Olympic National Park

Understand

There are two non-contiguous sections of the park: the large central area encompassing the Olympic Mountains, and the coastal area where the west edge of the Olympic Peninsula meets the Pacific Ocean.

History

Prior to the influx of European settlers, the population consisted of Native Americans, whose use of the peninsula was thought to have consisted mainly of fishing and hunting. However, reviews of the record, coupled with systematic archaeological surveys of the mountains (Olympic and other Northwest ranges) are pointing to much more extensive tribal use of especially the subalpine meadows than seemed to have been the case. Most if not all Pacific Northwest indigenous cultures were adversely affected by European diseases (often decimated) and other factors, well before ethnographers, business operations and settlers arrived in the region, so what they saw and recorded was a much-reduced native culture-base. Large numbers of cultural sites are now identified in the Olympic mountains, and important artifacts have been found.

When settlers began to appear in the mid-1800s, extractive industry in the Pacific Northwest was on the rise, particularly in regards to the harvesting of timber, which intensified in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Public dissent against logging began to take hold in the 1920s, when people got their first glimpses of the clear-cut hillsides. This period saw an explosion of people's interest in the outdoors; with the growing use of the automobile, people took to touring previously remote places like the Olympic Peninsula.

The path towards becoming a national park began with the expeditions of Lieutenant Joseph O'Neil and Judge James Wickersham during the 1890s, who met in the Olympic wilderness while exploring, and subsequently combined their political efforts to place the area within some protected status. Following unsuccessful efforts in the Washington State Legislature in the early 1900s, President Theodore Roosevelt created Mount Olympus National Monument in 1909, primarily to protect the subalpine calving grounds and summer range of the Roosevelt elk herds native to the Olympics. Public desire for preservation of some of the area grew until President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the national park in 1938. It was further designated as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976, and evolved into a World Heritage Site in 1981.

Landscape

Olympic Mountains

From the 7,980 ft summit of Mount Olympus, the Pacific Ocean shimmers in the distance, less than 33 mi west. Between the highest peak in the Olympic Mountain range and sea, mountains and valleys radiate like spokes on a wheel. Above treeline, a jumble of rugged glacier-capped peaks are decorated with meadows and lakes. Most of the area's endemic plants and animals are found in these high elevation ecosystems. Below treeline, scattered subalpine forests give way to steep forested slopes ending in broad, U-shaped valleys.

The rock that makes up the Olympics began 49-56 million years ago, as a massive basalt eruption deep under the ocean. This terrane was soon pushed up against the North American continent, and after resisting subduction for a long period, was eventually pushed up above sea level about 18 million years ago. The result is a range highly folded sedimentary and metamorphic rock, in contrast to the nearby Cascades.

Rivers & lakes

Water defines Olympic National Park. In cloud form it delivers abundant rain and snow. As frozen glaciers it sculpts the peaks. In snow-melt rivulets it waters mountain meadows then feeds powerful rivers rushing to the sea. Alpine tarns perch on peaks and several huge lakes lie in the lowlands. These streams, rivers and lakes are a circulatory system—life-blood of the park's diversity.

Rivers radiate out from the central mountains like spokes on a wheel. On the park's west side, valleys are broad and U-shaped and rivers meander over wide floodplains. On other sides, the rivers are often constricted into narrow, steep-walled valleys. With protected headwaters, these are healthy, dynamic watersheds where natural processes like flooding, log jams, and nutrient cycling prevail.

Linking ocean and land ecosystems, rivers and streams provide a highway for fish and other wildlife to move both up and downstream. As fish swim upstream to spawn and later die, they bring with them vital nutrients from the sea, replenishing the forest in ways that science has only recently defined.

Forests

Olympic National Park was established in 1938 in part to preserve some of Washington's quickly disappearing primeval forests. "to preserve... the finest sample of primeval forests of Sitka spruce, western hemlock, Douglas fir, and western red-cedar in the entire United States...."

Today, the park protects one of the largest remaining blocks of old-growth forest and temperate rain forest in the lower 48 states.

Old-growth forests are forests where there are no clearly visible indications of human disturbance. These forests are ecosystems with unique biodiversity, that takes centuries to restore from logged land. Some areas in the park nurture trees that sprouted when the Mayan culture was thriving in the jungles of Central America. The diverse forests of the park (and neighboring wilderness areas) are rare islands of original habitat surrounded by altered landscapes.

