Established
1938
Size
922,651 acres
Visitors / yr
3.5M
Entrance
$30
Best season
June through September
Nearest airport
SEA Seattle-Tacoma International
01
Why Olympic is worth the trip
Washington · Established 1938
Olympic is three vacations on one entrance pass. In a single day you can stand in the Hoh Rain Forest under moss-draped maples fed by up to 12 feet of annual rain, walk a wild Pacific beach among sea stacks and tidepools, and drive up Hurricane Ridge into glacier-carved high country. No other park in the lower 48 swings between worlds this hard this fast.
The coast is the part folks underestimate. Seventy-three miles of wilderness shoreline, with drift-log beaches, tidepools full of anemones and sea stars, and sunsets at Ruby Beach that stack the sea stacks in silhouette. Time your beach walks to low tide, then finish the day soaking at Sol Duc Hot Springs while the forest drips around you. Bring rain gear in every season and refuse to call it bad weather. Here it is just the weather.
Start with our full Olympic guide, then use the planning below.
02
Top things to do in Olympic
Where we would start, and what we would plan a day around. Read the full guide.
Start here
15+ Things to Do in Olympic National Park
Read the guide
01
Front-Country Hiking · nps.gov
Walk the Moments in Time Trail
Take a peaceful stroll at Barnes Point on Lake Crescent on the Moments in Time Trail.
02
Wildlife Watching · nps.gov
Watch for Salmon at Salmon Cascades
In the late summer and early fall, salmon can be seen leaping from Salmon Cascades on the Sol Duc River! Get a glimpse on...
03
Wildlife Watching · nps.gov
Observe Animals at Olympic National Park
In the park, we humans are privileged to be visitors to wild animals' home. We can treat their home with respect and care.
04
Front-Country Hiking · nps.gov
Take a Short Hike Near the Visitor Center
Near the Olympic National Park Visitor Center, two short loop hikes take visitors through peaceful, green lowland forests.
Front-Country Hiking · nps.gov
Walk the Moments in Time Trail
Take a peaceful stroll at Barnes Point on Lake Crescent on the Moments in Time Trail.
02
Wildlife Watching · nps.gov
Watch for Salmon at Salmon Cascades
In the late summer and early fall, salmon can be seen leaping from Salmon Cascades on the Sol Duc River! Get a glimpse on...
03
Wildlife Watching · nps.gov
Observe Animals at Olympic National Park
In the park, we humans are privileged to be visitors to wild animals' home. We can treat their home with respect and care.
04
Front-Country Hiking · nps.gov
Take a Short Hike Near the Visitor Center
Near the Olympic National Park Visitor Center, two short loop hikes take visitors through peaceful, green lowland forests.
03
Best hikes in Olympic
The trails that define the park, with the distance and elevation numbers that decide your day.
1
Obstruction Point
Steep elevation gain, but the views are more than worth it.
2
Hall of Mosses
A short, easy loop through the Hoh Rain Forest.
3
Hole in the Wall
Starts from Rialto Beach, one of Washington's best beaches.
4
Hurricane Hill
A Hurricane Ridge favorite, best mid April through September.
5
Blue Mountain Trail
A tiny hike worth it for the views, great for kids.
Before you go
Get the Olympic heads-up
Permit windows, closures and seasonal alerts, plus our best Olympic guides, in your inbox before you go. Free, no spam.
04
Plan your trip
Our guides for the big decisions, plus the gear, maps and lodging we would actually use for Olympic.
Where to stay
Gateway towns with lodging, food and outfitters.
- Port Angeles, WAGateway town
- Forks, WAGateway town
- Quinault, WAGateway town
- Deer Park Campground 14 sites
- Fairholme Campground 88 sites · Reserve
Maps & guides
Carry paper. Cell service dies fast inside most parks.
America the Beautiful pass
$80 a year. Covers entrance fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
Get the pass
What to bring
Field-tested picks we bring on park trips.
-
Bear SprayRequired carry in grizzly country. Practice the quick-draw before you need it. View on REI
-
Water ShoesQuick-drying grip for shorelines, slot canyons, and river crossings. View on REI
-
Dry BagKeep your phone, camera, and spare clothes dry near water. View on REI
-
Sun HatFull-brim coverage for exposed trails with zero shade. View on REI
Getting there
- SEA Seattle-Tacoma International 95 mi
- CLM William R. Fairchild (Port Angeles) 6 mi
Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would use ourselves.
Olympic map
VC Visitor Center
CG Campground
Nearby Park
05
When to go
Loading weather...
Month-by-Month Conditions
Tap any month for details
Month
High
Low
Crowds
Roads
Jan
45°
36°
Low
Partial
Feb
46°
37°
Light
Partial
Mar
49°
39°
Light
Partial
Apr
54°
42°
Light
Partial
May
60°
48°
Moderate
Open
Jun Best
63°
51°
Heavy
Open
Jul Best
67°
54°
Peak
Open
Aug Best
67°
55°
Peak
Open
Sep Best
64°
51°
Peak
Open
Oct
56°
45°
Moderate
Open
Nov
49°
40°
Moderate
Partial
Dec
44°
37°
Light
Partial
Best months to visit
Crowd level (low to peak)
Watch our film
Olympic National Park Washington
This was the very first MTJP film, the one that started the whole thing. We spent a month backpacking glacier peaks, rainforest, and wild coast, and we still think no park in the country packs that much range into a day's drive.
Browse all our national park films06
More Olympic guides
07
Parks near Olympic
Within reach if you are building a longer trip.
Worth protecting
Olympic belongs to all of us
Protections that took generations to win can be rolled back in a single session of Congress. We keep watch so they hold.
Stay in the Loop
Free dispatches on the parks and the policy fights around them, almost every day. Threats tracked, wins celebrated, no fluff.
Threatened Lands Map
Follow what's happening on federal lands across the country with our interactive map.
View the Tracker