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Boulder Creek Trail in Olympic National Park To Be Closed for Rehab Work

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Published Date

July 12, 2010

The time has come to remove the deteriorating Boulder Creek Road from Olympic National Park. NPS photo.

Good news, bad news out of Olympic National Park. The good news is that crews will begin rehab work on the Boulder Creek Trail in August. The bad news is that a section of the trail will be closed for a couple months.

The work is scheduled to get under way August 16. Park officials say a section of the trail, from the trailhead to the area just below the Boulder Creek campground, will be closed to all public access beginning on that date. The project is expected to be completed by the end of October 2010.

“We realize this temporary closure may affect our visitors’ travel plans within the park, but ask for your patience and understanding as we work to improve conditions on the trail and at the campground,” said park Superintendent Karen Gustin.

The Boulder Creek project was originally scheduled to take place in 2011, but funds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allowed the project to be moved up one year.

Key components of the rehabilitation project include: removing asphalt from a 2.2-mile section of the former Boulder Creek Road, reducing trail width to between 24 and 30 inches, installing foot bridges to improve safety at stream crossings, providing drainage and sediment control along the trail to protect waterways and aquatic resources, and improving vehicle access at the Boulder Creek trailhead. The project also will restore stock animal access along the trail and create a turnaround area at the trailhead for vehicles towing stock trailers.

“The Boulder Creek project will bring a range of improvements that will enhance not only safety, but also trail access and the visitor experience in this area of the park,” Supt. Gustin said. “Thanks to valuable public input and after considering several alternatives, the park is ready to move forward with this extensive rehabilitation project.”

The Boulder Creek Road was built in the early 1900s to provide vehicle access to the former Olympic Hot Springs Resort and automobile campground. Due to slope failure and serious erosion, the road was closed to vehicle traffic and converted to trail use in 1982. Since then, Boulder Creek Trail has remained a popular hiking trail within Olympic National Park for visitors to the Olympic Hot Springs area and for longer wilderness hikes.

The National Park Service reached out for public input and comments during the planning period and considered several alternatives for improving resource protection and visitor access in the area. Olympic National Park released a Boulder Creek Trail and Campground Environmental Assessment (EA) last year, resulting in a Finding of No Significant Impact in January 2010.

SAYBR Contractors, Inc. of Tacoma, Wash. is the contractor on the approximately $1,037,000 project.

The Rehabilitate Boulder Creek Trail and Campground FONSI and EA may be reviewed online by selecting Olympic National Park at the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment website, http://parkplanning.nps.gov/olym. For more information or for a printed copy of the FONSI, interested parties may call the park at 360-565-3004.

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