Olympic National Park Travel Information
From ice encrusted-crags to crisp glacial lakes, salty ocean beaches
and the deep, quiet damp of temperate rain forest, Olympic National
Park is a small paradise on earth. Bears meander across slopes strewn
with wildflowers in summer, while visitors mosey along narrow trails that
penetrate this beautiful wilderness, leading on to alpine lakes, remote camp sites and some of the best the Northwest has to offer in terms of natural setting. A relatively short jaunt from
the civilized world, a visit to the Olympics can be short, sedate and
scenic or, with the proper pack, long, solitary and strenuous. Take
a day-hike on one of the many trails that range in length from half a
mile to 13- miles round-trip. For longer back-packing trips, start at
a trailhead in Sol Duc, Storm King or Hoh Rain Forest and cross from
one side of the park to another via interconnected trails. Pitch your
tent at one of the spots designated for campers along the way, though
keep your food sealed away to avoid midnight visitors of the furry
bear-like kind. You won't be able to access the interior of the park
if you opt for viewing Olympic-quality vistas from the safety of your
vehicle. There are roads that skirt the park, several of which
penetrate via winding roads a few miles into the interior and quality visitor centers to
give you a better idea of what you're missing. In winter,
Hurricane Ridge, 17 miles south of Port Angeles, opens to skiers and
snowboarders, though recently the area has been having a 'winter
drought', i.e. no snow, no go. Strap on a pair of snowshoes when
powder is no problem for some backcountry exploration. Olympic
National Park is about 100 miles west of Seattle as the crow flies and
the ferry rides.
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