
Your Virtual Guide to Adventure Outdoors!
Welcome to:
Olympic National Park, Wa.
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Olympic Adventure
Guide:
Located on the Olympic
Peninsula in Northwest Washington, west of Seattle, the 900,000-plus acres of Olympic
National Park protect a wide variety of habitat. In the west, 57 miles of wilderness beaches, cliffs, offshore rocks,
and islands have changed very little since Indian villages first appeared thousands of
years before the arrival of Europeans. The shoreline vibrates with the energy of
crashing waves, the constant ebb and flow of the tides, the cries of gulls and crows. The
park is best known, however, for the old-growth virgin forests it protects. Other than in
the northwest United States, such temperate
rain forests are found in only a few other places around the world. Olympic is also
known for its biological diversity. Isolated for eons by glacial ice, the waters of Puget
Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Olympic Peninsula has developed its own distinct
array of plants and animals. Eight kinds of plants and five kinds of animals are found on
the peninsula and live nowhere else in the world. Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, western
hemlock, and western red cedar are common here, with some ancient specimens reaching 300
feet in height and 23 feet in circumference. The dim, vivid green understory is jungle-like with
mosses, mushrooms, and ferns. The Olympic Mountains form the third distinct area of
the park. Although not very high (Mt.
Olympus, the highest point, is 7,965 feet), they are steep and rugged. The mountains
act as condensers for the moisture-laden Pacific air. The western slopes receive more rain
than anywhere else in the 48 states, more than 160 inches a year in some places. By
comparison, the town of Sequim, located in the rain shadow less than 20 miles to the east,
gets only 17 inches of rain a year. Elk, deer, black bear, mountain lion, coyote, and marmot are among
the area's mammals. Sea otter, whale, and seal are found along the coast. Fishing for
trout and steelhead is good in some rivers.
Getting Away:
There are nearly 600
miles of trails leading through mountain passes and old-growth forest and following beside
rushing rivers and the Pacific shore. One of the most scenic and interesting hikes in the
park is the 18.5-mile Hoh River Trail. Starting at an elevation of 578 feet, the first 12
miles of the trail climb gradually through the ocean-facing Hoh River Valley, then rise
steeply above treeline to the Blue Glacier moraine, at 5,000 feet on the flanks of Mount
Olympus. The view of the sprawling glacier and surrounding summits is magnificent. Though
the trail is heavily used, you can get a feeling of solitude by avoiding the peak
seasons-July and August. The most popular coastline route is the 21-mile stretch between
Ozette and Rialto Beach. And a few miles north of Ozette is Cape Alava, the Westernmost
point of the continental United States. On the beach are boulders with carvings made by
the Makah Indians, who occupied the nearby site for 2,000 years. This is a busy area for
day hikers, so avoid weekends if possible.
Worth Mentioning:
Alien beings roam the
craggy mountain sides. In the 1920s, sportsmen introduced mountain goats to the area. The
white, shaggy animals were so prolific that by 1983 their population had grown from around
a dozen to nearly 1,200. Studies have confirmed that they are causing significant change
in the native plant communities and that they are a potential threat to some rare plants
found only in the Olympics. Since 1981, many goats have been live-captured and removed. An
environmental impact statement currently being developed will determine the best way to
eliminate the threats from the goats.
Access:
Visitor centers are
located at Port Angeles and at the Hoh Rain Forest. The main access to the park is U.S.
101. All park destinations can be reached from U.S. Highway 101, which circumnavigates the
Olympic Peninsula. Numerous side roads lead to points of interest !
Getting There:
Travel time along any
of these routes is approximately two-and-a-half to three hours from the Seattle/Tacoma
area to Port Angeles, where the main park visitor center and park headquarters are
located.
Bus Lines
- Port Angeles is served daily from downtown Seattle and SeaTac Airport by Olympic Bus
Lines and Tours. 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 on the
Olympic Peninsula 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: www.northolympic.com/Coho Transport, Incat (360) 457-4491.
www.northolympic.com/ferry/
Rapid Transit
operates a summer passenger-only ferry between Port Angeles and Victoria. For reservations
and information, call (360) 452-8088.
