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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.
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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.
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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.
“Ride the Hurricane” Bike Ride Scheduled for August 5
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"Ride the Hurricane" Bike Ride Scheduled for August 5 on Olympic National Park's Hurricane Ridge Road Olympic National Park will host an exciting opportunity for cyclists to "Ride the Hurricane" on Sunday, August 5. The event is an approximately 12-mile recreational climb up Hurricane Ridge Road. The Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce is organizing the ride, with sponsorship from several local businesses. "We are excited to partner with the Chamber again this year to provide this unique experience in Olympic National Park," said Olympic National Park Acting Superintendent Todd Suess. "To ensure a safe and enjoyable event, the cyclists will have Hurricane Ridge Road to themselves all morning." Participants will have the option to start the ride from Heart O' the Hills entrance gate or from Peninsula College, five miles north of the entrance gate. All riders must register at Peninsula College before starting their ride.Participants opting to ride the longer route from Peninsula College, may start as early as 6:00am, however, the Heart O' the Hills entrance gate to the upper section of Hurricane Ridge Road will not open to riders until 7:00am. From the Heart O' the Hills entrance gate, riders will climb 12 miles and more than 3,300 feet to Hurricane Ridge, which stands 5,242 feet above sea level. After completing their summit, riders will be allowed to descend at their own pace. To provide a safe experience for the event, the 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. This applies to both uphill and downhill travel, as well as cyclists who are not a part of the ride. The road will open to traffic at noon and all event riders should be off the road by this time. Olympic National Park will waive entrance fees at the Heart O' the Hills entrance station for the rest of the day on August 5. Access to the Lake Angeles-Heather Park trailhead and Heart O' the Hills campground will remain open throughout the day. To register to ride, visit the Port Angeles Chamber website at www.portangeles.org/ride-the-hurricane.html. The registration cost is $35. |
Did You Know?
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.