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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.
According to an announcement by Olympic National Park officials, road repairs on Staircase Road are set to begin Thursday, March 28 and will last for up to eight weeks. The road will reopen to vehicles by Friday, May 24 in time for Memorial Day weekend.
The contract includes pavement rehabilitation, culvert replacement, paving of the overflow parking area, chip sealing of the campground, striping, sign replacement, and conduit installation.
The $1.3 million road rehabilitation project is a partnership between the National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration. The contract was awarded to Washington State contractor Conway Construction Company, Inc. of Vancouver, WA.
For public and worker safety, the road is closed to vehicles and pedestrians at the park boundary until the work is completed. Please respect this advisory and stay clear of the road.
Can’t wait that long to explore Staircase? Don’t worry!
To enter Olympic National Park’s Staircase region, access can still be gained by driving over the bridge at the terminus of Lake Cushman and walking the Shady Lane Trail. The trailhead is found about a quarter of a mile from the lake, with decent parking spaces available. Full trail information can be found here. The Shady Lane trail is an awesome route to Staircase and should only make your trip to Staircase better, as elk and eagles are seen often along this scenic trail. Plus, with the road being closed, you’ll have the entire region mostly to yourself. Just remember to be a good steward of the land and leave the region as wild as you found it.
See you there!!
WANT MORE INCREDIBLE HIKES IN AND AROUND OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK?
Written by a local, with the aim of making everyone feel like a local, Doug Scott’s Olympic National Park Area Guidebook is sure to give you the best trip possible around Olympic!
