Olympic National Park

Year Established: 1938
Annual Visitors: 2.72 Million
Size: 922,651 Acres
State: Washington

Best Time to Visit Olympic National Park

June to September

If you are planning to visit more national parks, check out our complete list of all US National Parks.

Best Experiences in Olympic National Park

• Ruby Beach
• Hoh Rain Forest
• Shi Shi Beach
• Ride a canoe at Lake Crescent
• Watch for whales off the beaches during migration season
• Marvel at Washington’s giant cedar trees

A Brief History

The park is close to Seattle and has many different ecosystems, from cold glaciers to tide pools on the coast. Here are the largest rain forests left in the Pacific Northwest. Olympic gets 12 feet of rain every year, so it is home to 140 species of ferns, mosses, and lichens. The unruly forests are home to salamanders, banana slugs, snails, Roosevelt elk, and the endangered northern spotted owl.

Hikers are drawn to the park’s 600 miles of trails, and beach walkers can see harbor seals, sea lions, and maybe even a humpback whale breaching or slapping its fluke and fins on the water’s surface to talk to other whales.

The Elwha River flows north through the park and into the Salish Sea, which is near Canada. Since the early 1900s, two hydroelectric dams on the river have given the area power, but they have also stopped salmon from swimming upstream and messed up the flow of sediment, which has caused the land of the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe to flood.

In 2014, the Elwha River Restoration started the world’s largest dam-removal project to clean up the river.

Since then, five types of salmon and three types of trout have come back to the river. Now, people can join the Adopt-A-Fish radio tracking project to learn more about how fish move.

About Olympic National Park

With so much space to explore but so few roads, only the most fearless backpackers will venture into the Olympic’s interior. Fortunately, there are still plenty of highlights to satisfy those who only urge around the edges.

One of the most beautiful areas is right along Highway 101, the road that circles the national park. Stop at one of the rest stops along Lake Crescent’s southern bank to enjoy its crystal-clear waters. This is a glacial landscape, which means that mountain peaks rise in every direction. Hiking trails that attack the contours can be used by those who want to explore the slopes; others may prefer to hug the side of the lake for a less undulating walk.

The old logging trail to Hurricane Ridge, where hiking paths scramble across the ridges and plunge down steep descents into green valleys, is perhaps the easiest way to reach the peaks. A rougher road leads to the Hoh Rainforest and Mount Olympus, which is an 18-mile walk from the visitor center.

This mountain does not have a pantheon of gods, but it does have glaciers. It’s also incredible to think that Mount Olympus is only 33 miles from the Pacific Ocean, despite its 7,828-foot elevation.

In addition, a narrow stretch of Olympic National Park can be found running along the Pacific coast. Seals and sea lions abound on this 73-mile stretch of undeveloped beaches and cliffs. It’s also difficult to avoid the cacophony of sea birds, especially during nesting season. The Ozette sands may be in the far north, but they are well served by the Old Royal road off Highway 112, while Kalaloch and Ruby Beach are more secluded gems in the area’s southern section.

Olympic RV Camping

If you are looking for nearby RV camping options for Olympic National Park or in Washington, consider checking out our other post:

• Best RV Parks in Washington
• Best RV Resorts in Washington

Visitor Information

Fees

Individuals 15 years old and younger are admitted free of charge.

Weekly Park Passes

$15.00 per person/cyclist

$30.00 per vehicle

$25.00 per motorcycle

Passes valid for up to 7 days.

Annual Park Pass

Olympic National Park Annual Pass – $55.00

The Olympic National Park Annual Pass costs $55 and gives you access to the park for a year from the month you buy it. Passes can be bought at visitor centers and entrance stations in Olympic National Park.

Contacting Olympic National Park

Phone Number

(360) 565-3130

Visitor Centers

Olympic National Park Visitor Center

This Port Angeles center is the park’s main visitor center. It has a staffed information desk, a bookstore, nature exhibits, and a Discovery Room for kids. A theater shows a free movie about the park. Every day from 8:30 am to 5 pm. Here is also the Wilderness Information Center, where you can get information about hiking, get permits to camp in the wilderness, and borrow bear canisters. In summer, it’s open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 6 or 7 p.m.

Port Angeles Wilderness Information Center

If you want to hike and camp in the back country of Olympic National Park, you’ll need a permit and possibly more information, which you can get at a Wilderness Information Center.

They provide:

• Permits to go into the backcountry in the whole Olympic National Park
• Wilderness areas with limited access should be booked in advance.
• Any kind of help with planning your camping trip into the back country, including information about the trails, their conditions, and any questions you may have about safety.
• Bear canisters can be borrowed for $3 to help pay for educational programs.
• Free charts of tides
• You can buy topographic maps, guide books, and field guides.

Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center

This center is in the middle of the Hoh Rainforest. It has rangers who can answer questions, exhibits, a bookstore, and it gives out permits to go into the backcountry. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.