Temperate rain forests form in mid-latitude regions receiving over 55 in of precipitation. The nearby Pacific Ocean dumps up to 15 ft of rain per year in the valleys on the west side of the park. Enormous Sitka spruce and Douglas fir tower hundreds of feet high, as thick, furry epiphyte moss and dense, vibrant vegetation create a beautiful, almost "Tolkien-esque" environment.

This diversity forms a dynamic green canvas from tree line to coast. Heavy snow, avalanches, fire, wind storms, landslides and flooding all interact to rearrange the colors or reset the clock. But the resulting forests are a vibrant, ever-changing palette of greens, textures, species and ages.

Coast

Olympic National Park's 73 mi-long wilderness coast is a rare treasure in a country where much of the coastline is prime real estate. The rocky headlands, beaches, tidepools nurturing a living rainbow of colors and textures, off shore sea stacks topped by nesting seabirds and wind-sheared trees-all are a remnant of a wilder America.

The intertidal areas, where the Pacific Ocean tides shape life, are also within the boundary of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The offshore islands with their colonies of nesting seabirds and rocky haulouts for seals and sea lions, lie within the Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

Peer into a tidepool and your view may take in hundreds of animals crowded into an area the size of a dinner plate. Cold, nutrient-rich waters upwelling from the Pacific Ocean floor feed a food chain extending from tiny invertebrates to many-ton whales. In the intertidal, that abundance is stacked in layers determined by the tides, competition and the reach of predatory neighbors. Each species tends to thrive in only a certain narrow band of habitat, rarely straying above or below.

Flora and fauna

The isolated Olympic Peninsula harbors a unique community of wildlife, noteworthy not only for endemic animals (found only here), but also for species missing from the Olympics, yet found elsewhere in western mountains. Pika, ptarmigan, ground squirrels, lynx, wolverine, grizzly bears, bighorn and historically, mountain goats did not occur on the Olympic Peninsula. While unique species like the Olympic marmot, Olympic snow mole and Olympic torrent salamander are found here and nowhere else in the world! Unfortunately, like most places in the world, non-native species introduced by humans have also spread to the park. Wildlife listed below have been observed in Olympic National Park:

Marine mammals

• Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
• River otter, Lutra canadensis
• Harbor seal, Phoca vitulina
• Northern Fur Seal, Callorhinus ursinus
• Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus (summer and early fall)
• California sea lion, Zalophus californianus (summer, fall and winter)
• Northern elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris (rare)
• Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus (spring and fall)
• Minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata (spring and fall)
• Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae (fall)
• Harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocoena (summer)
• Orca or Killer whale, Orcinus orca (summer and fall)
• Dall’s porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli (summer and fall)
• Pacific white sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens (summer and fall)

Climate

Overall, the Olympic Peninsula has a moderate marine climate with pleasant summers and mild, wet winters. The Olympic Mountains, part of North America's western coast range, rise suddenly from near sea level to nearly 8000 ft, intercepting Pacific moisture which is dumped as large amounts of rain. The climate grows wetter from east to west on the Olympic Peninsula. Sunny days are likeliest in July and August. Nearby Sequim is actually in the rain shadow of the Olympics and is known for sunny days and minimal rain.

Summers tend to be fair and warm, with high temperatures between 65 °F and 75 °F. July, August and September are the driest months, with heavier precipitation during the rest of the year.

Winters are mild at lower elevation, with temperatures ranging from 36 °F at night to 48 °F during the day. Snow is rare at low elevations and melts quickly, however snowfall can be heavy in the mountains, with accumulations of up to 10 ft common.

The park, and many of its attractions, are open year-round. However, the mountainous interior receives substantial snowfall, so higher-elevation locations like Hurricane Ridge will be less accessible between November and May. While summer has the most pleasant weather, moisture is an integral part of the Olympic experience; drizzle makes the lushness of the rain forests pop, and many visitors enjoy sitting on a remote beach to watch the weather roll from the ocean. Regional hikers enjoy the Olympics in the spring, as the trails melt out earlier than in the Cascades, and the eastern slopes are in a rain shadow.

