SEATTLE — During the warmer months, no one needs to sell Olympic National Park to visitors.
Breathtaking 360-degree views that stretch from Vancouver Island over the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into the interior Olympic range are enough to draw thousands of visitors from all over the world to Hurricane Ridge, just south of Port Angeles, on a typical summer day.
Come winter, things tend to quiet down a bit. Yes, the parking lot still fills up sometimes, but limited road access and variable weather push the visitor count down to around 1,000 people on popular winter weekends. Most are families from the Port Angeles and Sequim areas, up for a day of skiing, snowshoeing or innertubing.
Winter is a great time to rediscover Washington’s national parks. Fewer crowds, readily available lodging, and a variety of snow-sport activities add up to a stress-free, relaxing escape from the city.
When we arrived at Hurricane Ridge, several inches of untouched powder snow lingered from the last storm cycle, preserved by unusually cold temperatures and the standard weekday road closure. But Frank Crippen, director of the ski school at the Hurricane Ridge Ski Area, had his eyes on the water.
“You can actually do a surf check from a couple of spots around here,” he said.
By the standard of most resorts in the Cascades, the nonprofit Hurricane Ridge Ski Area is tiny. There are two rope tows and one surface-level Poma lift, offering a total vertical drop of 800 feet. It gets just 5,000 skier visits in an average year.
What it lacks in size, Hurricane Ridge makes up for with a friendly ski culture and extensive backcountry access. The lifties toss footballs back and forth with kids on snowboards. A shuttle driver named Willie Nelson (yes, that’s his real name) offers free rides back up the hill to backcountry skiers and snowboarders making laps off Sunrise Ridge.
Lift tickets are $34 for the day and bear two marketing slogans: “I’ve skied in the Olympics!” and “Thanks to our supporters for keeping sea level to ski level alive.”
Aside from being home to one of only three remaining ski areas within U.S. national parks, the Olympic Peninsula is also one of few places where you can ski within 20 miles of the nearest surfing access. A popular springtime endeavor for locals is the “Triple S Challenge”: skiing (or snowboarding), surfing and single-track mountain biking, all in the same day.
After a full morning of skiing, I swapped footwear and headed toward the park service visitor center for a 90-minute snowshoe walk led by ranger Caroline Walls. Our group of 13 followed a gentle half-mile loop through the forest as Walls explained how various trees, animals and birds survive the winter.
Other popular snowshoe destinations accessed from Hurricane Ridge include Hurricane Hill, the Wolf Creek Trail and the Obstruction Point Road (closed to vehicles during the winter). Rangers warn that there are no marked or groomed trails for snowshoers or cross-country skiers, and that some routes pass through avalanche terrain. Pack the appropriate safety gear and check in with rangers before embarking on any extended backcountry treks.
Want to just sit back and enjoy the ride? The Hurricane Ridge Ski Area offers innertubing for $10 an hour, including tube rental and a push down the slope. There is also a small snowplay area where sledding is allowed for kids 8 and younger, free of charge.
The Olympic National Park road to Hurricane Ridge is open to uphill traffic in winter from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through Sunday and holiday Mondays, conditions permitting. Downhill traffic must exit the park by 5 p.m. Visitors must carry tire chains and pay a park entrance fee of $25 (good for seven days). Check the road status on Twitter, @HRWinterAccess, or call 360-565-3131.
• More information: nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/hurricane-ridge-in-winter.htm
