spend my next few winters at Tieton or Leavy regardless, (I no longer have the Xterra).

Eric Onnen wrote:

Once upon a time many years ago I took my Xterra past the bathrooms, up the dirt road past Agathla's Tower and up last Zig Zag, to the top of the mesa/coulee for some cool views. More recently (2 years ago?) I saw people doing the same with 4runners/trucks while climbing at Zig Zag. Is there any way off the highway or Old Vantage Highway that meets up with this offroad trail? It looks like the attached photo is a continuous trail that connects road to the area in discussion, but I can't remember what that area right off the highway looks like; and I think it might be private property.

I'm probably going to just spend my next few winters at Tieton or Leavy regardless, (I no longer have the Xterra).

I checked onX. Private land all along the highway 

Damn. Thanks for checking!

Updated 9/30/26 - Road is still closed to all travelers (bikers, cars, pedestrians) due to concerns with further rock fall. See below for more info.

https://www.grantcountywa.gov/1335/Road-Closures-Advisories

I don't understand why the road needs to be closed off at the Silica Road intersection.  There's plenty of parking inside the barrier before the slide that would allow safe access to the climbing area by way of trails that run south of the cliff, well away of the dangerous parts.

We cragged at Winter Walk Wall Sunday which was fun but you need a high clearance vehicle to get anywhere close to the parking. It's super tough going and the parking area can accommodate at most 3 or 4 Subarus.