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Washington

OLYMPIC

ESTABLISHED 1938


Home to the Lower 48’s only rain forests, Olympic’s stunning scenery runs an impressive gamut: beaches, glaciated mountains, crystal lakes, and bucolic woodland trails.

The nearby city of Seattle is infamous for its heavy rainfall, so it’s not surprising that the USA’s only rain forest is in the Pacific Northwest. The hot and humid conditions make it unique among the country’s national parks, and provide dense and lush woodlands offering some wonderful hikes. Tall trees abound, and wildlife is abundant. The topographical variety is unmatched: mountains, low-lying forests and lakes, and vast expanses of coastline. At the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, marine and birdlife flourish, and it’s a hunting ground for orcas, sometimes seen from the shore.

The beaches are a marine wonderland, especially after high tide leaves behind fertile rock pools. The best of these can be explored at Kalaloch Beach 4 and Mora’s Hole in the Wall, where park rangers are on hand to explain things to you, and you’ll find more tide pools at Second Beach, Third Beach, and Ruby Beach.

Diverse plant ecosystem

Rain forests, of course, mean rain. There’s lots of it, so come prepared, although in some places you’ll be protected by the canopy, which is so thick it acts like a giant umbrella. The trees, too, often soak up rainwater before it can get through to the ground. Even during showers, these are magical places, especially if you have the trails to yourself. In places, you wouldn’t be at all surprised if Bilbo Baggins popped up from behind the thick ferns that carpet much of the woods.

More than 1,450 species of plant grow on the Olympic Peninsula, which is a truly phenomenal number. You’ll also find some record-breakers among the tall trees, which popular hikes signpost you toward. One giant fir tree is the highest such tree in the park, standing at 246 ft (75 m). Meanwhile, a local western red cedar at 174 ft (53 m) is the largest one in the world, while a 1,000-year-old Sitka spruce has reached 191 ft (58 m), also the largest one of its kind.

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Rain feeds the coniferous and deciduous trees, mosses, and ferns in mystical Hoh Rain Forest

Wildlife galore

Abundant water means abundant wildlife. You may get lucky and spot a black bear wandering its woodland home. Bobcats and lynx lurk here, too, although they are highly elusive creatures. In the early morning or evening, you’re likely to hear the high-pitched barks and yips of coyotes. And you’ll definitely see and hear the rich birdlife—perhaps the melodious song of a wren, much louder than it ought to be for a bird this size, or the sudden screech of the blue jay. Listen out for true songbirds, warblers and thrushes, as well as the unmistakable hoots and screeches of owls.

FOCUS ON

The Quinault Indian Nation

Lake Quinault and Quinault River are named for the Quinault Indians, five tribes who have lived on the northwest of the Olympic Peninsula in family long-houses for centuries. If you fish here, it’s with their permission. The main village of Taholah is on a reservation bordering the Pacific. Because of coastal erosion, the tribe is considering relocation.

Embrace your inner athlete

Much of the water that falls on the park ends up in its beautifully scenic lakes, including Lake Crescent and Lake Quinault, especially popular with visitors, and great places to swim, fish, and boat. Lake Crescent is the second-deepest lake in Washington state, at 624 ft (190 m). The low level of nitrogen in the water makes an unfavorable environment for algae to grow, resulting in some of the clearest water you’ll ever see. The lake has several species of trout, as well as the Olympic mud minnow, found nowhere else.

Lake Quinault lies by Highway 101, on the stretch of the famous road that meanders through the park. A popular scenic drive takes you around the lake on its 30-mile (48-km) loop, though far better to leave the car behind and explore the loop by bike, with hiking trails providing many stopping-off points along the way.

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Trails and bridges lead hikers into the deep serenity of the park’s four rain forests

Three Hikes

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Easy ▷ Quinault Loop Trail, 4 miles (6.5 km) round trip. This leisurely trail is a popular option because it’s mostly flat and passes through diverse scenery—along the shore of the lake, through rain forest, and past a waterfall.

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Moderate ▷ Storm King Mountain Trail, 5.3 miles (8.5 km) round trip. Starting in Port Angeles, this hike takes you through montane forest, with views over Lake Crescent. The trail is steep in places, with the last section difficult, but it’s possible to shorten the trek and omit this part.

