-
Olympic Hot Springs Road Closed
The Elwha Valley's Olympic Hot Springs Road is closed to public entry beyond the Altair Campground during removal of the Glines Canyon Dam. Olympic Hot Springs is not accessible from the Elwha.
-
Elwha River Closures
Boating is prohibited on the Elwha River between Upper Lake Mills Trail and Altair Campground.
-
Changes to Visitor Services Due to Sequestration
Due to mandatory, across the board budget cuts, some visitor services at Olympic National Park have changed. See the Plan Your Visit section for more information.
Olympic National Park Area Surrounding Japanese Dock Closed to All Public Entry
|
Contact: Rainey McKenna, 360-565-2985 Contact: Barb Maynes, 360-565-3005
To protect contractor and visitor safety, the coastal area of Olympic National Park between Goodman Creek and Jefferson Cove is closed to all public entry. This closure will allow the Undersea Company of Port Townsend, Washington to safely complete work to remove the 185-ton dock that grounded near Mosquito Creek last December. Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary regulations prohibit aircraft from disturbing wildlife by flying below 2,000 feet within one nautical mile of the coast or offshore islands. The dock's location lies within the boundaries of both the park and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The contractors will use concrete saws and heavy equipment to cut the dock into sections and a heavy-lift helicopter to move the sections off the beach to an inland staging area. "Human safety is our top priority," said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum."Moving heavy loads with large helicopters is inherently risky and to protect both visitors and employees, the area will remain closed until the dock is completely removed." The contractor plans to complete removal efforts by early April, depending on weather and tidal conditions. Additional information about marine debris and the dock removal is available on the NOAA Marine Debris Website, http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/tsunamidebris, and Forks Docks Incident Website, http://marinedebris.wa.gov/incidents/ForksDock.html. Photos and video of the dock are available in the Washington Marine Debris Task Force photo gallery, http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecologywa/sets |
Did You Know?
That endemic Olympic snow moles are scurrying beneath this blanket of snow? Olympic National Park's Hurricane Ridge is blanketed with over ten feet of snow for most of the winter, providing water for summer and protection for snow moles in winter.