600 East Park Avenue
Port Angeles, WA 98362-6798
(360) 565-3130
(360) 565-3131 for recorded road information
www.nps.gov/olym
- Hours: Open every day, but in winter the Hurricane Ridge Road closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and other roads may close because of unsafe conditions
- Reservations: Not required
- Cost: Admission fee, or use your National Parks pass
- Location: Washington's Olympic Peninsula, west of Seattle; the main visitor center is in Port Angeles, driving directions are below
- How Long: Allow a day, outlined below
- Best Time to Visit: For the best weather and least chance of rain, go in summer
Olympic National Park
Covering nearly one million acres and sheltering three distinct ecosystems, Olympic National Park is known for its biological diversity. Terrains here include glacier- capped, 8,000-foot-high mountains, the Northwest's largest remaining undisturbed old-growth rain forests, and 60 miles of wilderness beaches, the largest section of wilderness coast in the continental United States.Olympic National Park's climate is mild year round. Summers are generally fair and warm, with highs usually between 65 and 75 F. Summer is the driest season, with heavier precipitation during the rest of the year. Winters temperatures at lower elevations are in the 30's and 40's, but snow accumulates up to 10 feet deep.
The main Olympic National Park visitor center is in Port Angeles, with exhibits about the park's natural and cultural history, a forest diorama, Native American canoe and pioneer cabin, as well as a hands-on room just for kids.
Plan on spending a full day to experience the park's diversity. A rough itinerary for a day visit includes:
- Hurricane Ridge: A taste of the park's high country and mountain vistas with a view into the heart of the Olympic wilderness. This visitor center is open whenever Hurricane Ridge road is open, but is staffed only Friday through Sunday. Ranger-guided snowshoe walks are offered Friday through Sunday in winter.
- Hoh Rain Forest: (three hours west of Hurricane Ridge) Over 12 feet of rain per year nourishes huge trees and produces profuse greenery in one of the largest remaining undisturbed old-growth and temperate rain forests in the Northwest. Other rain forests can be seen along the Queets and Quinault rivers. The Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center has accessible restrooms and self-guided exhibits and self-guided nature trails. The information desk is staffed on weekends only.
- Rialto or Ruby Beach: Drive another 30-40 minutes to visit one of Olympic's wilderness beaches.
- Kalaloch Lodge: (360) 962-2271. Open year round. On the Pacific coast, 36 miles south of Forks
- Lake Crescent Lodge: (360) 928-3211. On the south shore of Lake Crescent, 21 miles west of Port Angeles.
- Log Cabin Resort: (360) 928-3325. On the northeast shore of Lake Crescent, 17 miles west of Port Angeles.
- Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort: (360) 327-3583. 40 miles west of Port Angeles in the Sol Duc Valley. Cabins, an RV park with hookups, swimming pool, 3 mineral pools, deli and dining room.
- Campgrounds: Then National Park Service operates 16 campgrounds with a total of 910 sites. All are available on a first-come, first-served basis with the exception of Kalaloch which operates on a reservation system in the summer. Some are open all winter.
Getting to Olympic National Park
The easiest way to get to Olympic National Park from Seattle is via the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry. From there, take WA 104 west to US 191 west.U.S. 101 provides the main access to the park, with numerous spur roads leading to the interior. No roads pass through the heart of Olympic National Park.
