Reopen Peter Burns Road – Bring Back Walker Valley's Back Entrance!

For decades, riders, hunters, and families have used Peter Burns Road to access Walker Valley ORV. In March 2026, that entrance was gated off, taking away an access point many of us have relied on for years.

One of the biggest issues behind this closure is the disagreement between Skagit County and DNR over the road's legal status and who is responsible for maintaining it.

Skagit County previously maintained portions of Peter Burns Road but now considers the southern section private and no longer its responsibility. Meanwhile, DNR has pointed to historical records suggesting the road was originally established as a public county road.

I've been going through old and new legal documents and road records obtained through public records requests with Skagit County and DNR, trying to understand how we got here. Who made the decision to install the gate? Who paid for it, how much did it cost, and could that money have gone toward maintaining the road instead? I'm still waiting on more records, but I think these are fair questions that deserve answers.

Local residents have also raised concerns about the road's condition and lack of maintenance, which are understandable. However, closing the back entrance has also affected the riding community. For many of us, a 20-minute drive has turned into an hour or more. The closure also pushes more traffic toward the main entrance, where homeowners are already expressing frustration with the amount of traffic. My concern is that if this continues, we could eventually see restrictions at that entrance too. How much access are we willing to lose before finding a solution?

I've been riding Walker Valley with my dad since I was a kid, and before the closure, I was still riding there around three times a week. It's frustrating to lose an entrance that's been such a great spot for so many years.

We're not afraid of a little dirt or hard work! I know plenty of Walker Valley regulars who would gladly volunteer their time to help maintain the road and get this entrance reopened. We'd rather see money spent keeping roads open than shutting them down!

What We're Asking For
We're asking Washington DNR and Skagit County to review the road's legal history, clarify maintenance responsibilities, and work toward a solution that could restore public access.

My goal is to gather enough signatures and community support to get the attention of DNR and Skagit County and hopefully open the door for a conversation about getting this entrance reopened. I'd love to see a strong turnout of riders and supporters to show just how many people care about getting this entrance reopened and keeping it accessible for years to come.

You don't have to know all the answers. You just have to be willing to ask the questions. So here I am!

Is reopening it a long shot? Absolutely! Am I doing it anyways? Yup!  We'll never know if we don't at least try.

If you care about keeping Walker Valley accessible, please take a minute to sign and share!

LET'S GET THE BACK LOT REOPENED!