Cabins to be removed from cliffside due to erosion in Washington national park

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FILE: Southern California homes on cliff edge after storms cause erosion

Aerial video shows several homes in Dana Point are teetering on the edge of sea-side cliff after back-to-back atmospheric rivers pounded Southern California with rain leading to erosion. (Video: KTTV)

KALALOCH, Wash. – A quickly eroding bluff in Olympic National Park is forcing the removal of seaside cabins starting Monday.

Located in Kalaloch, Washington, ten cabins are nearly 16.5 feet from the edge of the bluff and have been deemed unsafe, according to park officials.

One of the cabins to be removed.

(Olympic National Park / FOX Weather)

They noted that, while bluff erosion is a natural process, it has accelerated over the last decade.

King tides, freeze-thaw events and strong winter storms are to blame, according to the National Park Service. Between December 2023 and January 2024, some areas saw more than 13 feet of bluff wear off.

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The bluff where the cabins currently stand is made of a loose mixture of sand, gravel and stone. Park officials said this composition makes the land vulnerable to erosion, particularly from being pounded by ocean waves made more powerful by strong storms.

Erosion at Kalaloch, Washington.

(Olympic National Park / FOX Weather)

Additionally, recent freeze-thaw events caused the expansion of saturated ground to freeze and expand, but then become weaker when it thaws.

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The NPS noted that the cabins on the bluff have been closed to the public since the start of the year.

"We are sorry to say goodbye to these cabins, but visitor safety must come first," said Kevin Killian, deputy superintendent at Olympic National Park. 

"Even without the cabins, the experience of visiting this wild coastline will endure," he added.  

Park officials said that the main lodge at Kalaloch is not threatened by the erosion.