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RIP Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge

Remains of Hurricane Ridge lodge that burned down in May 2023 that shows two brick chimneys, the remains of a brick wall, and exclusion fencing and a trail around the charred remains with the Olympic Mountains looming in the background

A sad footnote in 2023 is that most people didn't realize the last time they would step foot inside the now extant Day Lodge. It appears that many Hurricane Ridge seasonal interpretation signs burned inside the lodge in the fire. These signs were utilized on both the meadow trails near the main parking lot and on Hurricane Hill trail. As of writing, there is limited interpretation at Hurricane Ridge except for a few interpretive park rangers. This makes hiring a guide for Hurricane Ridge tours even more helpful when visiting this popular but fragile and complex ecosystem.

Both Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh Rainforest suffer from overuse by park visitors.  From a sustainable-use perspective, a quota system and public bus access that has been implemented at Hurricane Ridge is also needed in the Hoh Rainforest. 

In all park locations but especially Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh Rainforest, park visitors should avoid wandering off-trail, feeding wildlife, stepping on or abusing vegetation, or bringing pets. People with physical disabilities or who are mobility-limited might not be able to wander far from parking lots so the absence of nearby lupine flowers and Olympic Marmots at Hurricane Ridge or the dangling curtain moss and Banana Slugs in the Hoh Rainforest is a loss for all these future visitors.

Photo of the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge from the road with the snowcapped Olympic Mountains in the background and green meadow