Olympic: No Drinkable Water in the Hoh Rainforest, Pack Your Own
In Olympic's Hoh area, the tap water is no longer safe to drink as is, so plan to arrive with your own supply.
A quick tip before you head out to the Hoh Rainforest on Olympic's west side: fill up your bottles. The water on-site can no longer be used without boiling it first. Park managers have issued a health advisory that covers the whole area.
In practical terms, the advisory covers the visitor center, the campground, and every park facility in the Hoh area. In other words, the spots where you'd naturally top off your bottle no longer give you safe water. The official guidance fits in one line: bring all the water you'll need for the day, and for the night if you're camping.
This kind of alert usually points to a question about the water system. Boiling the water for a few minutes is still the basic fix, but out in the field you're better off not relying on the taps: carry your own bottles, and plan generously if you're hiking under the canopy, where the effort and the humidity push your needs higher.
For travelers coming from far away, it's a detail to work into your packing from the start. Think about drinking water, but also the water for cooking and brushing your teeth if you're sleeping at the campground. Kids and more vulnerable people are the first ones this kind of precaution is meant for.
How long will this last? No lift date has been announced yet, so treat the situation as ongoing until further notice. Before you go, check the status of the area in the Olympic park guide, and if the Pacific coast tempts you right afterward, take a look at our road trip itinerary that runs through this park.