Recent Washington trails closures are affecting the recreation plans of hikers and campers this year. The Hoh Rain Forest closure may be the most drastic example. The only access road into the rain forest has been closed since the beginning of 2025 with no timeline for reopening. Now, the rain forest is going to reopen thanks to unexpected funding.
This temperate rain forest, located in Washington’s Olympic National Park, is one of the state’s most popular outdoor attractions. The Hoh Rain Forest sees hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, with the bulk of them visiting in the summer months.
Read on for all the details about the closure and the expected reopening.
Why is the rain forest closed?
The Hoh Rain Forest has been closed since December 2024 due to part of the Upper Hoh road being washed out during heavy rainfall. The river washed out a section of the bank, causing the side of the road to collapse. This has rendered the rain forest inaccessible for visitors. This includes the trailheads, visitor center, campgrounds, and picnic areas in the Hoh Rain Forest.
Jefferson County didn’t have the funds needed to repair the road, Axios reports. The county’s request for emergency funding from the Federal Highway Administration was waiting to be approved or rejected.
Now the county has the funds needed to order repair work on the road and reopen the rain forest. After becoming aware of the situation and looking for solutions, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson announced on Thursday, March 13 that the state would use unclaimed lottery money to provide the majority of the funding—a little over $600,000. The remainder of the cost (almost $30,000) was raised by businesses and individuals in Jefferson County.
When will it reopen?
Now that the funding issue is solved, the county plans to have the repair work for the road done during April so the Hoh Rain Forest can reopen in early May.
Prior to the funding being acquired the most recent update was in February 28, 2025 in which the county shared that “the washout has not significantly changed.”
We will update this post if there are any changes to the reopning timeline.
What if you have an upcoming reservation?
If you have a reservation to camp at the Hoh Rain Forest this spring or summer, you may have been wondering if you should cancel. People have reported receiving emails directing them to cancel their campsite reservations for a refund due to the rain forest being closed through September. Now you should be able to keep your summer plans intact.
If you are looking for an alternative in the area while the road is repaired, consider visiting the Sol Duc Valley or the Quinault Rain Forest this spring. Both are also located in the Olympic National Park.
What’s special about the Hoh Rain Forest?
The Hoh Rain Forest is known for being the quietest place in the United States. The yearly average of 140 inches of rain creates a lush blanket of mosses and ferns throughout the forest.
According to the National Park Service records, around 460,000 people visited the Hoh Rain Forest in 2024. Those annual visitors boost the economies of the towns and communities around the Olympic National Park area. If you had plans to visit the Hoh Rain Forest while the access road is still under repair, consider exploring other areas of the Olympic National Park instead of canceling your trip completely.
We will update this post further as the story develops.