OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The Hoh Campground will be closed to overnight use starting at noon today because the elk are in rut.
The campground in the Hoh Rain Forest on the West End will remain closed through Saturday, Oct. 31.
The Hoh Rain Forest remains open for day use, with several nature trails and a picnic area available. The visitor center there is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through Sundays during the autumn months.
The campground closure is to protect visitors, said Barb Maynes, Olympic National Park spokesman.
Several herds of Roosevelt elk live in the Hoh Valley, with one frequenting the campground and visitor-use areas.
During the elk’ annual mating season, or rut, bull elk frequently charge and chase each other, using their antlers for sparring.
“The dominance displays of the rut, along with the bulls’ characteristic bugling mating call, make for exciting wildlife viewing but pose a threat for people who are in the vicinity,” Maynes said.
Visitors are required to stay at least 50 yards — half the length of a football field — from park wildlife at all times and are urged to stay in their vehicles if elk are in or around parking areas.
Alternative park campgrounds can be found nearby at Mora and Kalaloch.
Protection of the Olympic Peninsula’s Roosevelt elk was a key reason for the establishment of Olympic National Park in 1938, and the park was almost named Elk National Park, Maynes said.
For more information about camping in the park, see www.nps.gov/olym.
