Olympic National Park reopened the Hurricane Ridge area on Tuesday following the fire that destroyed the historic Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge on May 7.  

Park officials stressed that parking spaces will be limited and there will not be any indoor spaces to protect visitors from inclement weather. Portable toilets will be available. 

“We are excited to re-open this area to visitors and are committed to restoring permanent visitor services in the future,” said Park Superintendent Sula Jacobs. “We are also thankful for the public’s understanding. Our commitment is the safety of our visitors.”  

Access to Hurricane Ridge Road will be limited from
7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Due to restroom capacity, the daily limit is 315 vehicles with the parking area supporting 175 vehicles at a time. Once capacity is reached for the day, the road will close to private vehicles, officials said.

The park will monitor the entry system and make adjustments as needed, including to daily vehicle capacity. 

Hurricane Hill Road, a 1.5-mile road beyond the Hurricane Ridge parking area, is open, as well. Portable toilets will be available at Picnic Areas A and B.  

Park officials noted that Obstruction Point Road is also open to vehicles. Visitors should be prepared for an 8-mile gravel, narrow, winding mountain road, with some steep drop-offs. 

The investigation into the fire is continuing. The day lodge area is fenced off and closed to the public for safety.

Officials said additional road closures are likely once the probe is complete and the clean-up process begins. The exact dates for the full closures will be announced when they are known.   

The Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge, a historic structure built in 1952, was closed to visitors and undergoing an extensive rehabilitation project at the time of the fire. The two-story, 12,201-square-foot structure burned to the ground during the blaze.