Visitors:
In recent years,
approximately 4 million visitors annually. Most visitors come to the park from July
through September; December and January are the quietest months. The summer and holidays
can become a bit crowded, even camping, so try for early or mid-week trips to find a
little more solitude.
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
Camping:
The National Park
Service operates 16 campgrounds with a total of 910 sites. Backcountry permits are no
longer free (see "Fees"), but can be obtained at any ranger station and most
trailheads. In most areas, backcountry campsites are not designated; you can camp anywhere
at least one-half mile from the trailhead and 100 feet from lakes or streams. Coastline
campsites are either in small clearings tucked away at the forest's edge, or on the beach
above high tide snuggled among piles of driftwood and castaway logs. Bring your
backpacking stove for cooking; open-fire rules vary. Water availability depends on where
you hike, so be sure to discuss the route with a ranger. Giardia is present in the water,
so always boil, filter, or treat ! At any time of year, visitors should come prepared for
a variety of conditions. Rain gear and layered clothing are a must. Use is year-round in
the park. July through September can be quite sunny. If you visit off-season, be prepared
for stormy weather, washed-out foot bridges, and down trees.
Fees:
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 $10.00 per vehicle ($5.00 per person for bicyclists and
bus passengers) and is good for seven consecutive days at any park entrance. A $10.00 per
vehicle fee is also collected at the Hurricane Ridge entrance on weekends during the
winter. Season passes ($20.00; 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 who
are 62 or older and the free Golden Access pass is available to individuals who can show
written proof of permanent disability.
There are nightly fees
(ranging from $8 to $12) for most park campgrounds, depending on the services and
amenities provided at each one. 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.
Use of the park's RV
sewage dump stations costs $3 per use.
There is a $1 daily
parking fee at Ozette.
On May 23, Olympic
National Park will begin charging fees for all overnight 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. Persons 16 years old and younger are exempt from this fee.
A Frequent Hiker Pass
will be available for $30 per person per year. This is an annual, non-transferable pass,
good for twelve 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 twelve 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
RECOMMENDED
ACTIVITIES AND 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 glimpsesof Olympic's diversity.
The best way to see
the park, however, is by getting out of your car and hitting the old trailheads! But if
youre really unable to spend some time hiking Olympic, try these short , but
insightful walks:
Short (one-quarter to
one-half 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.
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 over 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 30-40 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.
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,
from December through March at Hurricane Ridge.
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,
NPS-Managed Visitor Facilities and Opportunities
Throughout the spring,
summer and fall, Olympic Park Institute (OPI) provides one to three-day-long field
seminars for adults and families. Topics are varied, ranging from natural history of the
Olympics to nature photography to kayak, canoe and backpacking outings. OPI also offers
residential field science programs for K-12 school groups and hosts elderhostels for
people 55 years and older. For more information about any OPI program, call (360)
928-3720.
Accessibility
The Olympic National
Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles is fully accessible, as is the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor
Center. Other centers and ranger stations provide varying levels of accessibility.
Wheelchair accessible restrooms are available at nine of the park's 16 campgrounds.
Several campgrounds also offer paved campsites and picnic tables with extensions to
accommodate wheelchair-users. Several nature trails are paved and wheelchair accessible.
Others are gravel, but fairly level and may be accessible with some assistance. Among the
park lodging facilities, Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort has accessible hot spring pools and
several accessible cabins. The main lodge building and one room are accessible at Lake
Crescent Lodge. Kalaloch Lodge has one accessible cabin.
For More
Information:
Olympic National Park,
600 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362; (360) 452-0330. Mail-order service for books and
maps is available from the Northwest Interpretive Association, 3002 Mt. Angeles Rd., Port
Angeles, WA 98362; (360) 452-4501, ext. 239. Cultural and natural history courses in the
park are offered by the Olympic Park Institute, 111 Bames Point Road, Port Angeles, WA
98363; (360) 928-3720. For information on short-term volunteer opportunities, contact the
park's VIP coordinator; (360) 452-4501, ext. 219













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