Whiskey Bend Road in Olympic National Park closed by landslide

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, January 27, 2015

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Whiskey Bend Road in Olympic National Park has been closed after the first mile due to a landslide and road damage that followed storms earlier this month.

According to park spokeswoman Barb Maynes, the 4.5-mile road still allows vehicle access to the Glines Canyon parking area and the east abutment overlook, but vehicle access is closed beyond that point.

Heavy rains and high winds earlier this month caused a slide that destroyed more than 50 feet of the roadbed and narrowed the road there to less than a travel lane, Maynes said in a news release Monday.

The road remains open to pedestrian use, but hikers should use caution in crossing the slide area.

A timeline for reopening the road has not been established, but park crews are working with engineers to develop a repair design and schedule.