Popular Washington State Park Might Not Open This Summer
Popular Washington State Park Might Not Open This Summer
According to officials, one of the most popular parts of the Olympic National Forest might be shut down through its busiest time of the year.
The Hoh Rain Forest In Olympic National Park Faces Potential Summer Closures
In a press release from NPS.GOV, The Hoh Rain Forest area of Olympic National Park is closed until the Upper Hoh Road is safe for travel.
Jefferson County maintains the Upper Hoh Road and connects HWY 101 to the Olympic National Park boundary. The County has closed the road due to a washout at milepost 9.7 and had expected to open up this spring, but it looks those openings will be delayed.
The Upper Hoh Road provides the only access to and from the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center, campground, picnic area, and trailheads.
In an article from Axios Seattle, some reservations for the HOH Rain Forest area for June have been given notice that the HOH Rain Forest area might still be closed at the start of summer.
The cost to the damaged highway is $1.3 million and Jefferson County officials say that federal funds might be needed to get the road fixed and open again.
It might surprise you to learn that an estimated 460,000 visited the HOH Rain Forest area of Olympic National Park last year.
That would be a big loss of revenue as well as the slowdown of folks traveling to the Olympic National Forest.
At this time, no re-opening date has been set for the HOH Rain Forest area but you can get more details on the closure on the official site here.
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