GOOD NEWS: THE WASHOUT HAS BEEN “FIXED”

As of 4/24/2017, the road to Graves Creek is once again open. We called Olympic National Park this morning and asked if the road was open. They did confirm that the road was indeed open once again. On a personal note, they could have been slightly less condescending to us when replying.

OLD ARTICLE from 4/17/17:

Yep, that’s the word on the bumpy forest road. Graves Creek Road connecting Quinault and Graves Creek Campground on the Southwest side of the Olympic National Park, entrance to the Pony Bridge and the mighty Enchanted Valley is yet again washed out due to heavy rains.

This is a developing story!

Not surprising in some ways, given the crazy wet winter we’ve been having, but this road has gotten it’s fair share of beating by the Quinault River over the last few months. No official press release yet, but word is that the fixes from last washout didn’t work/couldn’t stop the Quinault’s eroison and the road is yet again eaten by the fast flowing river. With its constantely shifting banks, the closure is in the same spot it was last time. Just two miles from the campground, the newly installed gate is said to be closed, which restricts access to this incredible rainforest region. The good news is that the campground and trails beyond are still open. To reach the campground, you’ll have to take a 2 mile walk along the old road, but this is easy and makes the camping here even more awesome. Keep in mind it is primitive camping for tents only.

This year’s washout will probably not be fixed until later this summer at the earliest, making hikes to the Enchanted Valley and beyond even longer. While some may say this is bad news, it really means you get to spend even more time in the pristine wilderness of the Quinault Rainforest. Hooray!!

So, until we know the official word, the same caution as last time is useful:

Don’t take your big RV down there. There is limited parking and turnaround spots. But, I see some sun in the sky, so don’t be deterred from hitting the trails in one of Olympics most scenic spots, just remember to add a couple of miles to your hiking planning.

Featured image is from last year’s washout. We’ll update, once we have new footage!

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