Managing Editor:
James Perry

Often referred to as "three parks in one," Olympic National Park encompasses three distinctly different ecosystems - rugged glacier-capped mountains, more than 60 miles of wild Pacific coast, and magnificent stands of old-growth and temperate rain forest. These diverse ecosystems are still largely pristine in character. About 95 percent of the park is designated wilderness.

Olympic is also known for its biological diversity. Isolated for eons by glacial ice, the waters of Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Olympic Peninsula it has developed its own distinct array of plants and animals. Eight kinds of plants and five kinds of animals that are found on the peninsula live nowhere else in the world.

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General Information

Visitation

In recent years, there have been approximately 4 million visits annually. Most visitors come to the park from July through September. December and January are the quietest months.

Location

Olympic National Park occupies the central portion of the Olympic Peninsula, as well as a narrow 63-mile strip of land along the peninsula's Pacific coast. The Olympic Peninsula itself comprises the northwestern-most tip of the lower 48 contiguous United States, lying west of the Seattle-Tacoma area and Puget Sound.

Address

Olympic National Park
600 East Park Avenue
Port Angeles, WA 98362-6798

Telephone

(360) 452-4501; TDD (360) 452-0306

Operating Hours & Seasons

The park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Most roads remain open year-round, although several are subject to winter closure because of snow. Some campgrounds are open year-round also, while others close for the winter. Visitor center hours vary throughout the year.

Climate & Recommended Clothing

Olympic has a moderate marine climate with pleasant summers and mild, wet winters. Summers are generally fair and warm, with high temperatures usually between 65F and 75F. Summer is the driest season, with heavier precipitation during the rest of the year. Winters are mild, with temperatures at lower elevations in the 30s and 40s. At higher elevations, snowfall is generally heavy, with accumulations of up to 10 feet common. Closer to sea level, much of the precipitation comes in the form of rain, with some infrequent snowfall.

At any time of year, visitors should come prepared for a variety of conditions. Rain gear and layered clothing are a must. The Seattle office of the National Weather Service provides up-to-date weather information and forecasts.

Directions

All park destinations can be reached from U.S. Highway 101, which circumnavigates the Olympic Peninsula. From the Seattle-Tacoma area, travelers may reach U.S. 101 by several different routes, either by crossing Puget Sound on one of the Washington State Ferries, or by driving south around Puget Sound. Travel time along any of these routes is approximately 2.5 to 3 hours from the Seattle-Tacoma area to Port Angeles, where the parks visitor center and park headquarters are located.

Transportation

Bus Lines

Olympic Bus Lines and Tours serve Port Angeles daily from downtown Seattle and SeaTac Airport. Reservations are recommended: call (360) 452-3858. The Clallam Transit System provides service within Port Angeles and commuter services to locations around the northern Olympic Peninsula. For more information, call (360) 452-4511.

Airlines

Horizon Air (an Alaska Airlines affiliate) provides regularly scheduled flights to Fairchild International Airport in Port Angeles from SeaTac Airport, and from Victoria, British Columbia.

Rental Cars

All major rental companies serve the SeaTac Airport. Rental cars are also available in Port Angeles, Sequim, and Grays Harbor.

Ferry Service

Car and passenger ferry service is available throughout most of the year between Victoria, British Columbia, and Port Angeles. Reservations are not available, but for more information, contact Black Ball Transport, Inc. at (360) 457-4491. Victoria Rapid Transit operates a summer, passenger-only ferry between Port Angeles and Victoria. For reservations and information, call (360) 452-8088.

Fees, Costs & Rates

The fee program at Olympic has recently changed in accordance with the congressionally authorized Recreation Fee Demonstration Program.

Entrance permits and passes are sold spring through fall at park entrance stations. The fee is $10 per vehicle ($5 per person for bicyclists and bus passengers) and is good for seven consecutive days at any park entrance. A $10-per-vehicle fee is also collected at the Hurricane Ridge entrance on weekends during the winter. Season passes ($20, good for one calendar year) are also available. The Golden Eagle Pass, an annual pass good at all National Park Service areas as well as other federal fee areas, is now $50. The lifetime Golden Age pass costs $10 for individuals 62 or older and the free Golden Access pass is available to individuals who can show written proof of permanent disability.

