Photo:
Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States / CC BY-SA 2.0
Olympic is really three parks in one, glacier-capped mountains, lush temperate rain forest, and a wild, driftwood-strewn Pacific coast, packed onto Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. From the alpine meadows of Hurricane Ridge to the dripping green cathedral of the Hoh Rain Forest to the sea stacks of Rialto Beach, few parks offer such staggering variety in a single visit.
At its heart rise the glaciated Olympic Mountains, crowned by Mount Olympus, wringing moisture from Pacific storms. That rain feeds the famous temperate rain forests of the Hoh and Quinault, where moss-draped giants tower over ferns, while the park’s separate coastal strip protects miles of rugged, tide-pooled shoreline. Roosevelt elk, black bears, mountain goats and salmon thrive across the range.
Summer and early fall are the driest and most accessible, with the high roads open and trails clear, though the rain forest is lush and worth visiting in any season, and the coast is dramatic year-round. Snow buries the high country much of the year, and winter is famously wet, so plan for rain whenever you come.
US-101 loops the Olympic Peninsula, with spur roads climbing to Hurricane Ridge, running out to the Hoh Rain Forest, and reaching the coast at spots like Rialto and Ruby beaches. Because the park has no through-roads across its interior, a vehicle and a good map are essential, and distances between the “three parks” are long.
Take in the alpine views and wildflowers at Hurricane Ridge, wander the Hall of Mosses in the Hoh Rain Forest, and explore the sea stacks and tide pools of the coast at low tide. Backpackers head into the high country and along the wilderness coast, and paddlers explore Lake Crescent and Ozette, a park for every kind of adventure.
The coast is cold and hazardous. Watch for sneaker waves and rip currents, and time shoreline travel to the tides with a tide table. In the mountains, weather turns fast and cold with lingering snow, rivers run cold and swift, and this is bear and mountain-goat country. Store food properly and keep your distance.
A park pass is required, wilderness camping needs a permit (and a bear canister in places), and some high roads are seasonal. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report; always confirm current road status, tides, conditions and permits with the National Park Service before your trip.
Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.
