May 30, 2013
Openings Still Available in Two-Week Summer Teen Program at NatureBridge in Olympic National Park
NatureBridge still has a few open spots for the Summer Field Research Course at its Olympic National Park campus. This two-week immersive backcountry expedition will give high school students the opportunity to conduct rigorous field science investigations in one of the most ecologically diverse national parks in the country.
May 30, 2013
Morning Closures Scheduled on Hurricane Ridge Road for Annual Road Maintenance; Work Set for Weeks of June 10 and 17
From Monday, June 10 through Thursday, June 13 and Monday, June 17 through Thursday, June 20, Hurricane Ridge Road will be closed to vehicle traffic at the Heart o'the Hills entrance station between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. each day in order to allow the Olympic National Park road crew to safely complete annual ditch clearing.
May 27, 2013
National Park Service Solicits Concession Contract Proposals for Log Cabin Resort: Site Visit Scheduled for
The National Park Service has issued a Prospectus soliciting proposals in response to a business opportunity to operate overnight accommodations, food and beverage, retail, and related services at Log Cabin Resort within Olympic National Park.
May 16, 2013
Olympic National Park Invites Public to Share Memories in Online 75th Anniversary Album, Will Waive Entrance Fees on June 29
Park visitors, neighbors, employees and alumni – anyone with memories of time spent in Olympic National Park – are warmly invited to share their recollections in a new online memory album.
May 13, 2013
Olympic National Park Fishing Regulations Updated; Hoh River within Olympic National Park Closed to Recreational Fishing to Protect Wild Chinook
Olympic National Park has released its sport fishing regulations for 2013-2014 and announced the closure of recreational fishing in the Hoh River watershed effective immediately.
May 10, 2013
Trail Users Cautioned as Trucks Expected on Olympic Discovery Trail between Kacee Way and Elwha River
Veolia Water North America, the contractor operating and maintaining the Elwha Water Treatment Plant (EWTP,) will use the Milwaukee Grade access road to haul sediment material off-site, beginning May 13 and continuing intermittently throughout the summer.
May 07, 2013
Working Within Reduced Budget, Park Staff Prepares for Visitor Season
As Olympic National Park staff begins the annual process of preparing for the main visitor season, effects of the mandatory five percent budget sequester are becoming more apparent. Most park facilities will remain open, but some campgrounds, road and visitor centers will open later than in previous years, provide fewer services or remain closed.
May 03, 2013
City and Park Officials Confer on Elwha Water Facilities
Officials from the City of Port Angeles and Olympic National Park meet at Port Angeles City Hall to discuss and share concerns about ongoing issues of the quality and quantity of treated water at the Elwha Water Facilities.
April 18, 2013
Public Invited to Special National Park Week Activities at Olympic, April 20 through 27
Olympic National Park, together with National Park Service sites across the country, will waive entrance fees April 22 through 26 in celebration of National Park Week.
Special events are also planned as part of this week, including Barn Day and the Washington Coast Cleanup on Saturday, April 20 and National Junior Ranger Day at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center on Saturday, April 27.
April 10, 2013
Elwha River Hatcheries may be funded as Part of the Elwha River Restoration Project
Environmental analysis for funding the Elwha River hatchery program has been completed and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) has been released. The National Park Service (NPS) may provide direct funding and funding recommendations for the Elwha River hatchery programs as part of the Elwha River Restoration Project.
April 10, 2013
Olympic National Park Seeks Volunteers for ‘Citizen-Science’ Marmot Monitoring Program
Olympic National Park is now accepting volunteer applications for the fourth season of Marmot Monitoring.
March 29, 2013
New Reservation System for Olympic National Park Wilderness Camping; Updated Program Begins April 1
Reservation requests for wilderness camping areas with overnight use limits will be accepted by fax or postal mail beginning Monday, April 1, 2013. Phone reservations are no longer accepted.
March 29, 2013
Visitor cited for flight violations in Olympic National Park and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
A Forks, Washington pilot was contacted and cited by an Olympic National Park Ranger after landing an ultralight aircraft on a beach within the wilderness coast of the park on March 4, 2013.