Golden Eagle Passport

The Golden Eagle Passport is an entrance pass to any national park, monument, historical site, recreation area, and national wildlife refuge that charges an entrance fee. It is a great convenience for those who plan on visiting several different areas that charge special fees. It is valid for one year from the purchase date. A Golden Eagle Passport may be purchased for $50 at any National Park Service entrance fee area or by mail. To order by mail, send check or money order (no cash, please) to:

National Park Service
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Room 138
Washington, DC 20242
Attention: Golden Eagle Passport

Where entry is by private vehicle, the Golden Eagle Passport will admit the passholder as well as any passengers. Where entry by private vehicle is not possible, the pass will admit the passholder, spouse, children and parents.

The Golden Eagle Passport will not reduce use fees, such as those for camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, or cave tours. It covers entrance fees only.

Golden Age Passport

The Golden Age Passport is a lifetime entrance pass for those United States residents 62 years or older. These may be purchased at any National Park Service entrance fee area for a one-time processing fee of $10. The Golden Age Passport cannot be purchased by mail or telephone. Proof of age and citizenship or permanent residence must be shown at the time of purchase.

The Golden Age Passport will admit the passholder and any passengers in a private vehicle. When entrance is not via private vehicle, the pass will admit the passholder as well as children, spouse, and parents.

The Golden Age Pass grants a 50% discount to the holder on any federal use fees charged for things such as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, or tours. It does not, however, reduce the price of special recreation permit fees or fees for concessions.

Golden Access Passport

The Golden Access Passport is a free entrance pass to any national park, monument, historic site, recreation area, and national wildlife refuge for those who are blind or permanently disabled. The Golden Access passport may be obtained at any National Park Service entrance fee area. Proof of a medically determined disability and eligibility for receiving benefits under federal law is necessary at purchase.

The Golden Access Passport will admit the passholder and any passengers in a private vehicle. Where entrance is not by vehicle, the pass will admit the passholder, spouse, children and parents.

The Golden Access Passport also provides a 50% discount on any federal use fees charged for services and facilities. It does not cover special recreation permit fees or fees charged for concessions.

All passes described above are non-transferable.

There are nightly fees (ranging from $8 to $12) for most park campgrounds.

Use of the park's RV sewage dump stations costs $3 per use.

There is a $1 daily parking fee at Ozette.

Olympic National Park now charges fees for nightly trips into the parks wilderness backcountry. Proceeds from the wilderness fee program will go directly to fund projects that benefit park wilderness and wilderness users. The Wilderness Fee program has two components -- a permit registration fee and an individual nightly fee. The permit registration fee is $5 for a single permit, good for up to 14 days and a maximum of 12 people. The individual nightly fee is $2 per person, per night, for any overnight stay in the park backcountry. Those 16 years old and younger are exempt from this fee.

A frequent hiker pass is available for $30 a year. This is an annual, non-transferable pass, good for 12 months from the date of issue. It covers all wilderness use fees for the pass holder. Additional frequent hiker passes for members of the same household will cost $15.

Maximum fee amounts have been set at $50 for groups of one to six for up to 14 nights, and $100 for groups of seven to 12 for up to 14 nights. (Without the fee cap, a 6-person group staying 14 nights would be charged $173.)

For more information, call the Wilderness Information Center at (360) 452-0330.

Facilities & Opportunities

Visitor Center/Exhibits

Visitor centers are located in Port Angeles, Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh Rain Forest. Each of these provides exhibits and visitor information. The Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles is open and staffed year-round, and serves as the park's primary information and orientation center. The Hurricane Ridge and Hoh Visitor Centers are open throughout the year (when road and weather conditions allow), but may be self-service during the winter months.

Exhibits are also located at the following ranger stations: Staircase, Storm King (at Lake Crescent), Ozette, and Kalaloch.

Trails & Roadways

Nearly 600 miles of trails traverse the park, ranging from short, easy loop trails to rigorous and primitive trails along high passes or rugged ocean beaches. Topographic maps are a must for most hikes and are sold at visitor centers, ranger stations, and by mail order through the Northwest Interpretive Association at (360) 452-0339 or 3002 Mount Angeles Road, Port Angeles, WA 98362.

The 168 miles of roads (69 of which are gravel) provide vehicle access to various points around the park. All park roads are "spur roads" off U.S. Highway 101 - no roads traverse the Olympic wilderness.

