Explore Nature Unharnessed at Olympic National Park

There are few national parks in the United States that boast a wider range of ecosystems than Washington’s Olympic National Park. Occupying the northwest corner of the state, bookmarked on one end by sea and the other by mountain, Olympic National Park is home to some of the most diverse regions and wildest wildlife in the continental U.S, from mountains frozen with glaciers to “a savagely rugged shoreline at grips with a rugged sea.”

Walk inland from the Pacific Ocean and you’ll cross over salt-hardened coast, pass under ancient towering hemlocks, and scale granite peaks chiseled by ice. In summer, the park is a vast land of surprise and wonder; in winter, an awe-inspiring playground for the thrillseeker and sportsman. Visitors of Olympic National Park are spoiled with options for adventure, and reminded around every turn what it looks like when nature remains untamed.

Olympic: A triad of national parks in one

Olympic National Park got its name from the tallest peak in the Olympic Mountains, Mount Olympus. This imposing and icy mountain stands at almost 8,000 feet, and looks out in all directions over the peaks and valleys she’s created. From either side of Olympus spreads a vast chain of jagged and challenging peaks — some that have yet to be touched by man — and at her feet lies miles of the wettest rainforest recorded the continental U.S. where roughly 12 feet of rain falls each year in this land of tree giants and wildwood cathedrals.

Options for adventure are truly limitless at Olympic National Park, from winter sports and challenging backpacking to beach walks and calming strolls through old growth forest. Whether you’re unleashing your fulfilling your need for speed on Hurricane Ridge or stepping out to get a glimpse of wildlife truly unharassed, there’s something for everyone at Olympic National Park!