Laws & Policies

 
 

Closures

The superintendent's compendium for Olympic National Park contains most closures and other local regulations. Closures not included in these compendiums are listed below. This page shows areas closed and uses limited by temporary regulation and does not include closures of facilities and services.

Consistent with applicable legislation and Federal administrative policies, and based upon a determination that such action is necessary for the maintenance of public health and safety, protection of environmental or scenic values, protection of natural or cultural resources, aid to scientific research, implementation of management responsibilities, equitable allocation and use of facilities, or the avoidance of conflict among visitor use activities, the Superintendent makes the following changes to Olympic National Park regulations:

 

Closure of Quinault River System to Recreational Fishing

Effective Dates: December 1, 2022 to June 1, 2023
Authority for Adoption: Code of Federal Regulations 36 CFR 1.5(a)(1)


Beginning at 12:01 am on December 1, 2022, recreational fishing is closed within Olympic National Park in the Quinault River System.

This is an emergency change adopted for the Quinault River system within Olympic National Park. The previous regulations allowed for recreational fishing.

This emergency closure is designed to protect wild steelhead. Sport fishing will close in the Quinault River within Olympic National Park on December 1, 2022 due to chronic low wild steelhead abundance and failure to reach an agreement on an acceptable level of wild steelhead harvest between the State and Quinault Indian Nation. The sport fishing regulation change is being implemented in cooperation with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Quinault within Olympic National Park is expected to reopen to recreational angling on June 1, 2023.


Closure of Queets and Salmon Rivers to Recreational Fishing

Effective Dates: November 1, 2022 until further notice
Authority for Adoption: Code of Federal Regulations 36 CFR 1.5(a)(1)


The Queets and Salmon Rivers within Olympic National Park will remain closed to sport fishing until further notice to protect wild Chinook salmon.

This emergency regulation is reopening park rivers previously closed to sport fishing. The rivers were closed on October 6, 2022 to better protect wild salmon vulnerable to fishing and mortality in extreme low-water conditions. The low-water conditions also impede upstream spawning migrations of salmon and concentrate fish in smaller and smaller pools.

The Queets and Salmon Rivers within Olympic National Park will remain closed to sport fishing until further notice due to conservation concerns and the need to protect wild Chinook salmon. The reason for the continued closure is because the in-river fishery exceeded expected levels of harvest.

The continued closure of the Queets and Salmon Rivers in the park is consistent with existing closures of commercial gill-net and on-reservation sport fisheries in the lower Queets River. Additionally, the closure is consistent with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's closure of the sport fishery in the Clearwater and Salmon Rivers to protect wild Chinook salmon. Given the conservation concerns, Olympic National Park sport fishery will remain closed until further notice.

Quillayute River Floodplain Closure

This temporary closure is required for the safety of the public and the contractor during the construction for the Quillayute River Reach 3 Restoration Project.

By order of the Superintendent of Olympic National Park and under authority of Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1.5(a) (1):

The following area is closed to all public access:

  • The Quillayute River floodplain south of Mora Campground, within Olympic National Park, will be closed from June 1, 2022, until completion of the Quillayute River Reach 3 Restoration project and vacation of the construction sites by the contractor. See the map below of the closed area.

This closure does not include the Mora Campground, picnic area, or any portion of the Slough Trail.

Notice of closure will be posted and areas will be monitored to ensure compliance; please see map below for more information. The designation will remain in place until rescinded. Your cooperation in complying with this temporary restriction is greatly appreciated.

 
Map of closures near Mora Campground
Temporary Area Closures near Mora Campground and Quillayute River Closure area
 

Firearms Information

As of February 22, 2010, a new federal law allows people who can legally possess firearms under applicable federal, state, and local laws, to legally possess firearms in this park.

It is the responsibility of visitors to understand and comply with all applicable state, local, and federal firearms laws before entering this park. As a starting point, please visit our state’s website: LINK


Federal law also prohibits firearms in certain facilities in this park; those places are marked with signs at all public entrances.

 

Drones and other "UAVs" Prohibited in the Park

Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Olympic National Park is prohibited except as approved in writing by the superintendent.

Determining Factors: The use of unmanned aircraft potentially presents unacceptable risks to visitors (collisions between unmanned aircraft and visitors, the uncontrolled fall of unmanned aircraft, contact with spinning propellers or rotors of unmanned aircraft.) These risks are greatest in the park’s non-Wilderness areas, where the greatest concentrations of visitors are found. The use of unmanned aircraft adversely impacts visitor experience by negatively affecting scenic and natural sound opportunities, and by potentially interfering with terrestrial and avian wildlife.

The use of motorized equipment is also prohibited in designated Wilderness; approximately 95% of park lands are designated Wilderness. A full prohibition of UAV use within Olympic National Park is necessary in order to prevent potential risks to visitors, impacts to visitor experience and impacts to wilderness character.

Additionally, the unregulated use of unmanned aircraft would potentially violate several other regulations in Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, including 2.2 Frightening Wildlife, 2.12 Creating an Audio Disturbance, 2.17 – Delivering or Retrieving an Object by Airborne Means, 2.34 – Making Unreasonable Noise, 2.34 – Creating or Maintaining a Hazardous Conditions, and 5.13 – Creating or Maintaining a Nuisance.

 

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING between:

National Park Service

and

Hoh Indian Tribe
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
Makah Indian Tribe
Quileute Indian Tribe
Quinault Indian Nation
Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
Skokomish Indian Tribe

To establish a framework for cooperative government-to-government relationships

July 10, 2008

 
logos of MOU signatories

Last updated: December 1, 2022

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Contact Info

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600 E. Park Avenue
Port Angeles, WA 98362

Phone:

360 565-3130

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