Hurricane Ridge Road will be closed to visitors, including cyclists, from Aug. 15-17 to help facilitate the removal of debris from the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge burn site.

The debris removal is necessary to allow for the investigation into the fire to continue, Olympic National Park officials said.

Wilderness permit holders for the Obstruction Point area will still be permitted to enter. The astronomy programs scheduled for 10:15 p.m. on Aug. 15, 16, and 17, will continue to be offered. Program attendees should not enter past Heart of the Hills Entrance Station before 9:30 p.m. Program attendees must be leaving Hurricane Ridge by midnight each night. Astronomy programs are always subject to weather cancellations. Visitors should call the Astronomy Hotline on the day of the program to confirm it will be occurring: 360-565-3131, option 1.

Clallam Transit will not be operating the Hurricane Ridge shuttle during this closure.

On May 7, a law enforcement ranger on patrol reported that the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge was fully engulfed in flames. Both Clallam County Fire District 2 and Port Angeles Fire Department responded to the fire. By the time the crews arrived the building had collapsed to the foundation.

Park officials say the structure is a complete loss.

The building was built in the 1950s and housed interpretive exhibits upstairs and a gift shop and small café run by Aramark, a park concessioner.

In the wintertime, the concessioner rented out snowshoes and skis. The majority of the contents of the building had been removed before the start of the rehabilitation work.