News Release

Accelerating coastal erosion forces removal of some Kalaloch cabins

Date: March 4, 2024
Contact: Public Affairs Office, [phone]

Port Angeles, Wash. – On March 11, 2024, Port Angeles contractor 2Grade will begin removing structurally compromised cabins in Kalaloch, Washington. The ten cabins slated for removal are within five meters of the bluff edge and unsafe for occupancy. All have been closed to public use since January 1, 2024. The main Kalaloch Lodge is not threatened. 

The cabins provided an opportunity to marvel at the power of the ocean at any time of year. “We are sorry to say goodbye to these cabins, but visitor safety must come first.” said Deputy Superintendent Kevin Killian. “Even without the cabins, the experience of visiting this wild coastline will endure.”  

A combination of King Tides, strong winter storms, and freeze-thaw events have eroded the bluff beneath the cabins. Over four meters of bluff sloughed off in some areas between December 2023 and January 2024 alone. The bluff’s loose composition of sand, gravel, and stone makes it especially vulnerable to erosion from wave action enhanced by soaking rains and recent freeze-thaw events. The saturated material expands when frozen and becomes weaker when it thaws. Bluff erosion is a natural process that has accelerated over the last ten years.