Are you looking for a national park that offers a wide variety of scenery and climate? Even though the Olympic National Park is really just one national park that encompasses several different ecosystems, it offers diverse surroundings for visitors.
The three ecosystems that divide the park are mountains, rainforest, and the Pacific coastline. Olympic National Park is located in the upper northwestern corner of Washington in an area known as the Olympic Peninsula. Vacationers love Olympic National Park because of the beauty, nature, and outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, and surfing.
Highlights in the Olympic National Park
There is so much to see, especially when you start exploring on foot. Plan a couple days or at the very least one full day to dedicate to exploring the beauty of Olympic National Park.
While there are a variety of things to do in the park, there are some highlights to ensure you get the best of the park.
- Hike the Grand Ridge Trail, which provides spectacular views from a very precarious trail.
- Consider climbing all 7,965 feet of Mt. Olympus.
- Backpack the entire coast.
- Sea kayak the coast of the park, or raft the rivers.
- Soak in the hot springs.
The Olympic Mountains Offer Unique Wildlife
The national park not only offers diverse ecosystems, but holds are species there that are not anywhere else on earth. Sitting near the Olympic peninsula, the mountains and glaciers are surrounded by water.
While the mountains in the park are not super high – only about 8,000 feet – they are unique because they were formed from the sea. The Olympic mountain range closes the peninsula off from the rest of the land. This contributes to certain species evolving here that did not elsewhere. The park is a biological reserve with several plants and animals unique to the park.
If you visit during the winter months, Hurricane Ridge is a great place within the park to visit for the Nordic and alpine skiing.
The Valleys and the Temperate Rain Forests
Not only are there mountain peaks in Olympic National Park, the western side of the park is enveloped by a temperate rain forest. The two popular rain forests include the Hoh Rain Forest and Quinault Rain Forest, which receive annual precipitation of about 150 inches, making this perhaps the wettest area in the continental United States.
On the eastern side of the park, valleys also have notable old-growth forest, but the climate is noticeably drier. The large Sitka Spruce is absent and the trees on average are somewhat smaller.
In both of these forests lie hundreds and hundred of hiking trails and areas to explore, depending on how much time you have. Not only can you hike in the forests, but along the mountains, and beaches as well. The Olympic wilderness trail guide is a great place to find out about hiking trails in the park.
The White-Capped Waves and Marine Life Along The Pacific Ocean
With around 60 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline, you can glimpse magnificent sunsets, listen to the roaring waves, and glimpse seagulls and marine life along the beaches.
The coast offers scenic views of mountains, rain forests, glaciers, and plenty of wilderness.
Kalaloch Beach, located 35 miles south of the town of Forks is a wide and sandy stretch along the coastline. This is a popular spot in the park, where you can discover sea creatures and fantastic sunsets.
Ruby Beach is on the south side of the Olympic National Park. Located in the Olympic Peninsula, the beach gets it’s name from the rose-colored gemstone fragments scattered along the sand.
The coastline is very long and provides the perfect place for backpackers to trek through the natural beauty along the beach for several days.
For those taking a trip to Washington who want to experience diverse ecosystems and an ever-changing environment, Olympic National Park gives visitors that option. With mountains, forests, and the ocean, one is sure to not get tired of the scenery.
Julie McElroy - Freelance travel writer with published articles about places all over the world, including Italy, Colorado, Japan, Germany, and Spain.
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