SEATTLE — Olympic National Park's Ruby Beach will be closed for three months this summer for improvement projects, the National Park Service announced Wednesday.
The National Park Service said the project will improve the Ruby Beach parking area and access road. The project includes regrading, paving and improvements to drainage. The parking area and access road are currently gravel.
The National Park Service said the project is meant to achieve accessibility compliance and improve vehicle and pedestrian traffic flow in the area. More than 85,000 people used the Ruby Beach access road and parking area in 2021, according to the National Park Service. The beach's busiest months in 2021 were in July, August and September. Ruby Beach is considered one of the most popular beaches on the Olympic Peninsula.
The dates for the closure have yet to be confirmed but the National Park Service said work will begin sometime in May or June and is expected to last three months.
Beach access south of Ruby Beach, including Beach One, Two, Three, Four and the Kalaloch Campground will still be available. Coastal access to the north will still be available through LaPush at Rialto Beach and First, Second and Third beaches.
The trail from the overlook to Ruby Beach is not included in this specific project, according to the National Park Service.
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