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Month: October 2015

Elwha’s Whiskey Bend Road Reopens to Car Traffic

This week has been a rollercoaster of emotions for the Elwha Region of Olympic National Park. The week started with an announcement that the incredibly popular Olympic Hot Springs would be closed due to a 61 year old man dying in one of the pools. Now, we get good news, as the Whiskey Bend Road …

Olympic Hot Springs Closed After Dead Body Found

On Monday, a body was discovered in the Olympic Hot Springs in the Elwha Region of Olympic National Park. The discovery forced the closure of the hot spring areas of one of America’s most popular National Parks. The news is sad, as it appears the 61 year old deceased man from Silverdale, WA died from natural causes. …

Olympic National Park sees Decrease in Visitation through September

As summer officially ended, visitation numbers in Olympic National Park continued their slowing trend, reflecting a bit of burnout and fatigue from the impact of an endless summer. While the park didn’t quite break the three million visitor mark, seeing 2,950,225 through the first nine months of 2015, the sharp decrease in visitors was not as …

Spending the Night: Olympic National Park’s Graves Creek Campground

“Every so often, I feel like a condensed version of a Jack London novel. I answer the call of the wild, but I can only get away for a weekend.”  Those of us lucky enough to live in the Puget Sound region know that are spoiled. Within a few hours drive, we can be sleeping …

Back to the Future Day 2015: Life in the Pacific Northwest

October 21st, 2015. Back to the Future Day. Honestly, I couldn’t be more excited to be alive on this date. Growing up, I loved the Back to the Future movies, as many of us did. Nearly everyone who has seen the trilogy looks at DeLoreans fondly, is a secret fan of the music of Huey …

Six Mountains to Climb in Olympic National Park’s Staircase Region

Residents of  Washington State are spoiled with beauty and probably more spoiled than anywhere else in the nation. Washingtonians have access to the most incredible scenery in America, just 90 drive minutes away from nearly every major city.  To the north, south, west and east, we have no shortage of jaw-dropping destinations. Even often over-looked Eastern Washington …

Watching Visitors Break Rules in Glacier National Park

It was early October in Glacier National Park. Fall colors were erupting in the valleys below the staggeringly huge mountains, and the leaves were beginning to thin on the trees, mirroring cars on the roads through this rocky mountain wonderland. The park, which had seen one of its busiest summers in history, was now mostly …

Embracing the Rain on Seven Stunning Olympic Day Hikes

Finally. Raindrops are falling once again around Olympic National Park. The endlessly glorious summer ended long ago, and amazing warm, blue skies are a thing of the past. The days are growing short, like baby boomers, while the sun hides behind gray clouds, giving us a mere shadow of its potential.  The rain is here for …

Elwha River’s Whiskey Bend Road Closed to ALL Visitors, but…

The Olympic Hot Springs Road will soon reopen! Changes in access are coming to the Elwha Region of Olympic National Park are starting on October 10th, and like most everything, there is both good and bad news. The bad news is for the Whiskey Bend Road. The Whiskey Bend Road, which leads trails that pass by …

Elk Rut Closes Hoh Rainforest Campground for October

Love is in the air for the Roosevelt Elk in Olympic National Park, meaning the the fall elk rut is upon us.  As the rain starts to fall and the leaves transition from green to orange, male elk, known as bulls, get quite excited.  During this time, male elk attempt to become the dominant elk …