Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Washington State. Olympic National Monument was established in 1909 and upgraded to the status of national park in 1938. It was further designated as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976, and evolved into a World Heritage Park in 1981. Nearly 96% the Olympic National Park is incorporated into the Olympic Wilderness.

History
Prior to the influx of European settlers, Olympic's human 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, extractive industry in the Pacific Northwest was on the rise, particularly in regards to the harvesting of timber, which began heavily 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 formal record of a proposal for a new national park on the Olympic Peninsula begins with the expeditions of well-known figures Lieutenant Joseph O'Neil and Judge James Wickersham, during the 1890s. These notables met in the Olympic wilderness while exploring, and subsequently combined their political efforts to have the area placed 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 ONP a national park in 1938.

Mountains
The Olympic Mountains are host to montane forests giving way to subalpine meadows, rocky alpine slopes and glacier-capped summits. Most of the area's endemic plants and animals are found in these high elevation ecosystems.

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 is a jumble of rugged peaks, whose shoulders are decorated with meadows and lakes. Below treeline, scattered subalpine forests give way to steep forested slopes ending in broad, U-shaped valleys. In all directions mountains and valleys radiate from Mount Olympus like spokes on a wheel.

Rivers & lakes
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.

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.

Mount Olympus, the park's highest peak, is in the middle of the range. 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.

Forests
Olympic National Park was established in 1938 in part to preserve some of Washington's quickly disappearing primeval forests. Now the park protects one of the largest remaining blocks of old growth forest and temperate rain forest in the lower 48 states.


 * "to preserve... the finest sample of primeval forests of Sitka spruce, western hemlock, Douglas fir, and western red-cedar in the entire United States...."

These are the forests of Olympic National Park described in the 1938 act establishing the park. Now the diverse forest communities of the park and neighboring wilderness areas in Olympic National Forest are even more significant as rare islands of habitat surrounded by altered landscapes. They form 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. Some areas nurture trees that sprouted when the Mayan culture was thriving in the jungles of Central America. While youthful willows and red alders sprout and die regularly on shifting gravel bars in the park's rivers.

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. In fact, in 1988, Congress added much of the narrow coastal strip of the park (and much of the rest of the park) to a national system of designated wilderness.

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
Enormous Sitka spruce and Douglas fir, hundreds of feet high, in the Hoh and Queets rain forest valleys on the west side of the park. Thick, furry epiphyte moss and dense, vibrant vegetation give a beautiful, almost "Tolkien-esqe" environment in these unique temperate rain forests, which receive 15 ft of rain per year on average from the nearby Pacific Ocean.

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:

Nearshore

 * Sea otter, Enhydra lutris
 * River otter, Lutra canadensis

Rocky intertidal

 * Harbor seal, Phoca vitulina
 * Northern Fur Seal, Callorhinus ursinus

Occasional

 * Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus
 * California sea lion, Zalophus californianus
 * Northern elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris
 * Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus

Spring and fall

 * Minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Summer 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
 * Pacific white sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens

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 ~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.

While 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.

Visitor information

 * Park website

Get in


Unlike many national parks, there are no roads through Olympic National Park. In fact, the central part of the park is one of the last great roadless patches in the lower 48 states making it a hikers paradise.

By car
There are a number of roads running from US 101 into the park: Hurricane Ridge, Elwha, Sol Doc, Hoh, and Quinault. The park also includes much of the Pacific coast along the peninsula which is accessible from US 101 at Klalaloch, La Push, Cape Alava and Neah Bay. The park is huge so plan travel times carefully. You don't want to spend all your time on the road.

I-5, the main road from Seattle to Tacoma can be crowded during rush hour (6-9AM and 4-7PM). You can check traffic conditions, and for other travel problems, at the state Department of Transportation web site. There are a number of ways of getting to Olympic National Park by car:


 * From Seattle or Seatac: head south on I-5 to Tacoma take the exit for highway 16 and cross the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to the Kitsap Peninsula then continue west.
 * From Olympia or points south along the I-5 corridor (including Portland): take US 101 north along the Hood Canal
 * From points south on the coast, following the coast: take US 101 north through Aberdeen and near Ocean Shores

By ferry
Most of the ferries are run by the Washington State Department of Transportation, but the Coho ferry and the Victoria Express are run privately.

