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Contact: Barb Maynes, 360-565-3005
Access into the upper Queets Valley will reopen this afternoon, Friday May 9, via U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) roads. The lower Queets Valley is still accessible via the Queets Road, which leads approximately six miles to Matheny Creek. The Queets Valley above Matheny Creek is accessible via the alternative route. Both access routes are clearly marked at their intersections with Highway 101. The Queets Road closed to traffic in March 2005, when a rock slide undercut the road bed, rendering it unsafe for vehicles. In January 2006, an even larger slide at the same site completely wiped out 150 feet of the road, leaving a 200-foot deep chasm and closing the area to pedestrian traffic as well. An environmental assessment, completed in spring 2007, examined the effects of establishing an alternative route using existing USFS and DNR roads. Over the past year, park crews have made a number of improvements to the alternative access route, including installing a bridge, installing signs, and clearing, grading and resurfacing the roads. Although slowed by the past two winter's severe storm damage, these repairs are now complete and access is restored to the upper Queets Valley. The Queets Campground will re-open on May 16. |
Last updated: February 28, 2015