Olympic National Park


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Olympic National Park is a 1442-square-mile National Park situated on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State and includes a number of different types of habits and climate zones.

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Compendium: PNWWiki
Subject: Places

Olympic National Park is one of three National Parks in Washington State. It’s located in the Northwest corner of the state and features an array of habitats — most notably beautiful coastlines and areas of temperate rainforest such as the Hoh Rainforest. Because we live a short drive away, it’s one of the parks we’ve spent more time in — but not enough.

  • Olympic National Park consists of mountainous, alpine areas, coastline, and rainforest to the West and to the east, and drier forests and meadows to the East.
  • It covers 1442 square miles of land.
  • Because of the difference in zones, the weather may be different at various places within the park. Please check the NPS website for road conditions before you go.
  • Camping is available at many sites in the park. Most are on a reservation system from Recreation.gov, and Summer spots fill up early! I’ve camped within the park later in the fall, and normally, full hookup spots in late October were mostly wide open. But note that you’re subject to very wet weather at that time of year!
  • Pets are only welcome on certain trails in the park. You can find out which ones here.
  • Olympic National Park is one of three National Parks in Washington State (along with Mount Rainier National Park and North Cascades National Park.
  • You can find our map page for the page here.

Description generated by Gemini

This is an AI-generated description of this term, so please take that into consideration when you are assessing the content

Olympic National Park is a large and diverse national park located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state in the United States. It's known for its incredible range of ecosystems, from rugged coastline and sandy beaches to old-growth temperate rainforests and glacier-capped mountains. This diversity is due to the park's location, size, and the rain shadow effect created by the Olympic Mountains.

Key features of Olympic National Park include:

  • Coastal areas: Dramatic rocky coastlines, tide pools teeming with life, and sandy beaches like Rialto Beach with its iconic sea stacks.
  • Temperate rainforests: Lush, ancient forests with massive trees like Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and Douglas fir, supporting a rich understory of ferns, mosses, and other plants. Hoh Rainforest and Quinault Rainforest are prime examples.
  • Mountains: The Olympic Mountains dominate the park's interior, with Mount Olympus being the highest peak. These mountains are home to glaciers, alpine meadows, and subalpine forests.
  • Rivers and lakes: Numerous rivers and lakes flow through the park, offering opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and other water activities. Lake Quinault and Lake Crescent are notable examples.
  • Wildlife: The park supports a diverse array of wildlife, including Roosevelt elk, black bears, mountain lions, black-tailed deer, river otters, and numerous bird species.

The park protects nearly a million acres of wilderness and offers a wide variety of recreational activities, including hiking, camping, backpacking, fishing, wildlife viewing, and exploring the diverse ecosystems. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve, highlighting its global significance.

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Related Map Locations

Olympic National Park


Olympic National Park map location page. You can find a downloadable park map under the "file" icon on this page.





Olympic National Park is one of three National Parks in Washington State. The park is on Northwest Washington State's Olympic Peninsula and features diverse climate zones and landscapes. We have more information about this National Park in our wiki section. You can find a downloadable Olympic National Park map under the "file" icon on our page or the NPS Olympic National Park map here.


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Olympic National Park

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Olympic National Park Map (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map, 216)
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  • National Geographic Maps - Trails Illustrated (Author)
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Categories & Tags

Compendiums: PNWWiki

Subjects: Places

Categories: National Parks | Parks and Natural Areas | Places | PNWWiki

Tags:Grays Harbor County | Jefferson County | Olympic National Park | Olympic Peninsula | Washington State

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Wikipedia Content

Olympic National Park is a national park of the United States located in Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. The park has four regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west-side temperate rainforest, and the forests of the drier east side. Within the park there are three distinct ecosystems, including subalpine forest and wildflower meadow, temperate forest, and the rugged Pacific coast.

Olympic National Park
Cedar Creek and Abbey Island from Ruby Beach
Map showing the location of Olympic National Park
Map showing the location of Olympic National Park
Location in Washington
Map showing the location of Olympic National Park
Map showing the location of Olympic National Park
Location in the United States
LocationJefferson, Clallam, Mason, and Grays Harbor counties, Washington, United States
Nearest cityPort Angeles
Coordinates47°58′10″N 123°29′55″W / 47.96935°N 123.49856°W / 47.96935; -123.49856
Area922,650 acres (3,733.8 km2)
EstablishedJune 29, 1938
Visitors2,432,972 (in 2022)
Governing bodyNational Park Service
WebsiteOlympic National Park
CriteriaNatural: vii, ix
Reference151
Inscription1981 (5th Session)

President Theodore Roosevelt originally designated the park as Mount Olympus National Monument on March 2, 1909. The monument was re-designated a national park by Congress and President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 29, 1938. In 1976, Olympic National Park was designated by UNESCO as an International Biosphere Reserve, and in 1981 as a World Heritage Site. In 1988, Congress designated 95 percent of the park (1,370 square miles (3,500 km2)) as the Olympic Wilderness,[better source needed] which was renamed Daniel J. Evans Wilderness in honor of the former Washington state Governor and U.S. Senator Daniel J. Evans in 2017. During his tenure in the Senate, Evans co-sponsored the 1988 bill that created the state's wilderness areas. It is the largest wilderness area in Washington.

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