PORT ANGELES — There will be plenty of outdoor activities to be enjoyed this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, from a weed pull to free access to state and national parks to skiing on Hurricane Ridge.
Members of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, Friends of Fort Worden and North Olympic Salmon Coalition are gathering Monday to participate in the fourth annual MLK Day weed pull.
The event will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at the Marine Science Center’s Natural History Exhibit in Fort Worden State Park.
This free event is open to the public, with membership in the sponsoring groups not required.
Weed wrenches and refreshments will be provided.
Participants are asked to bring their own gloves and clippers, if available.
Organizers encourage attendees to RSVP in advance, but doing so is not required.
For more information, phone Carolyn Woods at 360-385-5582.
Free entry at parks
State and national parks are offering free entry during some days of this holiday weekend in honor of the late King.
National parks, including Olympic National Park, will waive entrance fees Monday.
On all days but Monday, entry to the park is $25 per vehicle for a seven-day pass. An annual pass is available for $50.
Visitors to state parks will not be required to display the Discover Pass for day visits today or Monday.
The free days are in honor of King’s birthday, which is Jan. 15. King, a civil rights leader, was assassinated in 1968.
In addition to free entry Monday, Olympic’s Hurricane Ridge Road is slated to be open today and Monday, weather permitting, with the Poma lift and other downhill skiing facilities available for use.
The road is scheduled to open at 9 a.m. and close at dusk.
Also over the holiday weekend, the Olympic National Park Visitor Center will screen a 30-minute video program titled “A New Time, a New Voice,” about King’s life and work.
The program will be shown at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. today and Monday, with additional viewings available upon request.
The visitor center, located at 3002 Mount Angeles Road, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
State Parks
State parks on the North Olympic Peninsula are Bogachiel near Forks, Dosewallips near Brinnon, Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island, Fort Townsend and Fort Worden in Port Townsend, Anderson Lake State Park near Chimacum and Sequim Bay near Sequim.
The Discover Pass is a $30 annual or $10 one-day permit required on recreation lands managed by State Parks, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the state Department of Natural Resources.
Free days apply only to day use, not to overnight stays or facilities.
Overnight visitors in state parks are charged fees for camping and other accommodations; day access is included in the overnight fee.
Peace Walks
Two organized walks were held Friday to honor King, one in Jefferson County and the second in Sequim.
The 13.5-mile Peace Walk in Jefferson County began at the entrance of Naval Magazine Indian Island and ended at Pope Marine Park in Port Townsend.
The walk was held in conjunction with the longer peace walk that started at the Nipponzan Myohoji Dojo (Buddhist temple) on Bainbridge Island on Wednesday and will conclude Monday as part of the MLK Day march in Seattle.
Also Friday, Sequim Middle School students walked from their campus to downtown Sequim and back to symbolize King’s March on Washington, D.C., in August 1963.
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Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