Programs & Activities

A variety of ranger-guided programs and activities are offered throughout the summer at a number of sites around the park. Current schedules are printed in the park's free newspaper, available throughout the summer at visitor centers and ranger stations.

Ranger-guided snowshoe walks are offered on weekends, weather permitting, beginning December at Hurricane Ridge.

Lodging & Camping Facilities

Lodging is available at:

Lake Crescent Lodge (phone 360-928-3211) Open late April through October.

Log Cabin Resort (phone 360-928-3325) Open mid-February through December 24.

Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Open weekends April through mid-May; fully open mid-May through

September. (Phone 360-327-3583)

Kalaloch Lodge (phone 360-962-2271) is open year around.

Dining rooms are available at each lodging site. The Log Cabin Resort and Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort also offer RV campsites with hook-ups. For more information about lodging and visitor facilities outside Olympic National Park, call the North Olympic Peninsula Visitor and Convention Bureau at 1-800-942-4042.

The National Park Service operates 16 campgrounds with a total of 910 sites. Camping fees at park campground range from $8 to $12, depending on the services and amenities provided at each. All are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Some remain open throughout the winter. Call 360-452-0330 for up-to-date campground information.

Food & Supplies

Food and supplies are widely available in towns and cities around the park. In addition, concession-operated grocery and camper supply stores are located at the Fairholm General Store, Log Cabin Resort, Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, and Kalaloch Lodge.

Other Concessions are at NPS-Managed Visitor Facilities.

Olympic Park Institute

Throughout the spring, summer and fall, Olympic Park Institute provides one to three-day field seminars for adults and families. Topics are varied, ranging from natural history of the Olympic Mountains, to nature photography, to kayak, canoe and backpacking outings.

Olympic Park Institute also offers residential field science programs for K-12 school groups and hosts elder hostels for people 55 years and older. For more information about any program, call (360) 928-3720.

Accessibility

Refer to the Olympic National Park accessibility section for information on accessible sites and programs throughout the park.

Recommended Activities & Park Use

Olympic is a wilderness park, with much of its interior accessible only by trail. A variety of spur roads lead to various destinations around the park. Scenic drives to Hurricane Ridge, along the Pacific Coast and through the forested valleys of the Sol Duc, Hoh and Quinault Rivers provide glimpses of Olympic's diversity.

The best way to see the park, however, is by getting out of your car. Short (0.25 to 0.5 mile) nature trails are located at Hurricane Ridge (spring through fall only), Elwha, Sol Duc, the Hoh Rain Forest and Quinault. Some of these are wheelchair accessible. Longer trails provide access to other areas of the park, including the park's wilderness beaches and rugged mountainous interior.

Reservations & Permits

Wilderness use permits are required for all overnight stays in the backcountry. During the period from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, some wilderness areas require reservations. Reservations may be made up to 30 days in advance by calling the park's Wilderness Information Center (WIC) at (360) 452-0300.

At other times of the year and for areas that do not require reservations, wilderness use permits are available at all ranger stations and the WIC. The WIC is located just behind the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles.

Wilderness use fees will apply to all overnight trips into the Olympic National Park backcountry and will consist of both a permit registration fee and a per person nightly fee. Special rates apply for frequent users and for youth 16 and under. Details are outlined above, under the heading Fees.

Basic Visit Recommendations

With Olympic's nearly one million acres and three distinct ecosystems, plan on spending at least one very full day to get a feeling for the park's diversity. With this amount of time, visitors often drive to Hurricane Ridge for a taste of the park's high country and mountain vistas. From there, a three-hour drive to the west will bring you to the Hoh Rain Forest, where more than 12 feet of rain per year creates a stunning world of huge trees and profuse greenery. Views of the pacific coast and Olympic's wilderness beaches can be seen by an additional 30 to 40-minute drive to Rialto or Ruby Beach.

Visitors interested in hiking or exploring some of the park's lesser-used areas should allow at least several days to see the park.

Basic orientation information, as well as exhibits and an introductory slide program are available at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles.

Visitor Impacts

The high country, with its thin soils and fragile vegetation, is especially vulnerable to overuse. Please be careful to stay on established trails in developed areas and to use existing campsites when hiking in the wilderness.