The ferries 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. The ferries usually run roughly every 50 minutes and can offer a relaxing way to cross Puget Sound.
 * From Seattle: take the Bainbridge Island or Bremerton ferry.
 * From West Seattle: ferry service is available from the Fauntleroy ferry terminal to Southworth on the Kitsap Peninsula.
 * From north of Seattle: take the Edmonds ferry to Kingston and continue west.
 * From Anacortes or Whidbey Island: take the Keystone ferry from Whidbey Island to Port Townsend and continue west
 * from Vancouver or Victoria, BC: take the Coho ferry from Victoria

By plane
There are scheduled flights to Port Angeles, so you can approach by air. The views of the Olympics are often fantastic, and you can arrange to rent a car at the airport.
 * From Boeing Field in Seattle - take a scheduled Kenmore Air flight to Fairchild Airport

Another approach is to fly to Victoria, BC, then take the Coho ferry or the Victoria Express to Port Angeles and rent a car there.
 * From Victoria, BC: fly to Victoria, rent a car there, or take the ferry across the Strait of San Juan de Fuca and rent a car in the U.S.

Fees and permits
Entrances fees are valid for seven days, allowing unlimited re-entry for the week. Fees as of 2020 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.

Get around
By car is really the only way in or out. US-101 makes a loop of the Olympic Peninsula, but only some spur roads actually lead into the park. The interior is roadless and is only accessible to backpackers. Most people visit either the park's beach section, which is accessible only on US-101 between Forks and Aberdeen, or Hurricane Ridge, which is accessed from a road out of Port Angeles.

Access points from the more remote east side are Staircase (turn west off 101 in Hoodsport) or Quilcene (closer to the Hood Canal Bridge).

The best way to see the park is to drive from Aberdeen on northbound US-101 and "do the loop", ending in Olympia, taking three or four days to visit the coastal section (Kalaloch Campground or Lodge are great places to stay), the rainforest (Hoh), Ozette (an easy 3 mi hike in, or do the easy 9 mi loop, tides permitting), Lake Cresent, Hurricane Ridge, and Staircase.

Campground reservations are recommended in the summer.

All vehicles travelling to Hurricane Ridge during the winter season (November - April) are required to carry tire chains.

Scenic areas
















Do
There are numerous beaches that can be visited, most are simply numbered, i.e. Beach trail 3. Ruby beach is one exception, which also happens to be very hard to get to. This makes Ruby beach one of many ideal locations to visit if you are seeking solitude while you enjoy nature. Despite the small populations in this part of the state, some of the beaches can be quite crowded during a small period in the summer months (usually 3 weeks or so in late June and early July), with fishermen, clamers, and children.

Hiking and Backpacking The Olympic National Park has a very extensive trail system, both through the interior and along the coast. Much of the interior and the coast is wilderness and can only be seen from the trails.

The Hoh river is a kayaking hotspot.





Eat
Your best option for meals in the park would be from nearby towns surrounding the National Park, or at the lodges within the park.

Lodging
There are four lodging options located within the park borders. Outside of the park the following communities have lodging options:


 * North Olympic Peninsula: Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Townsend, Forks, Sekiu and Clallam Bay.
 * Hood Canal Area: Hoodsport, Lake Cushman, Belfair and Shelton.
 * Lake Quinault: Lake Quinault and Amanda Park.

Lodging in the park includes:



Camping
Olympic has 16 NPS-operated campgrounds. Concession-operated RV parks are in the park at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and Log Cabin Resort on Lake Crescent. Campgrounds can accommodate RVs and trailers up to 21 ft in length, unless otherwise noted. Most campground toilets are wheelchair accessible, unless otherwise noted in the chart below. All campsites are first-come, first-served, except for Kalaloch, Hoh, Mora, and Sol Duc. All park campsites provide a picnic table and fire pit. Park campgrounds do not have hook-ups or showers. Group campgrounds are provided at Sol Duc and Kalaloch.



























Backcountry
Wilderness travel can be challenging and risky. To maximize your safety, take the time to learn about some of the risks and hazards that exist throughout the Olympic Wilderness. Wilderness Camping Permits are required for all overnight stays in Olympic National Park wilderness (backcountry). Be sure to check to see if reservations are needed. Permits are limited in some areas.

