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Olympic National Park aims to open Hurricane Ridge area this summer

Olympic National Park is working to figure out how to provide restrooms, manage parking and remove debris so the Hurricane Ridge area can open.

PORT ANGELES, Wash. — Olympic National Park hopes to reopen the Hurricane Ridge area to visitors this summer after fire destroyed a day lodge last month.

However, access will look different than previous years, according to park officials. Changes could include limits on the number of vehicles that can visit the ridge each day and intermittent road closures to remove debris.

“We are working as fast as we can to get Hurricane Ridge open safely for visitors,” Park Superintendent Sula Jacobs said in a statement.

There is still “significant” work that needs to happen before the Hurricane Ridge area can reopen, according to park officials. The fire left behind potentially hazardous debris, and there’s a lack of water, electricity, and restrooms in the area. The park said it is working to figure out how to provide restrooms, manage parking and remove debris so the area can reopen.

The park is also working with Clallam Transit to continue offering bus shuttle service once the area can reopen.

The Hurricane Ridge area closed May 7 after the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge caught fire, making the building “a total loss.”

The lodge, which was built in 1952 as a ski lodge, was closed for renovations at the time of the fire. The repairs included an entire roof replacement and structural improvement, replacing doors, windows and floor coverings, and upgrading the fire detection and notification system. It was expected to remain closed from April 2023 to May 2024.

Before it closed, the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge saw about 300,000 visitors each year.

    

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