News Release

Heart O' the Hills Campground Partially Reopening after Extensive Utility Upgrades

Date: May 10, 2023

PORT ANGELES, WA – Heart O' the Hills campground was scheduled to partially reopen on May 13th, but due to delays in construction and annual campground maintenance, the campground will now partially reopen on May 19th. Loop A will open on May 19th, but the rest of the campground, including Heart of the Forest Trail, will remain closed as construction continues. Visitors should expect temporary restroom and water facilities until late June. As construction continues in the rest of the campground, campers should also be prepared for construction noise 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Monday through Thursday.

“This full closure allowed the contractors to work as efficiently as possible. Instead of visitors having to contend with construction for the entire summer, this project is now on a shorter timeline,” said Olympic National Park’s Facility Manager, Lisa Turecek. “This whole project will be complete by the July 4th holiday weekend, and the campground will be fully reopened.” RJS Construction, Inc., a woman and Native American owned small business based in Yakima, Washington, is nearing completion on the $3.1 million utility project. Much of the project is sub-contracted to Jamestown Excavating of Sequim, Washington.

When finished, the project will have completely replaced all water distribution piping, rehabilitated the water treatment and storage infrastructure, jet cleaned and inspected the sewage collection system, and replaced the campground’s septic and pump tank. “Replacing the water distribution system’s 50-year-old iron pipe with flexible and jointless plastic pipe will eliminate leaks and cut water production in half, resulting in reliable and efficient water supply for decades to come,” said Olympic National Park Engineer, Kerri Cook.

Olympic National Park looks forward to welcoming visitors back to Heart O' the Hills campground on May 19th. The campground will maintain its first come, first served status, and campers can self-register at the campground.

Significant Dates:

May 19, 2023 – Heart O’ the Hills Campground Loop A opens

End of June 2023 – The rest of the campground loops and Heart O’ the Forest Trail open More information on camping at Olympic National Park can be found here: Camping - Olympic National Park