Happy 4th, America. Here is your trusty Adventure Dispatch for Olympic National Park.

Go out there and explore!

Transcript after the jump:

Welcome to the Adventure Dispatch for the week of July 1st to July 7th, 2016 Olympic National Park. This week’s information is once again presented by the attractive and dedicated crew at The Outdoor Society. Get inspired and explore the wild with us.

So, it is now July, which is crazy. It seems like just yesterday we were talking about snow, wind and rain. Now, the sun has returned and the park is filling up with nature lovers and giving us endless wilderness inspiration. The gloriousness of the warm season is upon us! Also, Happy Birthday, America!

Speaking of weather, that is where we always will start on the Adventure Dispatches. Along the northern sections of Olympic National Park, in the areas surrounding Port Angeles, the weather for coming week will be pretty good. There is a chance of rain on Friday and Sunday, but the rest of the week looks to be sunny and warm. Highs will be in the 60s, while lows hover in the mid 40s. This is definitely not the heat wave many expect after the 4th, but it will be sunny and beautiful, so get outside!

• The coast and rainforest regions of Olympic National Park will have the similar weather to the Port Angeles region. Rain is expected on Friday and Sunday, with the rest of the week seeing some clouds, but largely clear skies and highs in the 60s. Lows in this area will be in the 50s, making it ideal camping weather. Keep in mind that clouds may linger along the coast and in the valleys until the afternoon. The partly cloudy skies will make for incredible sunsets out on the beaches, though, so head out there every night you can.
• The best weather in Olympic National Park can once again be found along the Hood Canal. At Staircase, the forecast calls for partly cloudy or clear skies all week, with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. If you are backpacking or wanting to camp, this is the area and week to do it!

The snowpack of Olympic is on its last legs. I know I have been saying this for some time, but it is still true. For most of the park, the snowfall is completely gone. While backpackers should expect pockets of snow around 5,000ft, the majority of trails are showing snow free conditions up to nearly 6,000 feet. If the warm weather sticks around, July will see the end of the seasonal snowpack in the Olympic Mountains. This week, the lowest the freezing level will drop is 8,500ft, so don’t worry about getting too cold.

• With the snow mostly gone and summer in full swing, almost all of the roads in Olympic National Park are open. The Deer Park Road leading to Blue Mountain and the Deer Park campground is open, as is the road to the Obstruction Point in the Hurricane Ridge region.

The only road closures in Olympic are located out along the Elwha River.where both the Olympic Hot Springs Road and Whiskey Bend Road are closed due to washouts from last winter. Plans to place a temporary bridge will apparently not be ready for the year, but we might get surprised. Keep your fingers crossed. Until the road is fixed, the area is open to pedestrians and makes for an amazing hiking destination.

• Every other Olympic National Park road is currently open and should remain that way all week. Keep in mind that the Graves Creek Road in the Quinault Region is washed out 2 miles from the Graves Creek Campground. RVs and large cars are not recommended on the road to the washout because the turnaround spot is pretty small.
• Out along the Hood Canal, the Dosewallips Road is permanently closed as it has been for a decade or so.

Camping in Olympic this week will be incredible, and busy this week. All of the campgrounds in Olympic National Park that will open this year are now open. Only the Sol Duc and Kalaloch campgrounds take reservations, while every other campground is first come, first serve. The only campground closures in Olympic are along the Elwha River, due to the washouts last winter. Dosewallips and Graves Creek campgrounds are also open, but are only accessible as walk-in campgrounds.

For those visiting Olympic this week, the Outdoor Society’s “Trail of the Week” has a slight tweak to it. Instead of one hike, we are going to help you have an amazing time watching the 4th of July fireworks from unique Olympic destinations. Those hoping for a birds eye view of the fireworks from Seattle should head dup to Mount Walker or Mount Townsend in the Olympic National Forest.  From the top of the mountains, the entire Puget Sound will erupt in gorgeous colors, thanks to millions of dollars of fireworks being set off below you. Near Staircase, a drive up to the Upper Trailhead at Mount Ellinor will show off the entire PNQW firework display, with flashes of color popping in every direction. Near Port Angeles, head up the Heart O’ the Hills Road to the parking area by the tunnels for a birds eye view of fireworks in the Port Angeles Region.

More information on these regions can be found on outdoor-society.com and in our Olympic National Park Guidebooks.

This week, there are, yet again, no announced events going on inside the park. Instead, we was to remind everyone that fireworks are prohibited in Olympic National Park. Do not, for any reason, even think about setting off fireworks in the park. Instead, just enjoy them in the cities dotting the park. I would also like to highly recommend picking up one of our guidebooks for Olympic National Park. We have a numerous books on the region, each able to help you have an amazing time in one of America’s favorite National Parks. The best part of our guidebooks is that you can pick them as ebooks and always have it on your phone for last minute tips while driving around the region! Go to outdoor-society.com and get your copy today.

On that shameless plug, this concludes this week’s Adventure Dispatch. If you have any questions, please reach out to us on Twitter and check our website for more info.

This is Douglas saying, “Thanks for tuning in and we will catch you next week, same time, same place.”