Visitor information

• Park website

Ranger stations

Get in

Port Angeles is the principal service city for the park. Unless otherwise specified, these directions will get you heading towards Port Angeles.

The park is huge; the directions here may not be the most direct way to other corners of the park, such as Lake Cushman and Lake Quinault.

By car

US-101 runs near the east, north, and west edges of the Olympic Mountains, forming an incomplete ring road. From US-101, a number of roads extend into the park: Hurricane Ridge, Elwha, Sol Doc, Hoh, and Quinault. US-101 also runs near and along the coast, providing access to Kalaloch, La Push, Cape Alava and Neah Bay.

From Olympia and points south on I-5: Take US-101 north along Hood Canal.

From Aberdeen and points south on the coast: Take US-101 north along the coast.

From Tacoma: Take WA-16 and cross the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to the Kitsap Peninsula, then continue west. At WA-3, turn south to access the south parts of the park, or north to access the north parts of the park.

From Seattle and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport:

• Drive the entire way: This is usually the fastest option, as long as you avoid I-5 during rush hour. Head south on I-5 to Tacoma, take Exit 132B for WA-16 and follow the "From Tacoma" directions from there.
• Take a ferry across Puget Sound: This does not usually save much time, but it replaces a few hours of driving with a leisurely ride across the water.
• From West Seattle: take the ferry to Southworth and continue north.
• From Seattle: take the ferry to Bainbridge Island or Bremerton and continue north.
• From north of Seattle: take the Edmonds ferry to Kingston and continue west.

From Anacortes or Whidbey Island: take the Coupeville ferry to Port Townsend and continue west.

The ferries are run by the Washington State Department of Transportation. The ferries usually run roughly every 50 minutes. The line to get on a ferry can be backed up for two or three hours, particularly in the summer when people are heading off or returning from their vacations on the Olympic Peninsula. If you can, avoid heading west on Friday afternoons and east on Sunday evenings.

By ferry

A private ferry company runs a route between Victoria, BC and Port Angeles.

By plane

The nearest domestic airport for commercial flights is Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in Seattle.

Another nearby commercial airport is Victoria, BC (YYJ). Once there, take a ferry to Port Angeles.

By bus

There's transit options from the major Puget Sound cities to Port Angeles, the hub for infrequent bus routes connecting the towns along the north and west sections of US-101. There's also transit to Port Townsend, the hub for infrequent bus routes running down the east section of US-101. However, many of the park's top attractions are not on the highway and thus have no bus service, so relying on public transit will greatly limit where you can go.

By foot

The Pacific Northwest Trail, an east-west long-distance hiking trail that runs from Glacier National Park in Montana to Cape Alava, enters the park in the northeast, near Marmot Pass.

Fees and permits

Entrances fees are valid for seven days, allowing unlimited re-entry for the week. Fees as of 2026 are:

• $15 per person and bicyclist
• $25 motorcycle
• $30 vehicle (non-commercial)
• $55 Olympic National Park Annual Pass

Park entrance fees may be waived for school group visits when class curriculum relates to park resources.

Driving US-101 does not require an entrance fee, and fees are not checked at a few places where the highway enters the park, such as Kalaloch and Lake Crescent.

Olympic National Forest

The U.S. Forest Service administers some of the land surrounding the national park, including many trailheads to destinations inside the park, as the Olympic National Forest. These areas use a separate fee system. The various nationwide National Park Service passes (such as the "America the Beautiful" Annual Pass) are also valid on USFS land, but the Olympic National Park-only permits are not valid. The other option is the Northwest Forest Pass ($5/day, $30/year).

Tribal land

Several Indian Reservations border or overlap with the park. Accessing the park from the Makah Reservation, which borders the north edge of the park's coastline and is the main road access to Shi Shi Beach, requires a Makah Reservation Recreational Permit.

Get around

By car

A car is the most practical way to get around. US-101 connects all the road-accessible regions of the park. There are no roads through the interior of the park, and US-101 enters the park proper only for brief stretches. Most access is from spur roads leading to points of interest 10 or more miles from the highway.

• Hoh Rain Forest is between Forks and the coast, 18 mi down Upper Hoh Rd.
• La Push and Rialto Beach are just north of Forks, 10 mi down WA-110.
• Hurricane Ridge is out of Port Angeles, 19 mi down Hurricane Ridge Rd. All vehicles traveling to Hurricane Ridge during the winter season (November - April) are required to carry tire chains.
• Quilcene and the east side can be accessed from a variety of roads along the Hood Canal portion of US-101.
• Staircase is out of Hoodsport, 16 mi down WA-119.

