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Contact: Penny Wagner, 360-565-3005
Most park campgrounds are now open
PORT ANGELES, WA: Olympic National Park crews are working hard to clean, clear, and prepare park roads and facilities for the summer season. When planning to visit Olympic, visitors are encouraged to call the recorded Road & Weather line at 360-565-3131 for current conditions updated twice daily. Visitors can also find important travel alerts and trip planning information on the park website at www.nps.gov/olym.
“Even though it is late spring now, the park’s higher elevations have an above average snowpack and Hurricane Ridge still has over four feet of snow,” said Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum. “Weather across the national park is incredibly variable and unpredictable, so visitors should always be prepared for changing conditions at any time of year.”
The Olympic National Park Visitor Center and Wilderness Information Center (WIC), located at 3002 Mount Angeles Road in Port Angeles, recently reopened after an eight-month renovation project. The visitor center is open daily except for Thanksgiving and Christmas and is currently open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. On June 24, summer hours will be extended to 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The WIC is now open daily from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Staircase
The Staircase Road into the park reopened to vehicles in mid-May after Olympic National Forest completed road repairs to Forest Service Road 24 at the Bear Gulch Day Use Area just outside the park boundary. Staircase was inaccessible to vehicles following a heavy storm that washed out the road in November 2017.
Staircase Campground is now open with flush toilets available. Day users and overnight campers should pack drinking water or be prepared to boil water this Memorial Day weekend. Drinking water will be available as soon as possible and campers can check www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/campgroundstatus.htm for status updates.
Dosewallips
The Dosewallips Road remains closed due to a washout outside the park boundaries in Olympic National Forest. Access to the primitive campground is by foot or bicycle only (6.5 miles).
Deer Park
Deer Park Road and campground are generally open by mid-June, depending on snow conditions. Once open, the campground provides primitive camping with pit toilets and no drinking water.
Hurricane Ridge Road and Heart O’ the Hills
The Hurricane Ridge Road is now open 24 hours a day, weather permitting. The first five miles of Hurricane Ridge Road below Heart O’ the Hills entrance station is under construction and drivers should expect up to 20-minute delays in each direction during weekday work hours. No weekend or holiday work. Bicycle and pedestrian traffic are not permitted in the construction zone during work hours.
The Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center is open daily through October 14. Daily ranger programs, including talks and guided walks, begin June 23 and are scheduled through September 2.
The Hurricane Ridge Gift Shop & Snack Bar on the lower level of the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center is also open daily through October 14.
The Hurricane Hill Road (the 1.5 mile stretch of road that leads past the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center to the Hurricane Ridge Picnic Area and Hurricane Hill Trailhead) is open.
Obstruction Point Road is expected to open in mid-June.
Heart O’ the Hills Campground is open year round (first-come, first-served) with drinking water and flush toilets available.
Elwha Valley
The Olympic Hot Springs Road is closed to vehicle access beyond the Madison Falls parking area at the park boundary due to a major road washout. There is limited parking and turnaround space. The remainder of the Olympic Hot Springs Road and access to Whiskey Bend Road is open to pedestrians and bicycles via a temporary bypass trail. Bicyclists should walk their bike on the bypass trail and all users should be prepared to share the trail. Dogs on a leash are allowed on the roads and the bypass trail, but not on any other trails beyond the gate.
Lake Crescent
This is the second year of a three year road rehabilitation project on Highway 101 at Lake Crescent. Throughout the summer, travelers should plan ahead for a half-hour of total stop time Monday-Friday during work hours, with slower travel through the 12-mile project zone. There is no road work on weekends or major holidays. Check for updates and information at go.nps.gov/LCHwy101Project.
Fairholme Campground is open until October 1, with drinking water and flush toilets available.
Lake Crescent Lodge is open through January 2, 2019, offering a range of lodging options, a dining room, boat rentals and gift shop.
Fairholme Store is open daily May 25 – September 3 and offers kayak, canoes and paddleboard rentals.
The Log Cabin Resort is open May 25 – September 30 for lodging, RV and tent camping, a boat launch, dining room and store. The park built eight new guest cabins this year which are now available for reservations.
La Poel picnic area is open for day use.
Sol Duc Valley
The Sol Duc Road is generally open 24 hours a day.
The Sol Duc Campground is operated by Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and is open for the season with flush toilets and drinking water available until October 29. Reservations are accepted for up to 75 percent of the campsites, with the remainder available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations for the Sol Duc Campground can be made online at www.recreation.gov. After October 29, Loop A of the campground will be open for primitive use when the road is open.
The Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort is open for the season with lodging, dining, hot spring pools, RV Park, and a small store. The Resort will be open until October 29.
Hoh Rain Forest
The Hoh Rain Forest Road is generally open 24 hours a day. After Labor Day weekend this year through early October, the Hoh Rain Forest Road (Upper Hoh Road) will be closed at the park boundary (12 miles from Highway 101) to all public access for a road repair project.
The Hoh Rain Forest Campground is generally open year round with drinking water and flush toilets available. During the road repair project from September 5 through early October, the Hoh Rain Forest Campground and Visitor Center will be closed.
The Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center is currently open Thursdays through Mondays and will be open daily for the summer through September 4.
Pacific Coast
Kalaloch, Mora and Ozette—Olympic National Park’s road-accessible coastal destinations—are open, including all roads, campgrounds and trailheads.
The Kalaloch and Mora campgrounds both provide drinking water and flush toilets. The Ozette Campground is primitive with pit toilets, and drinking water is available now through mid-October. South Beach Campground, a primitive campground located just south of Kalaloch is open until September 24. Reservations are recommended for Kalaloch Campground for June 13- September 23 and can be made online at www.recreation.gov.
The Kalaloch Information Station is currently open five days a week (Tuesdays through Saturdays) and then open daily June 24 – September 30.
Kalaloch Lodge is open year-round with cabins, lodge rooms, dining, gift shop, and a small store.
Queets Valley
The Lower and Upper Queets roads are both open 24 hours a day, unless road work or weather conditions cause temporary closures. The Queets Campground is open for primitive camping with pit toilets and no drinking water.
Quinault Rain Forest
The Quinault Loop Road, which includes the Quinault North Shore and South Shore roads, is open. The North Fork Road is also open.
The six-mile Graves Creek Road is open. RVs and trailers are not permitted because of road conditions.
Quinault area roads are typically open 24 hours a day, unless temporarily closed by road work or weather conditions. The Graves Creek Campground and North Fork Campground are both open for primitive camping with no drinking water. Graves Creek Campground does have flush toilets available for the summer.
Park Trails & Wilderness Information Center
The Olympic National Park Wilderness Information Center (WIC), located at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles, is currently open daily from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to stop by or call the Wilderness Information Center at 360-565-3100 for current trail reports, spring hiking safety tips and trip planning suggestions. Information is also available on the park’s website.
Several feet of snow remain on the ground beginning at elevations above 3,500 feet. Even at low elevations, hikers are reminded to use caution and be aware of downed trees, trail damage, high and swift creek crossings, and changing weather conditions.
Last updated: May 29, 2018