IMMEDIATE ALERT (updated August 8, 2025): The Bear Gulch fire in the Lake Cushman area continues to burn. The northern half of Lake Cushman is closed. Numerous trails and campgrounds are impacted; for a full update list click HERE.
On July 6, a human-caused fire was reported in Olympic National Forest near the Mt. Rose Trailhead along the Lake Cushman Corridor (FS-24). The fire – named the Bear Gulch Fire – is burning on a steep, rocky slope north of Lake Cushman and southeast of the Staircase area of Olympic National Park. The fire is over 10,000 acres and is only 9% contained.
For updates on the Bear Gulch Fire, visit the Olympic National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/olympic and follow @olympicforest on social media.
Road construction season continues into early fall as WSDOT works to finish as much as possible before winter. The Olympic Peninsula is dotted with orange traffic cones, flaggers, and big machinery. Please slow down, stay alert, and help keep everyone safe. We strongly recommend visitors download the WSDOT mobile app while visiting in order to stay informed on up-to-the-minute travel information, including traffic delays and ferries.
Know before you go. Find out more about Olympic Peninsula Construction and Expected Delays, and other alerts on the WA State Department of Transportation website.
HOT SPOTS
Click the links below to read more about each project.
Hurricane Ridge – Olympic National Park
Hoh Rain Forest – Olympic National Park
WA State Ferries
Plan accordingly. The ferries can be busy in the summer, especially on weekends and holidays. LEARN MORE
Vehicle reservations for the summer schedule (through September 20) on the Port Townsend/Coupeville route are now available to reserve.
Looking for an alternative? Here are some fun alternate routes to consider, each of which offers great things to see and do along the way (for planning purposes only; Google maps do not show real-time traffic):
Northern Route via Whidbey Island
Hood Canal Bridge (SR 104)
Boat traffic means periodic drawspan openings on the Hood Canal Bridge will occur. These openings are usually announced (unless it is a military opening), and they can cause road traffic delays and backups of up to an hour. Please plan accordingly. Periodic maintenance work can also cause delays.
From Sunday, Sept. 21 through Thursday, Sept. 25, the bridge will close to all traffic from 8:00pm to 5:30am each day. This is necessary for emergent repair work on the drawspan. For more information, click HERE.
Click HERE for Hood Canal Bridge status, or download the app for real time updates. (Note that the bridge can be closed to road traffic without notice for military purposes.)
US 101 – Clallam County
Sunday Sept. 14 at 6:00pm to Friday Sept 26 at noon, Highway 101 at Tumwater Creek (just west of Port Angeles) will be closed in both directions between South Pine Street Cutoff and the Tumwater Truck Route. Travelers should plan a little extra time, and should follow the clearly marked detour route.
Hurricane Ridge (Olympic National Park)
Hoh Rain Forest (Olympic National Park)
As of May 8, access to the Hoh Rain Forest via the Upper Hoh Road has been restored! The road is open, and the Hoh Rain Forest is once again open to visitors. Due to heavy visitation and limited parking at the Hoh Visitor Center, visitors should anticipate possible 1-2 hour wait times at the entrance pay station between 9am – 5pm daily. Hint: go early, or go later in the day.
Quinault Area
The Lake Quinault area is open and accessible, and the Quinault Ranger Station is open. However, there are some closures nearby that may impact travel plans.
The South Shore Road is closed at milepost 8, due to a major washout.
The North Shore Road will undergo construction repairs July 9 – September 22, 2025, and will close to all traffic near milepost 10.2 during that time. If the South Shore Road is still closed at this time, there will be no access to the Graves Creek or North Fork trailheads or campgrounds.
For information about park roads and other destinations, visitors should call the recorded Road and Weather Hotline at 360-565-3131 or visit the park website at http://www.nps.gov/olym.
WSDOT resources for safe travel
For real-time conditions & data and advanced notices for work that is planned:
