Hurricane Ridge at Olympic National Park will have limited access in the coming weeks due to utility work/NPS
Infrastructure work at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park will require some access closures in the coming weeks.
Utility trenching will be occurring for three weeks starting around September 19. This work will be performed in the Hurricane Ridge parking lot and will allow the park to re-establish long-term utilities, such as water, wastewater, and electricity to the Hurricane Ridge area. This work will require short-term closures of the road to the Hurricane Hill trailhead and will cause a temporary reduction in parking spaces in the Hurricane Ridge parking lot; visitors should expect additional delays in accessing Hurricane Ridge during the period of construction.
This trenching allows the park to make further progress towards providing winter access to Hurricane Ridge by installing the utility services that will eventually connect to temporary public restrooms, as well as the Hurricane Ridge weather station and other essential park infrastructure.
“We are excited to be taking this next step towards restoring winter access to Hurricane Ridge,” said Zach Gray, the park's acting deputy facility manager. “This important work will include cutting and removing asphalt, excavating and digging trenches, as well as laying equipment, and paving and patching the site.”
The Hurricane Hill Road, a 1.5-mile road beyond the main Hurricane Ridge parking area, provides access to two picnic areas, the Wolf Creek Trail, and the Hurricane Hill Trail. This road will be closed on weekdays during the period of construction; vehicle access will be restored on Saturdays and Sundays. Visitors who want to hike the Hurricane Hill Trail on weekdays should be prepared for twice the hike length (6 miles instead of 3 miles) and an additional 380 feet of elevation gain. Visitors will still be able to access these locations during the closures, but only by foot.
