Olympic National Park encourages visitors to Plan Like a Park Ranger this summer

News Release Date:
May 27, 2021

Contact: Penny Wagner, 360-565-3005

PORT ANGELES, WA: There are countless opportunities for adventure, fun, sightseeing, and solitude in Olympic National Park. From the lush canopy of the temperate rain forests and old-growth forests, to the sandy beaches of the wild coast, or the majestic overlooks of rugged, glacier-capped mountains-Olympic has a great deal to offer. But many national parks, including Olympic, are expecting an especially busy season in 2021. Therefore, trip planning is more critical than ever to help you make the most out of your visit.

The best way to enjoy Olympic National Park is by planning ahead. Visit the park website for travel alerts and trip planning information and call the recorded Road & Weather line at 360-565-3131 for current conditions updated twice daily. Check out our Top Ten insider tips to Plan Like a Park Ranger and make the most out of your visit.

Hundreds of thousands of people visit Olympic from June through September. To avoid the crowds, arrive early (before 10am) or in mid-afternoon or later, when lines are shortest and parking lots are less busy. Plan your visit to the most popular areas of the park for earlier or later in the day. Parking lots at Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh Rain Forest can easily fill by mid-morning and cause long waits at the entrance stations, especially on weekends and holidays. Parking at Lake Crescent, Sol Duc Falls Trailhead, Ruby Beach, Rialto Beach and Third Beach is also challenging in the summer. The park is open 24 hours a day, so arriving early or later in the day can help you avoid the lines and traffic congestion for a more relaxing experience.

Check @OlympicNP on twitter for updates and find more information on avoiding the crowds when Visiting In Summer.

While no advanced reservations are needed to enter the park this summer, visitors can purchase their park entrance pass online before their visit at Recreation.gov at no additional cost. While in the park, the paper copy is presented at entrance stations and displayed on the vehicle dashboard, particularly when the vehicle is parked at trailheads, campgrounds, and park lodges. More information on Fees & Passes is available on the park website.

Current travel alerts, area conditions, and facility information is maintained on the park website.

Spring and Summer Season Trip Planning Information

As always, visitors are urged to plan ahead, hike smart, pack the Ten Essentials, and have an emergency plan - even for a short day hike. 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.

'With summer around the corner and sunny days ahead, keep in mind there is still snow in the higher elevations of the park, ' said Acting Superintendent Mike Gauthier. 'Weather across Olympic is incredibly variable and unpredictable, so always be prepared for changing conditions at any time of year.'

The Olympic National Park Visitor Center located at 3002 Mount Angeles Road in Port Angeles is open daily except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Current hours of operation are from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Restrooms are open daily and located outside of the main building. Check our Visitor Centers page for updates on operations around the park as the season progresses.

All Wilderness Information Centers(WIC) are currently closed to the public but staff are available by email and phone 7 days a week at 360-565-3100. Check the Wilderness Information Center page for updates on operations as the season progresses.

All Wilderness Camping Permits must be reserved on Recreation.gov through the Olympic National Park Wilderness Permit page prior to the planned trip. If you are having trouble booking a trip online call the WIC for assistance at 360-565-3100. Bear canisters are available for lending on a limited basis. Find more information on wilderness food storage and in our Wilderness Trip Planner Guide.

Please remember that pets are not permitted on most trails in Olympic and you cannot bring your pet on any overnight trip into the wilderness. Dogs are permitted in car campgrounds, parking lots, and day-use areas. Check our Pets page for more information on visiting with a pet.

Reservations can be made for Kalaloch, Hoh, Mora, Sol Duc, and Log Cabin campgrounds. All other campgrounds are first-come, first-served and can fill early-especially on weekends and holidays. You can also check the national forest or state and county parks for camping options around the Olympic Peninsula.

Staircase
Road access to the Staircase area in the southeastern corner of the park is via Forest Service Road 24, a gravel road along Lake Cushman. Find more information on the Lake Cushman Road corridor on the Olympic National Forest website.Staircase Campground is now open with flush toilets and drinking water available.

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 is expected to open this year by early July, depending on snow conditions. Deer Park Road is a narrow, gravel road and RVs and trailers are not permitted. Once open, the small campground provides primitive camping with pit toilets and no drinking water. Check the Campground Status page for updates and alerts.

Hurricane Ridge Road and Heart O' the Hills
The Hurricane Ridge Road is now open 24 hours a day, weather permitting. A project is now underway to upgrade the park entrance area at Heart O' the Hills on Hurricane Ridge Road. A temporary fee booth is in operation until this project is completed in the fall. Read the full news release for more information.Drivers should be cautious on Hurricane Ridge Road and be prepared for traffic to be stopped in line at the temporary fee booth. Please obey the reduced speed limit signs now in place to slow down traffic on the approach to the temporary fee station. After passing through the temporary fee station, drivers should expect short delays for alternating single-lane traffic through the short construction zone.

The Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center is open daily through October 10. Check the bulletin boards for ranger programs.

The Hurricane Ridge Gift Shop & Snack Bar on the lower level of the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center is also open daily through October 3.

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 late June.

Heart O' the Hills Campground is open year round (first-come, first-served) with drinking water and flush toilets available. Visitors and campers at Heart O' the Hills Campground should expect construction activity, truck traffic, and noise on work days during the entrance station project.

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. A toilet is open at the Madison Falls Trailhead, but no further facilities are available beyond the gate. Please pack out all trash.

Lake Crescent
Fairholme Campground is open through September 27, with drinking water and flush toilets available.
La Poel, North Shore, and Bovee's Meadow picnic areas are open for day use.

Lake Crescent Lodge is open through January 3, 2022, offering a range of lodging options, a dining room, boat rentals and gift shop. Updates for the 2021 season are available on the concessioner's website.

Log Cabin Resort is open through September 30, 2021 for lodging, RV and tent camping, a boat launch, dining room and store. Updates for the 2021 season are available on the concessioner's website.

Log Cabin RV & Campground offers full hookups with electricity and sewer; restrooms with flush toilets and showers; drinking water; and laundry. Call 888-896-3818 to reserve a tent camping or RV site.

Fairholme General Store is not anticipated to open at this time for the 2021 season.

Sol Duc Valley
The Sol Duc Road is generally open 24 hours a day.

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 through October 31. Updates for the 2021 season are available on the concessioner's website.The Sol Duc RV Park & Campground are both open for the season and operated by Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. The campground has flush toilets and running water available until October 31. Restrooms are located in the campground only, which is ¼ mile away from the RV Park. The RV Park has water and electrical hookups. Reservations are accepted for up to 75 percent of the sites in the campground, with the remainder available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations for the Sol Duc RV Park & Campground can be made online at www.recreation.gov. After October 31, Loop A of the campground will be open for primitive use when the road is open.

Hoh Rain Forest
The Hoh Rain Forest Road is generally open 24 hours a day. Visitors to the Hoh Rain Forest should be aware of traffic delays for a road construction project outside the park on Upper Hoh Road. This project is managed by Federal Highways and Jefferson County. On weekdays between 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, expect flaggers and delays up to 30 minutes through the project limits (milepost 3 through milepost 11). Outside of these work hours, drivers should expect minor delays at the temporary traffic signals for alternating single-lane traffic in operation 24 hours a day.

The Hoh Rain Forest Campground is generally open year round with drinking water and flush toilets available. Reservations are now available online for the peak season June 1 - September 15, 2021 at recreation.gov. All campsites are reservable during the peak season. Any unreserved or cancelled sites will be sold at the Hoh Visitor Center on a first-come, first-served basis. Campsites are first-come, first-served the rest of the year.

The Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center is currently staffed daily for the summer until September 30.

The Hall of Mosses Trail will be closed during the scheduled dates listed in the table below. The work is anticipated to be complete by June 17. This project will repair sections of poor trail tread and improve drainage. Please expect noise and work activity on the Mini Loop Trail during work days as the trail crew will be using power carriers to transport gravel and work materials. The Mini Loop Trail, Spruce Nature Trail and Hoh River Trail will remain open during this trail project. Check the park website for updates.

Trail Closed	Trail Open
May 26 - June 2	June 3 - June 8
June 9 - June 16	Planned for June 17

Pacific Coast Kalaloch, Mora and Ozette-Olympic National Park's road-accessible coastal destinations-are open, including all roads and campgrounds.

The Kalaloch and Mora campgrounds both provide drinking water and flush toilets. All campsites at Kalaloch and Mora are reservable for peak season from May 26 - September 15, 2021. Sites may be reserved up to 6 months in advance. Reservations can be made online at www.recreation.gov. Any unreserved or cancelled sites will be sold in person on a first-come, first-served basis.

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 27.

The Kalaloch Information Station is currently staffed five days a week (Thursdays through Mondays) and then daily June 22 - September 30, 2021.

Kalaloch Lodge is open year-round with cabins, lodge rooms, dining, gift shop, and a small store. Updates for the 2021 season are available on the concessioner's website.

The Quileute Tribe has closed the Quileute Reservation to the general public until further notice. This closure includes the Second Beach Trailhead near La Push.

The Makah Tribe has closed the Shi Shi Beach Trailhead to the general public until further notice. In alignment with this closure, the coastal wilderness area of the park north of Cape Alava (including the Ozette Reservation) to the northern boundary of Shi Shi Beach will remain closed until further notice. Hiking north past the campsites at Cape Alava is prohibited.

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.

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