PORT ANGELES — Olympic National Park will host Ride the Hurricane, a recreational cycling event Sunday morning.
To provide a safe experience for the event, Hurricane Ridge Road will be closed to all motor vehicle traffic starting at 7 a.m. and ending at noon. The road will reopen to traffic at noon when the event is concluded.
Access will remain open during the event on lower portions of Hurricane Ridge Road for the Lake Dawn residential area, Heart O’ the Hills Campground, and the Lake Angeles and Heather Park trailheads. Olympic National Park will waive entrance fees at the Heart O’ the Hills entrance station for the rest of the day Sunday.
The event will not affect the daily visitation quota established as a result of the recent Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge fire. Once the road reopens to vehicles at noon, the first 345 vehicles will be permitted to enter. Clallam Transit will also be adjusting its shuttle schedule to accommodate the event. Regularly scheduled shuttles before noon are canceled. Only the 12:45 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. departures from Gateway Transit Center and 1:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. return trips from Hurricane Ridge will operate.
Ride the Hurricane is an annual round-trip, rigorous cycling event organized by the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce with sponsorship and support from local businesses. The event begins at sea level near the Port Angeles City Pier and ascends 5,000 vertical feet the entire length of Hurricane Ridge Road, which offers breathtaking views of Olympic National Park. Participants must register for the event through the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
For more information about the Ride the Hurricane event, visit the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce website at www.portangeles.org.