• Olympic: Three Parks in One

    Olympic

    National Park Washington

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  • 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 from Upper Lake Mills Trail downstream to the Highway 112 bridge, except for the stretch between Altair Campground and the Highway 101 bridge.

  • 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.

Park Newsletter October 3, 2008

uniformed ranger talking with female visitor

Wilderness ranger Scott Kinghorn helps a prospective hiker at the new WIC information counter.

NPS Photo by Bryan Bell

"One-Stop Shopping" at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center
Aimed at increasing efficiency and reducing costs, the Wilderness Information Center (WIC) recently moved into the Olympic National Park Visitor Center.

Thanks to the park's buildings and utilities staff, the visitor center was extensively remodeled and renovated in order to accommodate the WIC information desk and provide office space for the WIC staff.

With the WIC now housed in the visitor center, the former WIC trailer can be removed and the area revegetated. And visitors can find answers to both wilderness and "front country" questions under the same roof.

 
uniformed police saluting; s police dog sitting next to each officer
Over 100 K-9 officers from around Washington and Oregon pay their respects during last Monday's memorial service to U.S. Forest Service Officer Kristine Fairbanks.
Henry Meyer
 

NPS Mourns Slain USFS Officer
National Park Service employees and retirees from around the country, including dozens of Olympic National Park employees, were among the 3,000-plus mourners at last Monday's memorial service for fallen U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer Kris Fairbanks.

During the 90-minute service, Fairbanks was remembered as a dedicated and enthusiastic peace officer, with a quirky sense of humor and undying love for the resources she protected. Friends and her former pastor spoke of her devotion to family, particularly her 15-year old daughter Whitney, and to her community.

Prior to beginning her 22-year career with the U.S. Forest Service, Fairbanks was a seasonal park ranger at Olympic and Mount Rainier National Parks, and at Big Thicket National Preserve.

Fairbanks was killed on September 20 while on duty in the Olympic National Forest south of Sequim, Washington. More.

 
 

Razor Clam Public Meeting
Biologists will discuss the population of Kalaloch razor clams at a public meeting next week in Forks. The meeting will be held from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 9 at the Forks library.

More.

Did You Know?

white flower

Does this flower look familiar?  The bunchberry, a common groundcover of Olympic's lowland forest, is closely related to the dogwood trees found throughout North America.