Olympic National Park, Washington

Please click the title for a slide show of the park


Olympic National Park is essentially three parks in one: A coast with enormous boulders or "sea stacks" just off the water's edge, a rainforest as green and lush as any you'd hope to find, and rugged, glacier-capped mountains in the heart of the park. Scattered among the remaining acreage are lakes, streams, and flower-laden meadows. Visitors can drive around the outer edge of the Olympic Peninsula, but 95 percent of the park is designated wilderness. That means no cars can cross through it—even bicycles are prohibited in most of the park. The sheer size of this protected space, coupled with dramatic changes in elevation and precipitation, create diverse habitats for a variety of plants and animals—and a few species, such as the Olympic marmot, can only be found within the park.



If you enjoy winter sports, Olympic offers snowshoeing and skiing, including snowshoe rentals and ranger-led tours, at Hurricane Ridge, just south of Port Angeles and accessible by car Fridays through Sundays during the winter. The colder months are also an excellent time to visit the temperate rainforests on the west side of the park, which turn a lush green as the snow melts.

View the slideshow http://www.npca.org/explore_the_parks/safari/olympic-national-park/