PORT ANGELES – The time for wilderness hikers and campers to reserve a spot in the Olympic National Park is coming up on April 15.

Starting at 7:00am that day, park adventurers will be able to reserve permits for overnight trips for the summer season, which goes from May 15 through October 15. Permits can be reserved online at Recreation.gov or by calling the Wilderness Information Center at (360) 565-3100. Day hikers do not need wilderness permits.

Access to certain areas of the park differs from year to year. New this year, the East Fork Quinault River Trail and Enchanted Valley will be managed like the Seven Lakes Basin, Grand Valley, Cape Alava, which is to say, on a trial basis.

For the duration of the trial, which will last up to three years, there will be a maximum of 208 users or 30 permits per night, whichever is reached first. Park officials say the change will help protect the wilderness experience and natural resources in the picturesque valley.

Public comments will be collected from May 15 through October 15 throughout the trial. Comments will inform the final decision about the management change. Wilderness users are encouraged to share how this change improves or impacts their experiences. Instructions for how to submit comments will be posted online  at: ParkPlanning – East Fork Quinault Trail and Enchanted Valley Overcrowding (nps.gov)

In the wake of the 2023 Olympic Lightning Fires, eight areas were closed to public access. This year, only two will not reopen this summer: the burned sections of the Skyline and Elwha Trails.

For more information about how to reserve permits, call the Wilderness Information Center at (360) 565-3100 or visit nps.gov 

(Photo of elk crossing the Hoh River by Kurt Rugenius)