[domaz]

I've read a few bits and pieces about road plans that were planned and then abandoned, one seems to suggest Obstruction Point road was meant to go on all the way to the Elwha. I also read, I believe in "100 Classic Hikes..", that the Staircase trail was meant to go quite a distance as well but was abandoned because of the war. Curious to know if any other roads on the Peninsula, had been planned or partially completed?

[reststep]

It is my understanding that the plan was to extend the Obstruction Point to Deer Park. I don't about going to the Elwha. Way back in the 50's there was talk about a road up the Dose over Anderson Pass and out the Quinault. As far as I know there was never any actual planning but not sure about that. Back in the 50's you could drive up the Skokomish River above Staircase all the way to the Flapjack Lakes turnoff. Don't know when they closed that off at Staircase.

[Malachai Constant]

The Obstruction Point Road did go to the Elian back in the 50’s before the Hurricane Ridge road was built. The road was changed to a trail when Hurricane Ridge was built. If you look closely you still see traces it was steep switchbacks. When I was a kid we went up it until it was blocked by snow. It must have been in the late 50’s. The original plan was to extend it to Deer Park which had a proposed ski area but they stopped at Obstruction point as it was an Obstruction. The road went to Flapjack Lakes turnoff into the 1970’s.

[Olympic Hiker]

I vaguely recall reading something about there being an idea to build a road up the Elwha and out the North Fork Quinault. I might have read about it in one of Robert L. Wood’s books. There are a couple of trail guides that say the road used to extend about a mile or so beyond the current NF Quinault trailhead. The road used to extend to almost Pony Bridge on the EF Quinault. I remember reading about the planned Dosewallips/Quinault road. The Obstruction Point road was to meet up with the Deer Park road. There is an abandoned section of road that starts by Deer Park Ranger Station and heads towards Obstruction Point for about half a mile or so. Hurricane Ridge used to be accessed from the Elwha until the current road was built. The old road to Hurricane Ridge is now called the Wolf Creek Trail.

[Abert]

In "Footprints in the Olympics", the autobiography of Chris Morgenroth, who was a major figure in trail and road building on the Olympic Peninsula in the early 1900s, he talks about his proposal for a road up from the Elwha through the hot springs to Boulder Peak and around the High Divide to Bogachiel Peak with one connection down the Sol Duc and another down to the Hoh. It's a great book that's available on Amazon Kindle by the way.

[Malachai Constant]

1935 quad detail

[Malachai Constant]

South East Olympics cir 1968 USFS map

[RichP]

There was a plan in the 1950's and 1960's to build a road along the coastal, roadless section of the park. Thankfully, there was much public opposition. https://www.historylink.org/File/9672

[timberghost]

that would have made a beautiful drive

[Pyrites]

In the mid-70’s Staircase was just a gravel road with some branches thrown on it, and onto all the little turnouts and informal car campsites. I want to say I remember an outhouse where the road had ended as well, at the big sign. Interesting the 1968 map still shows Dry Creek trail connected to S Fk Skok trail.

[Trailhead]

[Olympic Hiker]

[Ravenridge22]

Just finished "Footprints in the Olympics". Great read about Morgenroth, who lived an incredible, adventure filled life. Thanks Abert!