In this Sundays With Seegers, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers shares powerful news: 659 of our neighbors signed the petition to reopen Olympic Hot Springs Road. The signatures came from kitchen tables, family conversations, and booths at this summer’s festivals—proof that Clallam County is ready to lead. This is what happens when a community refuses to wait and decides to write its own letter of support.
I couldn’t be more grateful for what this community has done.
Over the summer, we collected hundreds of signatures to reopen Olympic Hot Springs Road—proof that when Clallam County organizes, things move.
Thank you to everyone who signed, shared, and showed up. This is what community leadership looks like.
Back in May, I wrote “Reopening the Elwha: A Community-Led Path Forward” on Clallam County Watchdog. I laid out why restoring this access matters—not just to visitors, but to the people and businesses of Clallam County.
For generations, the Elwha entrance provided a gateway into the heart of Olympic National Park’s Elwha Valley just fifteen minutes from downtown Port Angeles. Before the repeated closures, more than 74,000 vehicles a year traveled this road, bringing visitors into our community and providing access to trailheads, Olympic Hot Springs, the Glines Canyon overlook, and some of the most spectacular country in Olympic National Park.
Those visitors didn’t just drive through the Elwha. They ate in our restaurants, stayed in our hotels and vacation rentals, bought fuel and supplies, and supported the small businesses that depend on tourism.
After more than a decade of washouts, stalled timelines, and uncertainty, that gateway remains closed to vehicles beyond Madison Falls. The National Park Service itself has described Olympic Hot Springs Road as the only vehicular access into the Elwha Valley. (Park Planning)
Reopening the Elwha is about much more than rebuilding a road. It is about restoring access to the heart of the park, strengthening our tourism economy, supporting local businesses, and giving visitors another quality destination so Hurricane Ridge and our other heavily visited areas don’t have to carry the full load.
Access is foundational to Clallam County’s economy. With so much of our county in federal ownership, our ability to benefit economically from these extraordinary public lands depends in large part on people’s ability to reach them.
When we lose access, we don’t just lose recreation. We lose visitors, economic activity, and opportunity for local families and businesses.
The Elwha was once one of Olympic National Park’s major gateways. It can be again.
I’m proud to announce that we gathered 659 signatures on the petition to reopen Olympic Hot Springs Road.
Those signatures came from neighbors and family members, and from the folks who stopped by our booths at Joyce Daze, Unity of Effort, and the Clallam County Fair. Meeting so many of you this summer was one of the true highlights of the year. Every conversation reminded me that our greatest asset in Clallam County is the people.
We’ve entered a new era. We don’t have to sit and wait years for the chain of command to notice our issues. When we organize, we have power—and this signature drive is living proof. This is a community-led solution.
We are sending the petition to:
Federal Officials
President Donald J. Trump
Contact form: whitehouse.gov/contact
Phone: 202-456-1111 (comments) / 202-456-1414 (switchboard)
Mail: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum
Phone: (202) 208-3100
Mail: Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240National Park Service leadership (Jessica Bowron exercising the delegated authority of the Director)
Mail: National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240Olympic National Park Superintendent Sula Jacobs
Email: olym_superintendent@nps.gov
Mail: Olympic National Park, 600 E. Park Avenue, Port Angeles, WA 98362
Phone: 360-565-3000 or 360-565-3130NPS Pacific West Regional Director (Acting: Randy Lavasseur)
Phone: 415-623-2100
Address: 555 Battery Street, Suite 121, San Francisco, CA 94111
Washington Congressional Delegation
Sen. Patty Murray
Contact form: murray.senate.gov/write-to-patty
Phone: 202-224-2621
Mail: 154 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510Sen. Maria Cantwell
Contact form on cantwell.senate.gov
Phone: 202-224-3441
Mail: 511 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510Rep. Emily Randall
Contact form on randall.house.gov
Phone: 202-225-5916
District offices: Bremerton (345 6th St, Suite 500, Bremerton, WA 98337; 360-373-9725); Tacoma (253-272-3515)
I couldn’t be more proud of this community. The turnout and hard work didn’t surprise me one bit—because I know the people of Clallam County believe in solutions that start with us.
Thank you for standing up, for signing, and for showing what’s possible when we work together. The best is still ahead for the Elwha Valley and for Clallam County.
This article was approved by Jake Seegers for Commissioner (IND), 131 East First Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
