Olympic National Park’s Hoh Rain Forest is once again accessible to motor vehicles, after being closed by storm damage in mid-October. The road is reduced to one-lane travel at the damaged location approximately 5.5 miles inside the park boundary.

The inbound lane was partially undercut by the Hoh River. Park crews and contractors have stabilized the river bank and added safety barriers and signs. Motorists should use extra caution and be alert to other drivers in that area.

The Mora Road is scheduled to reopen to vehicle traffic by noon this Saturday, Nov. 18. This road has been closed since mid-October to provide safe access for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair the Rialto Beach jetty.

The Olympic Hot Springs Road remains closed to motor vehicles because of safety concerns related to frequent intermittent flooding of the road. A side channel of the Elwha River has become more active since an October storm event, leading to flooding of the road in an area just upstream of the new bridge. Bicycle and foot access are permitted; visitors should use the bypass trail to avoid the flood-prone area.

Park staff have installed temporary stream gauges to assess the severity and frequency of flooding. A timeline for reopening the road has not yet been established and will be based upon information gathered from the stream gauges.