Coronavirus updates: State passes 71k cases; officials respond to outdoor overcrowding

The U.S. Forest Service said this week the roads allowing public access to the Mason County lake, day spots, trails and the Staircase entrance to Olympic National Park will be closed starting Saturday, for safety and health reasons.

A huge increase in visits to the area recently resulted in gridlock on the narrow road and hazardous conditions in which emergency vehicles could not respond to requests for help, Forest Service officials said in a statement.