Wilderness Camping Permits may be obtained at:







Call the WIC at +1 360 565-3100 to check on station hours and seasons or for more information about getting your permit. If you are not passing by a park wilderness office on your way to the trailhead or you plan to arrive early or late, call the WIC to arrange your permit ahead of time.

Wilderness Camping Permits are used to track the numbers of visitors in different areas in order to prevent overcrowding and damage. Wilderness permits are also used to locate overdue or lost parties; as well as in case of a family emergency. If you have not filled out a permit, searchers may not know where to start looking for you.

Roads
The most dangerous thing around this area is drunk drivers. The roads are small, perpetually wet, winding, and not banked, so driving too fast can also be incredibly dangerous.

Wildlife
The wildlife can also be somewhat hazardous, although with a bit of common sense, most danger can be avoided. This is bear country, so make noise if you are traveling in an area with limited visibility (most of this area has very poor visibility, due to the extreme amounts of vegetation.) Also, cougars do live in Olympic National Park, and are much more aggressive and dangerous than bears. That being said, the number of incidents involving mountain lions is very small, so there isn't too much to worry about. Another animal that needs to be watched out for are the elk. Although elk are herd animals, and not aggressive like their moose cousins, they can be extremely dangerous if they feel threatened. Most people do not see bears or cougars, but you need to be prepared. Though many of the animals in the park area are used to seeing humans, the wildlife is nonetheless wild and should not be fed or disturbed. Stay at least 100 m away from bears and 25 m from all other wild animals! Check trail head postings of recent animal activity.

Coast
On the coast you need to be in good shape, in many places the coast is extremely rugged and you need to have good reflexes as you go across the headlands for when you slip. You will need to pack everything with you when you go in, and pack almost everything as you go out. Basic backpacking rules must be followed by the park's rules. Bring tidal information with you, many beaches are unpassable during high tides and hikers have been known to be caught off guard.

Do not camp within the range of the high tide, besides getting wet, ocean debris might wash up on beaches and could crush tents during the night.

Hiking and camping
There's no reason to fear the mountains, as long as you approach them with proper respect and preparation. As with anywhere else, recklessness and a lack of forethought can get you into trouble, especially in Olympic National Parks vast back country.
 * Altitude sickness: Can lead to dizziness, headaches, nausea, even blackouts and pulmonary edema. Give your body a few days to adjust to the high altitudes before going full throttle with your hiking or skiing.
 * Dehydration: When you engage in strenuous outdoor activities, be sure to replenish your fluids as you go. You may be losing moisture through your mouth and nose and through sweating, but be completely unaware due to the arid mountain air. May result in dizziness, intense thirst and elevated heart and breath rates.
 * Giardia: Drinking untreated water from regional streams is not a good idea owing to Giardia parasites, but tap water is not a problem.
 * Hypothermia: Prolonged exposure to the cold can result in confusion, a slowed heart rate, lethargy, even death. Dress warmly in non cotton clothing to allow any sweat to wick away from your body and evaporate. Otherwise, it may thoroughly chill you later in the day when temperatures drop.
 * Frostbite: During periods of severe cold, your circulatory system pulls all your warming blood into the core of your body to protect your vital organs. This makes your extremities such as your ears, fingers and nose especially vulnerable. Wear a face mask, insulated gloves and other heavy gear on the worst winter days. It gets cold sitting still on those ski lifts!
 * Sunburn: Lather up with sunscreen, even if there's cloud cover. The Olympics high mountain elevations means you have less protection to the sun's powerful ultra violet rays. The rays are reflected off the snow and hits the underside of your jaw. Don't forget to wear UV-rated goggles or sunglasses, as well.
 * Know your 10 essentials when going on a hike, because cell phones won't always work in many rural areas, and may not be depended on in an emergency situation.
 * Navigation
 * Hydration & nutrition
 * Pocket knife
 * Sun protection
 * Insulation
 * Fire!
 * Lighting
 * First aid
 * Shelter
 * Whistle

Crime
With so many people visiting the area each year petty crimes are something to be vigilant against. 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

 * Forks On the west side of Olympic National Park, providing the nearest services to the Hoh Rain Forest and the Pacific Ocean beaches.
 * Port Angeles
 * Sequim
 * Seattle
 * Victoria With a ferry connecting it from Port Angeles, this city famous for its British charm can easily be done as a day-trip from Olympic National Park.