PORT ANGELES, Wash. — The Hurricane Ridge area at Olympic National Park is set to reopen next week after a devastating fire at the historic day lodge.
According to the National Park Service, the area will be open to visitors on June 27.
The lodge will still be fenced and closed for the safety of the public. The Hurricane Ridge area closed on May 7 after the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge caught fire, making the building “a total loss.”
While the area will be open, it will look a bit different than in previous years.
Parking spaces will be limited and there will not be any indoor spaces to protect visitors from inclement weather. Portable toilets will be available at picnic areas A and B.
Due to the limited restroom and indoor capacity, the daily limit is 315 vehicles with the parking area supporting 175 vehicles at a time.
Visitors are encouraged to use the Clallam Transit Shuttle to avoid long lines at the Heart O’ the Hills entrance station. The shuttle will operate several runs a day. This shuttle will operate even when the road is closed to private vehicles.
Cyclists will also be able to use Hurricane Ridge Road once it reopens to the public. Portable toilets will be available at mileposts 9 and 12.
Visitors are urged to check road, weather and facility conditions before they arrive at the National Park Service website.
The Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge was a two-story, 12,201-square-foot, historic structure built in 1952. It was closed to visitors and undergoing an extensive rehabilitation project at the time of the fire. No one was inside the building and there were no reported injuries.
The fire was first reported by a law enforcement ranger on patrol.
The fire is still under investigation.
Watch KING 5's top stories playlist: