PORT ANGELES – One of the most popular sections of the Olympic Discovery Trail is about to close until sometime in November.

The final phase of work on the Spruce Railroad Trail along the north side of Lake Crescent is set to begin in early March, and Olympic National Park officials say the entire four-mile trail will be closed for public safety due to the heavy equipment and truck traffic involved in construction.

Upcoming work will include restoring the Daley Rankin Tunnel, rockfall mitigation, retaining wall construction, and finishing the remaining trail improvements. Paving the length of the trail and the Lyre River Trailhead parking area will complete what has been a multi-year project.

Also closed during construction will be East Beach Road at the intersection with Joyce-Piedmont Road, Camp David Road beyond the North Shore Picnic Area, and Devil’s Punchbowl will only be accessible by boat until this final phase is complete.

The westbound portion of the Olympic Discovery Trail and Pyramid Peak Trail will remain accessible from the North Shore Picnic Area on Camp David Jr. Road.

The Spruce Railroad Trail follows the historic railroad grade of the Spruce Railroad, built in 1918 and abandoned in 1951. When the project is completed in fall 2020 it will become a signature piece of the 134-mile long Olympic Discovery Trail that will eventually connect Port Townsend to La Push, and the Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean.

Photo: NationalParkTrips.com