Visitor services were curtailed Monday and today at the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center as Olympic National Park prepares to reopen the renovated site Wednesday.
Staff are spending two days moving equipment and materials back into the building. Rangers will still be available to assist visitors in the center’s parking area and on nearby nature trails. Ranger-led programs will resume as scheduled Wednesday.
Built in 1963, the center has undergone an extensive renovation since last September. The work included renovating and expanding the existing center and restrooms, modifying the building for wheelchair accessibility and installing a new roof.
Other work included improvements to the parking area and access pathways to the visitor center.
The $1.14 million project was done by Tactical Constructors Corp. and NLC General, Inc., Joint Venture of Fife.
“We are excited to welcome people back to the new and improved Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center,” park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum said in a prepared statement. “I’m very proud of our staff for their work and extra effort during the remodel process.”
Beginning Wednesday, the Hoh visitor center will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the summer.
The center is about 31 miles south of Forks off U.S. Highway 101 at the end of the Upper Hoh Road. Site staff provides visitors with information and exhibits about the Olympic Peninsula’s west side, including the park’s coastal and rainforest areas. The area receives about 12 feet of precipitation each year.
There are two short nature loops that start near the center: the 0.8-mile Hall of Mosses Trail and the 1.2-mile Spruce Nature Trail, both of which lead through the temperate rainforest.
The 17.3-mile Hoh River Trail starts near the center and leads hikers to Blue Glacier. There is an 88-site campground near the center as well.
