Olympic National Forest seasonal wildlife gates now open

Seasonal gates are now open in the Olympic National Forest.

The U.S. Forest Service reminds residents that seasonal Forest Service Road (FSR) vehicle access gates in the southern part of the forest opened as of May 1.

The seasonal openings provide vehicle access to the following forest road systems and areas:

• FSR-2451 access to North Fork Skokomish River Watershed.
• FSR-2354, FSR-2353 and FSR-2361 access to South Fork Skokomish River Watershed.
• FSR-2294 and FSR-2270 access to Wynoochee River Watershed.  

The access gates will remain open to vehicle traffic until Sept. 30, 2024.

The annual closing of vehicle access between Oct 1 and April 30 is done in cooperation with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for wildlife management purposes.

Restricting vehicle access to late spring and summer is said to increase wildlife utilization of the habitat, provide recreational hunting opportunities, and reduce siltation of lakes and streams.

For questions concerning seasonal vehicle access gate closures, contact Olympic National Forest Wildlife Biologist Betsy Howell at (360) 765-2230.