March 29, 2013
New Logo Sets Theme for Olympic National Park’s 75th Anniversary Year
June 29 of this year marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the signing of the law that established Olympic National Park. With a new logo, and new online features and events planned throughout 2013, Olympic is commemorating its 75th year as a national park.
March 28, 2013
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration News Release: Removal of Japanese dock on Olympic Coast completed
A 185-ton dock that washed out to sea during the March 2011 tsunami in Japan has now been removed from Washington's Olympic Coast. As of today, crews from The Undersea Company of Port Townsend, Wash., removed the last of the dock's concrete and plastic foam from the beach and the inland landing site.
March 27, 2013
Corrections Continue at Elwha Water Facilities; Dam Removal Progress Temporarily Postponed
The National Park Service continues to address issues at the Elwha Water Facilities (EWF) and will postpone the final steps of removing the Elwha River’s Glines Canyon Dam while corrections are made by contractors.
March 15, 2013
Olympic National Park Seeks Campground Firewood Vendor
Olympic National Park is seeking persons or groups who are interested in supplying dry firewood for sale at Staircase Campground.
March 07, 2013
Olympic National Park Area Surrounding Japanese Dock Closed to All Public Entry
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.
March 01, 2013
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration News Release: Japanese dock to be removed from Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Olympic National Park
Officials will begin work to remove a dock that beached on a remote shore within the boundaries of both Olympic National Park and NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary in December 2012. NOAA has contracted The Undersea Company of Port Townsend, Wash., to lead the removal. The contractor plans to complete removal efforts by the end of March, depending on weather and tidal conditions.
February 01, 2013
Contract to be Awarded for Upgrades to Elwha Water Treatment Plant
The National Park Service plans to award a contract within days to make improvements to the Elwha Water Treatment Plant (EWTP.) Work is expected to begin in early February. Work to continue lowering Glines Canyon Dam has been put on hold until March 31, 2013 to allow the contractor and plant operator Veolia Water time to complete upgrades and repairs to the water treatment plant.
January 23, 2013
Olympic National Park Launches Planning Process for Existing Park Wilderness
Public Input Invited, Eight Public Workshops Scheduled
December 20, 2012
Ground crew expected to set out today for dock that washed ashore in Olympic National Park
A ground crew representing federal, state and tribal agencies set out today for a large dock that washed ashore from the ocean in a rugged section of the Olympic National Park / Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary shoreline.
December 18, 2012
Aerial search locates missing dock, washed ashore in Olympic National Park
An extensive helicopter search by the U.S. Coast Guard paid off Tuesday when a crew located a large ocean-drifting dock washed ashore in an extremely rugged and remote section of coast in the Olympic National Park.
December 03, 2012
Olympic National Park Announces Thirteenth Annual “Perspectives” Program Series
Olympic National Park is pleased to announce this season's Perspectives series. Presenters will offer windows into a wide range of Olympic National Park topics, from sediment monitoring on the Elwha River to Japanese Tsunami Debris tracking efforts and recent archeological discoveries on the Olympic Peninsula.
September 25, 2012
New Concessioner Takes Reins at Olympic National Park’s Kalaloch Lodge
DNC Parks & Resorts at Kalaloch, Inc. is the new concessioner for Kalaloch Lodge in Olympic National Park.
September 21, 2012
Public Invited to Enjoy Olympic National Park on National Public Lands Day, Saturday September 29; Entrance Fees to be Waived
In celebration of National Public Lands Day, Olympic National Park, along with other National Park Service areas and federal land agencies, will waive entrance fees for all visitors next Saturday, September 29. Other park fees, including wilderness camping and campground fees, will remain in effect.
September 21, 2012
Olympic National Park Enacts Campfire Restrictions Effective September 21, 2012
Due to the continued hot and dry weather and drying out of forest fuels, the park issued a ban on all open fires in the park's wilderness backcountry, effective as of September 21, 2012.
September 10, 2012
Environmental Analysis Complete for Spruce Railroad Trail Improvements
The 2012 Spruce Railroad Trail Environmental Assessment (SRRT EA) has been completed and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was released September 10.
August 29, 2012
Overdue Hiker Found In Good Condition in Olympic National Park
The search for Tim Bailey, 32 years old, of Mountlake Terrace, Washington concluded successfully at about 6:30 p.m. today when he was hoisted from a drainage of the North Fork of the Sol Duc River in Olympic National Park by a U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter.
