OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Special events will mark National Public Lands Day in Olympic National Park.
Not only will entrance fees into the park be waived on Saturday, but many activities are planned at Hurricane Ridge, the Hoh Rain Forest, Rialto and Kalaloch beaches and ONP’s Port Angeles Visitor Center.
(Entrance fees are also being waived Saturday at the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge in Sequim and all lands managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service and federal Bureau of Land Management.)
Here are the activities planned on Saturday:
• Visitors to the park’s visitor center at 3002 Mount Angeles Road in Port Angeles can participate in “Discover Olympic!” ranger programs at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• At Hurricane Ridge, 17 miles south of Port Angeles, ranger-guided walks are planned at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Those who want to explore subalpine meadows with a guide are to meet at the Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center.
Twenty-minutes ranger talks are scheduled on the visitor center’s terrace at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. If inclement weather, the talks will be held indoors.
To the West
• Two 1 ½-hour ranger-guided walks are scheduled in the Hoh Rain Forest, both leaving from the visitor center, which is about 31 miles south of Forks.
A walk on the 1 ¼-mile Spruce Nature Trail will leave at 11 a.m.
The stroll through the three-quarter-mile Hall of Mosses Trail will begin at 2 p.m.
• Participants in the “Rialto Beach Ramble” will meet at the parking lot for the West End beach at 2 p.m.
The 1 ½-hour program will explore some of the mysteries of ocean shores.
A one-hour evening program, “It’s a Jungle Under There!” will be conducted at 8 p.m. at the Mora Campground Amphitheater.
The presentation will be on life beneath the ocean waves.
• At Kalaloch, park rangers and educators from the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary will present “Ocean Stories” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m..
Topics will include whales, coastal geology and ocean debris.
This is a chance for Junior Rangers to earn their badges and learn more about the unique adaptations of coastal creatures, from sea otters to sea stars.
Ranger-led “Kalaloch Beach Walks” will be held at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The 1 ½-hour leisurely walk will start from the Kalaloch Lodge gazebo.
A one-hour evening program, “Invisible Ocean” will take a deeper look at marine life and ask the question, “Is seeing believing?”
The program will start at 8 p.m. at the Kalaloch Campground Amphitheater.
“In celebration of National Public Lands Day we’re pleased to announce this Saturday as a fee-free day,” said Park Superintendent Karen Gustin.
“This should be a great way to learn more about the park, get information on volunteer opportunities or just spend the day outside, enjoying the park.”