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Challenging ▷ Hoh River Trail, 33 miles (53 km) loop trail. Hike through rain forest, subalpine meadows, and montane forest. Starting out flat, this trail ends with a steep hike up to the Mount Olympus Blue Glacier.

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Sunrise touches glacier-topped Mount Olympus with rose, as seen from the meadows of Hurricane Hill

Mountains and meadows

Between the low-lying rain forest and the high-flying mountain peaks, Olympic National park boasts swaths of beautiful flower meadows, bursting into color once the blanket of winter snow recedes. There are several meadow loop trails to take you hiking around the meadows, starting from the parking lot at the top of Hurricane Ridge. You might see graceful tiger lilies in reds, oranges, and yellows, or the pretty blue harebell, also known as the bluebell of Scotland. There are vivid yellow fan-leaf cinquefoils, too, their color emphasized by the lush green grass. Tread quietly, and you might spot deer, as they like to graze in these thick grassy meadows.

Hurricane Ridge provides acres of color in summer, but at an elevation of 5,242 ft (1,598 m), in winter is covered in a coat of thick, white snow. It’s a hub of the park’s winter activities, which include skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and snow tubing. From about the middle of December through late March, activities to suit all levels of ability are on offer. If you’re a novice and want to try your hand at a new sport, lessons are available. Note, though, that in the winter Hurricane Ridge Road may be closed in poor weather.

Glacial beauty

Standing above all this beauty is the park’s highest point, the 7,965-ft (2,428-m) Mount Olympus, in the western half of the park. Showing the extent of these mountain ranges, about 22 miles (35 km) to the east is the next-highest point, Mount Deception, at 7,788 ft (2,374 m). Mount Olympus is home to features that, like the rain forests, make this park unique: the glaciers. There are several of these ice monsters, the longest being the Hoh Glacier, at more than 3 miles (4.8 km). Blue Glacier is the largest by volume and 2.6 miles (4 km) long. These mighty ice sculptors carved the landscape you see, and they comprise the most glaciated part of the States outside Alaska.

Hiking at these elevations is yet another experience that contrasts with hiking in the rain forests far below. At these heights, the air is thinner and crisper, of course. You won’t be sweating the humidity, but instead breathing more rapidly as your lungs work harder to take in oxygen. For the rough and ready, take the numerous trails that crisscross these mountains, some with haunting names like the Gray Wolf Pass Trail or the Lost Pass Trail.

Scaling to the top of Mount Olympus is recommended for very experienced mountaineers only, because of the difficulty of the terrain and the severe weather conditions. Fortunately, there’s an easier way to see the best of the mountain scenery. From near the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, drive up the winding and rough Obstruction Point Road (open mid-July to mid-October). On one side is mountain, on the other a steep drop-off and an expansive horizon filled with snowcapped peaks. At Obstruction Peak Trailhead, take a final short hike to the top of Obstruction Peak, at 6,450 ft (1,970 m). Gaze around slowly, drink in the view—and the magnificent Olympic National Park unfolds in all its glory.

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Climbers ascend the moraine for a heady view of Blue Glacier and Mount Olympus

Through the Seasons

The park enjoys a temperate climate—regardless of season, temperatures are never wildly hot or cold. Summer days are long and winter days short, but each season has its charms.

Spring You’re most likely to see black bears, a common inhabitant of the area, out and about. Now is when mothers emerge from their winter dens to forage for food, usually with two or three cubs trailing behind.

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Summer The meadows are bedecked with wildflowers—glacier lilies, purple lupine, and magenta paintbrush put on a show. This is an ideal time to visit: rainfall is at a low and temperatures are perfect for enjoying outdoor pursuits.

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Fall This is elk rutting season, when the bugling calls of male elks bellow across the park. Now is when big-leaf maples get their fall colors and spawning salmon bring bobcats, bears, and eagles to hunt the rivers.

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Winter At storm-watching time along the coast in winter, the rain can be almost horizontal and huge waves come rolling and crashing into the shore. High tide is the best time, with Kalaloch Beach a prime viewpoint.

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FAMILY FUN

Tide Pools

Tide pools are nature’s treasure hunts: see bright starfish clinging to rocks and anemones, like the giant green anemone. Look at, but don’t touch these delicate beauties.

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This secluded beach is a tiny stretch of Olympic’s 70 miles (113 km) of wild coastline

Did You Know?

Olympic’s weather is famously wet and changeable—up to 170 in (4.3 m) of precipitation falls every year.

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