OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Are sky-high gas prices and a shaky economy making the North Olympic Peninsula’s parks and campgrounds an attractive option for the first weekend of summer?
In Olympic National Park, visitation is up slightly from last year which could be due in part to the opening of popular areas that were damaged by storms in 2006 and 2007.
“Comparing this April to April of last year, we’re up 1.56 percent, but last year’s April showed zero visitation for the Hoh Road, which was closed from November through May 1,” said Olympic National Park spokeswoman Barb Maynes.
Other areas of the park were closed through April as well, including Grays Creek Road, which opened to foot traffic on April 25, and the Sol Duc, she said.
“That’s the problem with looking at visitation, it’s more complicated than just gas prices,” said Maynes.
“It’s difficult necessarily to come up with a firm comparison especially with so much storm damage.”
Assessing campground visitation also is difficult since the only one of the park’s 17 campgrounds that takes reservations is Kalaloch.
“I do know we had a volunteer coming last several years — but now hit costs him too much to drive his RV from Southern California,” said Maynes.
“But counter to that, we have volunteers coming from all over the country. So it’s impacting some people and not others.”
Most roads and campgrounds in the park are ready for summer’s first weekend — but damage from the December 2007 storm is still evident and some areas remain closed, Maynes said.
