Erosion forces Kalaloch cabin demolition at Olympic National Park

If you’ve had the opportunity to visit Washington state’s Olympic National Park, you’ve probably seen them. Perched on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean, Kalaloch Lodge invites guests to meals and overnight accommodations. For decades, people have listened to the crashing waves from cabins above the beach. But erosion of the bluff in front of those popular cabins is leading to their demolition.

Bluff erosion leads to “structurally compromised cabins”

Next week, a contractor will start “removing structurally compromised cabins” at Kalaloch Beach. The Park Service says that 10 beach cabins had to be closed to use on January 1 after erosion ripped away more than 12 feet of the bluff in less than two months.

“A combination of King Tides, strong winter storms, and freeze-thaw events have eroded the bluff beneath the cabins,” says a Park Service release. “The bluff’s loose composition of sand, gravel, and stone makes it especially vulnerable to erosion from wave action enhanced by soaking rains and recent freeze-thaw events. The saturated material expands when frozen and becomes weaker when it thaws. Bluff erosion is a natural process that has accelerated over the last ten years.”

King Tides happen when the alignment and orbits of the Earth, sun, and moon work together to produce the largest tidal effects of the year—often in spring. King tides are responsible for unusually high water levels.

“We are sorry to say goodbye to these cabins, but visitor safety must come first,” said the park’s Deputy Superintendent Kevin Killian. “Even without the cabins, the experience of visiting this wild coastline will endure.” A major campground in the area of the Kalaloch Lodge accommodates RVers, providing spectacular views of the ocean. At this point, the lodge itself doesn’t appear to be threatened.

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