• Olympic: Three Parks in One

    Olympic

    National Park Washington

  • 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.

Park Newsletter February 8, 2008

large trailer being pulled up snow-covered road by truck

Mike Danisiewicz

The newly refurbished ticket trailer for the downhill ski area makes its way up the Hurricane Ridge Road.

Hurricane Ridge Visitors Urged to Carpool

With limited parking at Hurricane Ridge and sunny weather predicted for at least part of this weekend, Hurricane Ridge snow-seekers are urged to carpool. 

Last weekend, the Hurricane Ridge Road closed several times to uphill traffic because the parking lot was completely full.  In addition to ride-sharing, drivers are asked to the best use of parking spaces by parking close to other vehicles even before the parking lot becomes crowded.

When the parking lot fills, vehicles are stopped at the Heart o’the Hills entrance station; once parking spaces become available, vehicles are once again permitted to travel to the Ridge. As these closures may sometimes last over an hour, ski school and snow shoe walk participants are urged to get an early start and carpool.

More on Hurricane Ridge in winter.

Did You Know?

star-shaped purple flowers growing in a crack of a rock

That the Piper's bellflower is unique to the Olympic Mountains? Named after an early Olympic peninsula botanist, the Piper's bellflower grows in cracks and crevices of high elevation rock outcrops.