Potentially hazardous wildlife interactions are often the result of well-meaning but uninformed visitors who feed or closely approach animals. All park wildlife, including deer and birds, are wild animals and should never be fed or approached. Deer that have been fed and are overly accustomed to people tend to linger near park roadways and are often hit and killed by passing vehicles. Sharp hooves and antlers, as well as disease-bearing ticks, present dangers to visitors who approach deer too closely.

Nearby Visitor Attractions

A wide variety of visitor attractions are available around the park. These include the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, the Olympic National Forest, Native American tribal reservations, and museums on the Olympic Peninsula. The North Olympic Peninsula Visitor and Convention Bureau (phone 1-800-942-4042) can provide information about lodging, visitor facilities, and attractions outside the park.

The nearby city of Victoria, British Columbia, (18 miles north of Port Angeles by ferry) is also a popular destination, offering a variety of attractions.

Additional Information

For more information, write Olympic National Park, 600 East Park Avenue, Port Angeles, WA 98362-6798 or call 360-452-4501.

The Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic Fund is the non-profit partner of Washington's national parks. The fund works to create supportive partnerships with public and private entities in securing funding and volunteer support for specific projects within the parks.

Since full operations began in 1994, the fund has raised $350,000 for projects in the parks. Projects funded in Olympic National Park include The Discovery Room, a hands-on learning center in the Olympic National Park Visitor Center, a poaching prevention program and a barrier-free nature trail at Lake Crescent. Olympic National Park is part of the Columbia Cascades Cluster.

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History

Since the early 16th century, European explorers had sought a Northwest Passage across the American continent to the Pacific. A Greek navigator who sailed for Spain and was known by the name Juan de Fuca claimed to have found such a passage at 47 latitude in 1592, but subsequent explorers doubted his claim. Captain James Cook, in March 1778, paused off the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula, which he named Cape Flattery because an opening along the coast "flattered" the Captain and crew with the hope of finding a harbor. Cook noted in the logbook: "In this very latitude geographers have placed the pretended Strait of Juan de Fuca. But nothing of that kind presented itself to our view, nor is it probable that any such thing ever existed." In 1787 the English Captain Charles William Barkley recognized the passage between the Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island and entered it onto his charts as the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

On July 4, 1788, British Captain John Meares named Mount Olympus (which had been called El Cerro de la Santa Rosalia by Spanish explorers). He also sent a small party to explore the strait. In 1792, the strait and Puget Sound were thoroughly investigated by Captain George.

Vancouver, who named many of the geographical features in this region, including Dungeness, Discovery Bay, the Olympic Mountains, Hood Canal, and Mount Rainier. At about the same time, Spanish navigators, also exploring the strait, named the harbor sheltered by Ediz Hook, "Puerto de Nuestra Senora de los Angeles," the present-day Port Angeles.

Settlers came to the north Olympic Peninsula in the mid-1800s, but the mountainous interior remained unexplored. There have been a handful of unconfirmed accounts regarding exploration of the area, from an ascent of Mount Olympus by four men (two Native Americans) from Cape Flattery in 1854, to the crossing of the peninsula by a shipwrecked crew and passengers in 1854, to an expedition led by Melbourne Watkinson in 1878. The first well-documented exploration of the Olympic Mountains occurred in the summer of 1885. Army Lieutenant Joseph P. O'Neil led a small party of enlisted men from Vancouver Barracks and civilian engineers on a reconnaissance of the Olympic Mountains. O'Neil chose Port Angeles, at the time a town of about 40 inhabitants with a hotel, a sawmill, and two stores as his starting point because of its nearness to the mountains. On July 17, the party headed south into the foothills, following a route similar to the present-day Hurricane Ridge Road. The party made slow progress, cutting a trail through dense forest and windfalls. It took them about a month to climb to Hurricane Ridge. From there, part of the group began to explore the Elwha Valley while O'Neil and the others headed southeast. O'Neil explored almost as far south as Mount Anderson before a messenger reached him with orders to report to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas - the expedition was cut short.

