Olympic National Park Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Olympic National Park [1] is a United States National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is located in Washington State.
Contents |
Understand
History
Olympic National Monument was established in 1909. In 1938, Congress voted to authorize a redesignation to National Park status, creating the Olympic National Park. In 1976, the park became an International Biosphere Reserve, and in 1981 it was designated a World Heritage Park. In 1988, nearly 96% the Olympic National Park became part of the Olympic Wilderness.
Landscape
Flora and fauna
Enormous Sitka spruce and Douglas fir, hundreds of feet high, in the Hoh and Queets rain forest valleys on the west side of the park. Thick, furry epiphyte moss and dense, vibrant vegetation give a beautiful, almost "Tolkien-esqe" enviornment in these unique temperate rain forests, which receive fifteen feet of rain per year on average from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Climate
Cloudy and misty most of the year, but relatively mild because of the nearby sea. The Olympic Mountains, part of North America's western coast range, rise suddenly from near sea level to ~8000 feet, intercepting Pacific moisture which is dumped as large amounts of rain. The climate grows wetter from east to west on the Olympic Peninsula. Sunny days are likeliest in July and August.
Get in
Fees/Permits
Get Around
By car is really the only way in or out. Most people visit either the park's beach section, which is accessible only on US-101 between Forks and Aberdeen, or Hurricane Ridge, which is accessed from a road out of Port Angeles.
Access points from the more remote east side are Staircase (turn west off 101 in Hoodsport) or Quilcene (closer to the Hood Canal Bridge).
The best way to see the park is to drive from Aberdeen on northbound US-101 and "do the loop", ending in Olympia, taking three or four days to visit the coastal section (Kalaloch Campground or Lodge are great places to stay), the rainforest (Hoh), Ozette (an easy three mile hike in, or do the easy nine mile loop, tides permitting), Hurricane Ridge, and Staircase.
Campground reservations are recommended in the summer.
See
- Hoh Rainforest. 12 miles or so on Upper Hoh road heading east from US101 on the west coast of the Olympic peninsula. There are several small, presumably dirt roads heading into the area. They are probably old logging roads, and might not be kept up at all. Considering the amount of rainfall in the area, these roads might only be passable with a high clearance off-highway vehicle. There is one stop for gas and snack food, film, etc. on Upper Hoh before the park entrance. 6 miles from the parking lot is the gate house which is unstaffed in the winter and the entrance fee can be donated in the unstaffed visitor center. Watch for herds of elk in the area, roll down the window (even if it is raining) and take in the smell of what seems a recently drained underwater world. Grab a map at the visitor's center or just head straight to the 2 trails.
It is an 18-mile hike from the Hoh Visitor Center to the summit of Mt. Olympus with its glacier fields (the last five mils being steepest). Trails are well-maintained but good hiking boots and gear are recommended.
Do
- Cathedral of Mosses. This mile and a half stroll crosses a small creek and up to an older grove of trees. Western Hemlock, Douglas Firs, bigleaf maple, western cedar, red alder, vine maple, black cottonwood, and the sitka Spruce live together with a slew of different Epiphytes-- plants which live on other plants.
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Lodging
Camping
Backcountry
Stay safe
Get out
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