News Release

Olympic National Park Accessible to Public during Government Shutdown

Date: January 21, 2018
Contact: Penny Wagner, 360-565-3005

PORT ANGELES, WA – During the shutdown of the federal government due to the lapse of appropriations, national parks will remain as accessible as possible while still following all applicable laws and procedures. Park roads, lookouts, and trails at Olympic National Park, will remain accessible to visitors, but emergency and rescue services will be limited.

There will be no NPS-provided visitor services at Olympic National Park, including public information, restrooms, trash collection, and facilities and roads maintenance (including plowing). Some lodging, restaurants, and other services may be available when provided by concessioners or other entities such as Kalaloch Lodge and NatureBridge. Reservations at park hotels for instance, should be confirmed by contacting the concessioner that operates the hotel or visiting their website.

Because of the federal government shutdown, NPS social media and websites are not being monitored or updated and may not reflect current conditions. All park programs have been canceled, including guided snowshoe walks at Hurricane Ridge.

The NPS will not be providing services for NPS-operated campgrounds, including maintenance, janitorial, bathrooms, showers, check-in/check-out, and reservations. However, visitors in NPS-operated campgrounds will not be asked to leave unless safety concerns require such action.

Many park areas, including Lake Crescent, park beaches, Ozette, and the Quinault, Queets and Hoh Rain Forests are currently accessible by vehicle. The Elwha Olympic Hot Springs Road remains closed to vehicle access due to flood damage and the Staircase area remains closed to vehicle access due to a washout just outside the park boundary. Vehicle access to Rialto Beach remains closed since last Thursday’s storm surge. Deer Park Road and Sol Duc Road are closed to vehicles for the winter season. Hurricane Ridge Road will remain closed to vehicles until the lapse of appropriations is resolved.

For updates on the shutdown, please visit www.doi.gov/shutdown.

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees who care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.