Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is a vast, varied national park on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, known for its dramatic range of landscapes in one place: rugged Pacific coastline, temperate rain forest, alpine ridges, and glacier-capped mountains. Visitors come for scenic drives, hiking, wildlife viewing, tide pools, and the chance to experience several very different ecosystems without leaving the park. It is especially appealing if you want classic Pacific Northwest scenery with a strong sense of wilderness and scale.

History

Olympic National Park was established in 1938 to protect the Olympic Peninsula’s exceptional natural landscapes, including its old-growth forests, mountain country, and coastal areas. Much of the park’s significance also comes from long Indigenous use and stewardship of the region by Native peoples such as the Makah, Quileute, Hoh, Quinault, and others, whose connections to the land and coast predate the park by thousands of years.

Expert notes

• Check seasonal road and trail conditions before you go, especially for Hurricane Ridge, mountain passes, and coastal access points.
• Bring sturdy footwear and be prepared for mud, wet roots, and slippery conditions on rainforest trails.
• If visiting the coast, time your stop around low tide for the best tide-pooling and beach exploration opportunities.
• Wildlife viewing is best done from a respectful distance; do not feed animals or approach elk, seals, or other wildlife.