The best way to see the park is to do the "Olympic Peninsula Loop", driving along US-101 from Aberdeen to Olympia in either direction. This takes a minimum of six hours of driving, and most people will want three or four days to explore the most popular areas of the park. For many visitors, the highlight is the coastal section along US-101 between Aberdeen and Forks, including Kalaloch Campground, the Hoh Rain Forest, Rialto Beach, and the hike to Ozette. The next most popular area is Hurricane Ridge, the highest area in the park accessible by road.

The park is huge, so plan travel times carefully. You don't want to spend all your time on the road.

By bus

There is only one destination within the park with easy and frequent mass transit access:

There is limited bus service connecting the towns along US-101, and a few of these routes make stops near a point of interest. (See bus information for the Olympic Peninsula for a comprehensive list of routes.)

*Bus Route 14 Port Angeles - Forks makes a stop at Lake Crescent. *Bus Route 15 Forks - La Push will get you walking distance to First Beach, Second Beach, and Third Beach.

* Olympic Connector Amanda Mercantile - Forks stops at Kalaloch and Lake Quinault.

Stay safe

Wildlife

Keep wildlife wild. Though many of the animals in the park are used to seeing humans, they should not be fed or disturbed, and all wildlife in national parks are protected by federal law. Stay at least 150 ft away from bears and 75 ft from all other wild animals! Check trailhead postings of recent animal activity, or ask a park ranger for local advice.

The Olympics are habitat for many large animals that could potentially be dangerous:

• Black bears — There have been fewer than a dozen bear attacks in Washington in the last century, but hikers need to know about bear safety.
• Cougars (mountain lions) — Cougars are naturally shy and secretive, and sightings are rare. There have only been two fatal attacks in Washington in the last century. If a cougar approaches you, it is either protecting its young or is desperately hungry. Never turn your back or run from a cougar; back away slowly, and fight back if an attack is imminent. Learn more about hiking in cougar country.
• Elk — these herd animals are not aggressive like their moose cousins, but can be dangerous if they feel threatened.

Hiking and camping

Approach the wilderness with respect and preparation, as recklessness or poor planning can get you into trouble. The mountains and wildernesses of the western U.S. may be more remote than you are used to. See the articles on hiking and wilderness backpacking for suggested gear, preparation, and discussion of risks.

There's a few considerations specific to Olympic National Park:

• Bring tidal information with you, as many beaches are impassable during high tides and hikers have been known to be caught off guard and stranded. Do not camp within the range of the high tide; besides getting wet, ocean debris might wash up on beaches and crush tents during the night.
• Do not drink untreated water from natural sources, as it may contain giardia or other water-borne pathogens. Tap water is not a problem.
• There is poor or no cell phone coverage away from US-101, including some of the visitor centers and lodges.

Crime

Lock your car doors and exercise sensible precautions with valuables, especially when leaving your vehicle at trail-heads or anywhere you might be away from your vehicle for any length of time.

Go next

Explore the towns on US-101 and the Olympic Peninsula:

• Aberdeen – come as you are, to the birthplace of grunge music
• Forks – a logging town made famous by its resident vampires and werewolves
• Port Angeles – the hub of the Olympics
• Sequim – the sunniest place in Western Washington

Continue south down US-101 to the Washington and Oregon beach resorts:

• Long Beach – the longest continuous beach in the United States
• Astoria – Lewis and Clark's destination, with Victorian-era homes overlooking the Columbia River

See Washington's other National Parks:

• Mount Rainier National Park — The tallest mountain the Cascades and the most prominent mountain in the lower 48 states
• North Cascades National Park – Home to 50% of all glaciers in the lower 48 states. The undeveloped wilderness is a favorite for climbers and backpackers

Overwhelmed with natural beauty and need a city break?

• Olympia — Both the state capital and the regional epicenter of counterculture
• Seattle — The home of Starbucks features an eclectic mix of people and a vibrant city life, in the shadow of Mount Rainier
• Victoria – A small provincial capital famous for its British charm, connected by ferry from Port Angeles