A second assault on the Olympic interior was made in the winter of 1889-1890. During the fall of 1889, the year Washington became a state, the Seattle Press newspaper called for "hardy citizens to acquire fame by unveiling the mystery which wraps the land encircled by the snow capped Olympic range." James Christie, who volunteered to organize an expedition if the Press would finance it, answered this call. The Press Party consisted of six men (one of them left the expedition early; five completed the trip) whom the Press described as having "an abundance of grit and manly vim", four dogs, two mules, and 1,500 pounds of supplies. This group entered the Olympics in December 1889, one of the harshest and snowiest winters in the peninsula's history.

Christie had planned to follow the Elwha River into the heart of the mountains, transporting supplies on a large flat-bottomed boat, Gertie, which the men built. The boat leaked and had to be hauled over logjams and towed through rapids. They waded through deep snow along the banks or in icy water sometimes up to their chins. After 12 frigid, exhausting days, Gertie was abandoned. The party spent January through April 1890 exploring the Elwha Valley. In mid-March the explorers discovered and named Geyser Valley, where they heard sounds they thought were bubbling geysers, although there are none in the valley. (James Christie predicted Geyser Valley would make "a young paradise for some venturesome squatter," and 10 years later Will and Grant Humes homesteaded in the valley. The Humes cabin can still be visited today, about 2.5 miles from the Whiskey Bend trailhead.) In early May, the Press Party, their clothes in tatters and running dangerously low on supplies, crossed Low Divide and headed down the Quinault Valley, reaching the coast on May 20, 1890, after nearly six months in the mountains. As a result of the Press Expedition, many peaks bear the names of prominent newspaper publishers and editors of the late 19th century, including Mt. Meany (named after Edmond Meany, an editor of the Seattle Press), Mt. Dana, Mt. Lawson, Mt. Noyes, Mt. Scott, and the Bailey Range. Press Party blazes can still be found along the Elwha River trail in the park.

Also during the fall and winter of 1889, Charles Gilman and his son Samuel explored the Quinault River Valley and the western slopes of the Olympic Peninsula. In the summer of 1890, Lieutenant Joseph O'Neil, accompanied by a group of scientists from the Oregon Alpine Club, led a second Army expedition across the peninsula from Hood Canal to the pacific coast. This well organized expedition cut a serviceable mule trail as it went, and several smaller parties were sent out to thoroughly explore large sections of the eastern and southern Olympics. One of these parties ascended Mount Olympus in September 1890. While in the eastern Olympics that summer, O'Neil met a small hiking party led by Judge James Wickersham, who had ventured into the Olympic Mountains the previous summer also. As a result of their explorations, both Wickersham and O'Neil advocated the establishment of a national park in the Olympics. O'Neil wrote in his 1890 report, "In closing I would state that while the country on the outer slope of these mountains is valuable, the interior is useless for all practicable purposes. It would, however, serve admirably for a national park. There are numerous elk - that noble animal so fast disappearing from this country that should be protected."

In 1897 most of the forested land of the peninsula was included in the Olympic Forest Reserve (later Olympic National Forest). Following O'Neil's recommendation, Washington state congressmen introduced unsuccessful bills in the early 1900s to establish a national park or an elk reserve. In 1909, just before leaving office, President Theodore Roosevelt issued a proclamation creating Mount Olympus National Monument within the national forest to protect the summer range and breeding grounds of the Olympic elk. Mount Olympus, along with all other national monuments, was transferred to National Park Service administration as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's governmental reorganization in 1933. Along with the support of national conservation organizations, Washington Congressman Monrad C. Wallgren sponsored a bill for the establishment of a national park in 1935. After a visit to the Olympic Peninsula in the fall of 1937, FDR added his enthusiastic support to the movement for a national park. The act establishing Olympic National Park was signed on June 29, 1938. The coastal strip was added to the park in 1953. In 1976, Olympic National Park became a Man and the Biosphere Reserve, and in 1981 it was designated a World Heritage Park.

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Reservation Information

Wilderness use permits are required for all overnight stays in the backcountry. During the period from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, some wilderness areas require reservations. Reservations may be made up to 30 days in advance by calling the park's Wilderness Information Center (WIC) at (360) 452-0300.

At other times of year and for areas that do not require reservations, wilderness use permits are available at all ranger stations and the Wilderness Information Center. The center is located just behind the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles.

Wilderness use fees will apply to all overnight trips into the Olympic National Park backcountry and will consist of both a permit registration fee and a per person nightly fee. Special rates apply for frequent users and for those 16 and under.

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