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Olympic National Park
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Orientation
Encompassing 1,441 square miles [3,732.2 square kilometers] of the Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park invites visitors to explore three distinct ecosystems: subalpine forest and wildflower meadow; temperate forest; and the rugged Pacific shore. Because of the park’s relatively unspoiled condition and outstanding scenery, the United Nations has declared Olympic both an International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage site.
Inside the park, the Olympic mountain range is nearly circular, contoured by 13 rivers that radiate out like the spokes of a wheel. No road traverses the park, but a dozen spur roads lead into it from US 101.
Residents of the Olympic Peninsula refer to it as a gift from the sea, and its features were indeed shaped by water and ice. The rock of the Olympics developed under the ocean—marine fossils are embedded in the mountain summits. About 30 million years ago, the plate carrying the Pacific Ocean floor collided with the plate supporting the North American continent. As the heavy oceanic plate slid beneath the lighter continental plate, the upper layers of seabed jammed against the coastline, crumpling into what would become the Olympic Mountains. Glaciers and streams sculptured the mountains into their current profiles.
Glaciers nearly 1-mile [1.6-kilometer] thick also gouged out Puget Sound and Hood Canal to the east, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north, isolating the peninsula from the mainland.
The Ice Age isolation led to the “endemic 16,” as biologists refer to the 16 species of wildflowers and animals that evolved nowhere else on earth. They include the Olympic mountain milkvetch, Olympic marmot, Olympic Mazama pocket gopher, and Olympic mud minnow.
There are also the “missing 11,” mammals common in the nearby Cascades and Rockies that either died out in the Olympics or never found their way into the peninsula. The missing include the grizzly bear, ly nx, and mountain sheep. Mountain goats, introduced in the 1920s, have so damaged alpine meadows in Olympic that in 1988 the park staff began efforts to reduce the population.
Moist winds from the Pacific condense in the cool air of the Olympics and drop rain or snow, bestowing on the mountains’ western slopes the wettest climate in the lower 48 states. Mt. Olympus, which crowns the park at 7,965 feet [2,427.7 meters], receives 200 inches [508 centimeters] of precipitation a year.
When to Go
All-year park. Summer is the “dry” season, but be prepared for cool temperatures, fog, and rain at any time. Hurricane Ridge opens for skiing on winter weekends and holidays, weather permitting.
Statistics
- Area: 922,000 acres [373,120 hectares]
- Date Established: June 29, 1938
- State: Washington
Getting There
By Plane
- Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA) 10 miles [16.1 kilometers] south of city
- Official Airline Guide: Seattle Information
By Car
- Approach the park from US 101, which skirts three sides of the Olympic Peninsula. The main visitor center and entrance are in Port Angeles. From Seattle, take the Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge Island, then drive north to Washington 104 to join US 101 west to Port Angeles, a drive of about 60 miles [96.6 kilometers]. Airports: Port Angeles, Seattle, Sequim, and Olympia.
How to Visit
Plan to spend at least 2 days. On the first day, stroll subalpine meadows at Hurricane Ridge while admiring the peaks and glaciers in the distance. Savor the Lake Crescent area and, if you’re feeling energetic, wind up with a dip at Sol Duc Hot Springs. On the second day, drive to the Hoh Rain Forest and sample its nature trails before heading west for the Pacific Ocean beaches and tide pools. If you have more time, consider a trip to Ozette in the northwest, or visit less known Quinault.
Activities
Free naturalist-led activities: meadow, forest, beach, and tide-pool walks; campfire programs. Also available, hiking, boating, fishing (no license needed), climbing, swimming, windsurfing, waterskiing, river rafting, cross-country and alpine skiing, snowshoeing.
Park Information
Headquarters 600 E. Park Avenue, Port Angeles, Washington 98362. Phone +1 360 452 4501. Fax +1 360 452 0335.
Seasons & Accessibility Park open year-round. Some roads closed in winter.
Visitor & Information Centers In Port Angeles, the Olympic Park Visitor Center, 3002 Mt. Angeles Road; call +1 360 452 0330. The Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center off US 101 at western edge of park, +1 360 374 6925. Both open daily all year. Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center also open all year, weather permitting. In summer, information stations open at Storm King on Lake Crescent, Kalaloch, and other locations. For park information, tune in to 530 AM in the Port Angeles and Lake Crescent areas.
Entrance Fee $10 per vehicle for 7-day pass May to September. Some areas charge an entrance fee in winter.
Pets Allowed on leashes except on trails and in backcountry.
Facilities for Disabled Visitor centers are accessible to wheelchairs. Also accessible are Hurricane Ridge’s paved trails; a short loop trail into the Hoh Rain Forest; the Madison Falls Trail in the Elwha Valley, and the “Moments in Time” trail at Lake Crescent.
Special Advisory Be careful when hiking along the coast; rocks and logs can be slippery and unstable. Be aware of incoming tides (current tables posted at trailheads). Surf logs can kill.
Overnight Backpacking Call ahead for reservations. Permits required; obtain at visitor centers, ranger stations, or trailheads.
Campgrounds Fifteen campgrounds, all with a 14-day limit. Deer Park, Dosewallips, North Fork, and Queets campgrounds do not allow RVs. All first come, first served. Fees: None to $10 per night. No showers. Three group campgrounds; reservations required; contact headquarters. Food services in park.
Lodging
Hotels, Motels, & Inns (unless otherwise noted, rates are for 2 persons in a double room, high season)
INSIDE THE PARK:
Kalaloch Lodge (on US 101, 36 miles [57.9 kilometers] south of Forks) 157151 Hwy. 101, Forks, Washington 98331. +1 360 962 2271. 18 rooms; 40 cabins, 34 with kitchenettes. Rooms $75-$199; cabins $131-$186. Rest. Lake Crescent Lodge (on US 101) 416 Lake Crescent Rd., Port Angeles, Washington 98362. +1 360 928 3211. 52 units, 47 with private bath. $69-$120. Rest. Open late April through Oct. Log Cabin Resort (on Lake Crescent) 3183 E. Beach Road, Port Angeles, Washington 98363. +1 360 928 3325 or 928 3245. 28 units, 3 with kitchenettes. $43.75-$156. Rest. Open April through Sept. Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort (12 miles [19.3 kilometers] off US 101) P.O. Box 2169, Port Angeles, Washington 98362. +1 360 327 3583. 32 cabins, 6 kitchens. $85-$95. Pool, rest. Open mid-May through Sept.
OUTSIDE THE PARK:
Lake Quinault Lodge (South Shore Road in Olympic NF) P.O. Box 7, Lake Quinault, Washington 98575. +1 360 288 2910; in Washington 800 562 6672. 89 units. $95-$130. Pool, restaurant.
In Port Angeles, Washington 98362:
Red Lion Bayshore Inn 221 N. Lincoln. 800 547 8010 or +1 360 452 9215. 187 units. $85-$150. Pool, rest. The Tudor Inn 1108 S. Oak St. +1 360 452 3138. 5 rooms. $85-$120, includes breakfast.
For other lodgings, contact the Chambers of Commerce in Port Angeles, 121 E. Railroad, 98362. +1 360 452 2363; and Forks, P.O. Box 1249, 98331. +1 360 374 2531 or 800 443 6757.
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