August 29, 2012
Search Underway for Overdue Hiker in Olympic National Park
A search is in progress for a solo hiker from Mountlake Terrace, Washington.Tim Bailey, 32 years old, had planned a three-day loop hike from Aurora Ridge Trailhead to the North Fork of the Sol Duc.
August 20, 2012
Return of the Kings
Less than five months after the removal of the Elwha Dam, adult Chinook (king) salmon are observed in Olympic National Park.
August 20, 2012
Park Seeks Volunteers for Plant Nursery and Wilderness Revegetation Project
Volunteer opportunities exist year-round throughout the park. This month the Matt Albright Native Plant Nursery and Wilderness Revegetation Crew are looking for a few good volunteers.
August 13, 2012
Scientists to Share Effects of Elwha Dam Removal at Free Public Events, Streamed Live Online
Public invited to listen and talk with scientists researching Elwha River Restoration.
August 08, 2012
Vanishing Elwha Reservoirs Reveal Long-Buried Sites
As the two Elwha River reservoirs slowly disappear as the dams are removed, cultural sites re-emerge.
August 07, 2012
Park Staff Mourns Passing of Larry Stetson, President of Friends of Olympic National Park
Larry Stetson, long-time board member and president of Olympic National Park, remembered by park staff.
August 02, 2012
“Ride the Hurricane” Bike Ride Scheduled for August 5
Olympic National Park will host an exciting opportunity for cyclists to “Ride the Hurricane” on Sunday, August 5. To provide a safe experience for the event, Hurricane Ridge Road will be closed to all vehicle traffic between the Heart O’ the Hills entrance station and Hurricane Ridge, starting at 5:00 a.m. and ending at noon.
August 01, 2012
Work Scheduled for Olympic National Park Roads: Closures and Minor Delays Anticipated
Several upcoming road repair projects will improve visitor access and safety in Olympic National Park. Road work is scheduled along Sol Duc Road, Hurricane Hill Road, and at Heart O' the Hills Campground and Trailhead during the month of August .
July 30, 2012
Altair Campground to Open
Altair Campground will re-open August 1 and remain open through September 16.
July 26, 2012
Obstruction Point Road Fully Open
Obstruction Point Road will be fully open to public access on Friday, July 27.
July 19, 2012
Work Scheduled for Hurricane Ridge Road: Minor Delays Anticipated
Work is scheduled for Hurricane Ridge Road on July 24 through 26 and July 30 through 31. Traffic will be restricted to one lane through work zones and delays of up to 20 minutes should be expected.
July 12, 2012
Ranger-Guided Elwha Exploration Walks to Begin on Former Lake Aldwell
Beginning Saturday, July 15, Olympic National Park rangers will lead guided interpretive walks along the Elwha River where Lake Aldwell once existed. These programs will be offered Saturdays and Sundays at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. through September 2.
July 12, 2012
Olympic National Park’s Obstruction Point Road Open Three Miles to Waterhole
Beginning July 13, Obstruction Point Road will be open from Hurricane Ridge to Waterhole. Park officials anticipate opening the rest of Obstruction Point Road by early August, dependent on weather conditions and road safety.
July 06, 2012
Local Resident Cited for Collecting Historic Artifact from Former Lake Aldwell
An area resident was fined $225 for collecting an approximately 100 year old wagon wheel from the newly exposed lakebed at the site of former Lake Aldwell.
March 15, 2012
Elwha Access Updates March 2013
Whiskey Bend Road re-opens for trailhead access, Upper Lake Mills Trail and upper Lake Aldwell delta now open. Construction areas and all boating within former reservoir areas remain closed.
December 21, 2011
Olympic National Park to Revise Spruce Railroad Trail Environmental Assessment
Revised Spruce Railroad Trail Expansion and Improvement Environmental Assessment to be developed in 2012.
December 15, 2011
December Fish Runs Wind Down on Elwha; Dam Demolition to Begin Again December 19
Contractor to begin dam demolition work on Monday, December 19.
August 27, 2010
Contractor Selected for Elwha Dam Removal
Removal of Two Dams and Restoration of the Olympic Peninsula’s Elwha River Will Begin Next Year
