Olympic National Park is moving into the next phase of rebuilding the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge in Washington, marking the first concrete steps toward construction of a long-anticipated replacement at the park’s highest-elevation destination.
The National Park Service is now beginning the conceptual design process and is asking the public to help shape what comes next. The project has already secured $80 million in federal funding to support the rebuild.
A public listening session is scheduled for Jan. 14 in Port Angeles, giving community members and park users a chance to share ideas about the design, function and feel of a new Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge. The park service is also accepting online comments and historical photos that may help inform the design of a future structure meant to serve both summer and winter visitors.
The original lodge, a wooden structure built in 1952, was more than a warming hut or scenic overlook. It functioned as a year-round hub for ranger services, interpretive exhibits, food service, restrooms and winter sports rentals, anchoring access to one of Olympic National Park’s most visited areas. Since the fire, temporary facilities and outdoor information boards have filled some of those roles, but they have not replaced the scale or capacity of the former building that served as an iconic high-elevation destination.
According to the park service, planning work so far has included site assessments and preliminary studies needed before a design can move forward. Any new structure will have to meet modern building codes, environmental requirements and safety standards, while also accommodating Hurricane Ridge’s extreme weather and short construction season.
The park service has awarded a design contract, which will manage early conceptual and pre-design work for the replacement lodge. Construction is not yet scheduled, but planning documents indicate work could begin as early as 2028, following completion of design, environmental review and contracting.
Photo by Evan Nitschke from Pexels
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