Olympic National Forest will close seven southern gates

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As part of an agreement with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympic National Forest will be closing seven of its seasonal gates in the southern part of the forest.

The closures are designed to increase wildlife utilization of habitat in the area, reduce the siltation of lakes and streams and protect roads, provide diverse recreational hunting opportunities, reduce harassment levels on deer and elk, and increase the escapement rate of buck deer and bull elk.     

The affected roads include Forest Service Road 2451 in the north fork of the Skokomish River watershed; Roads 2354, 2353 and 2361 in the south fork of the Skokomish River watershed; and two gates along Roads 2294 and 2270 in the Wynoochee River watershed. 

The road systems behind the affected gates will be closed to vehicle travel starting Oct. 1, until May 1, 2021. Accessing the roads beyond the gates while hiking or mountain biking is still allowed.

For questions about the closures, contact Betsy Howell at Olympic National Forest at 360-765-2230.