Ten cabins at Kalaloch in Olympic National Park are being removed because they're too close to a bluff that's been eroding away/Rebecca Latson file

Erosion along the bluffs at Kalaloch in Olympic National Park has forced the decision to remove ten cabins from the lodging complex there.

The cabins, which have been closed since the start of the year out of safety concerns, are to be removed beginning March 11, the national park announced in a release. All ten are within 16 feet or so of the bluff edge, the park reported Monday. The main Kalaloch Lodge is not threatened. 

“We are sorry to say goodbye to these cabins, but visitor safety must come first,” said Deputy Superintendent Kevin Killian. “Even without the cabins, the experience of visiting this wild coastline will endure.”  

A combination of King Tides, strong winter storms, and freeze-thaw events has eroded the bluff beneath the cabins. Over 13 feet of bluff sloughed off in some areas between December 2023 and January 2024 alone, the park announced. The bluff’s loose composition of sand, gravel, and stone makes it especially vulnerable to erosion from wave action enhanced by soaking rains and recent freeze-thaw events. The saturated material expands when frozen and becomes weaker when it thaws. Bluff erosion is a natural process that has accelerated over the last ten years.  

Thirty-four cabins — 31 structures including three duplexes — will remain available for rental, according to the park.