“Imminent failure” of key road in Olympic National Park halts visitor access

Update: The road is still closed as of June 11, 2025. Check here for current road conditions in Olympic National Park.
It’s the home of the “One Square Inch of Silence”, a single square inch monument marking what one group says is the “quietest place in the United States.” It’s also one of the rainiest places in the country, receiving 140” of precipitation a year. The Hoh Rain Forest is part of Washington’s Olympic National Park—and right now, you can’t see it because the only road in is close to failure.

Hoh Rain Forest access closed—road undermined

The Hoh Rain Forest area of Olympic National Park will temporarily close until it can be confirmed that the Upper Hoh Road is safe for travel. The road is maintained by Jefferson County and connects Highway 101 to the Olympic National Park boundary. The County determined the road is in danger of imminent failure at milepost 9.7.

The Upper Hoh Road provides the only access to and from the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center, campground, picnic area, and trailheads. The area will reopen when the risk of road failure is mitigated. The visitor center is currently closed and scheduled to reopen in March 2025.

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 here.

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