Category: News

Good news for those who love the Hood Canal side of Olympic National Park! The road to Staircase will soon be repaired and open! During construction, the road will be closed to all traffic, including those on foot. The Shady Lane Trail is still open and accessible. 

Looking at visitation stats is nothing new for me. For the past decade, I have been analyzing trends and looking at visitation statistics to National Parks. My focus has always been on Olympic, as I grew up and reside next to the Park’s boundaries. I started researching visitation statistics for Olympic in 2010. It was …

Despite the smoke-filled skies of summer, the whiteout winter months and the endless drizzling rain of spring and fall, 2018 Was Mount Rainier National Park’s most popular year since at least 1992 and the 13th most-popular year in Rainier history. 

Every year, we compile a list of the most-visited National Parks around the country, and aside from a few jumps and dives, not much changes. In 2018, the National Parks of America had another popular year, inspiring hundreds of millions with nature, history and culture. While some parks, like Olympic, continue to plummet in visitation …

Finally, trips into Olympic National Park’s incredible backcountry are getting a little easier to plan. Officials at Washington State’s most visited National Park have announced that on March 18th, 2019, those interested in heading into the roughly 750,000 acres of wilderness can reserve backpacking spots for their trips online. 

As Seattle and the towns of the Puget Sound, Skagit Valley and Olympic Peninsula prepare for another dose of lowland snow, a report from the US Department of Agriculture is issuing some trouble news. Despite snow falling all around the Evergreen State, our mountain snowpack is still way below average, once again leading to a …

Despite Mount Rainier National Park staff’s best efforts to let visitors explore the lands around the iconic Washington State mountain, the only entrance road open into the park during the winter months was closed on Sunday, January 6th, 2019. A simple announcement on the park’s website greeted visitors with the following: 

Snow is finally coming to the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula! While lowland residents bemoan the return of the rain, the drought beleaguered summits of the region are rejoicing. A atmospheric onslaught of moisture is currently dousing the Pacific Northwest and will continue to do so for the next week, bringing a winter wonderland to …

As the snowy season has officially kicked off, Olympic National Park and the Northwest Avalanche Center have joined forces to provide a free event to the public for avalanche awareness. This event is a great way to brush up on some tips, ask avalanche related questions and get to know the park a bit better …

Mark your calendars! The Department of Interior has announced the five fee free days for 2019! After having just four free days in 2018, the Parks added another day, giving us five fee free days to enjoy the National Parks and lands operated by the Department of Interior. The release of this information is always super …