Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park

National park, northwestern Washington, U.S. Established in 1938 to preserve the Olympic Mountains and their forests and wildlife, it covers 1,442 sq mi (3,735 sq km); it includes a strip of Pacific Northwest shoreline geographically separated from the rest of the park. There are more than 60 glaciers in the park. The western part includes rainforests; the eastern slopes feature lakes; and the ocean shore section contains scenic beaches and three Indian reservations.

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Olympic National Park

Parks Directory of the United States / US National Parks / National Parks

Address: 600 E Park Ave
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Phone: 360-565-3130;
Fax: 360-565-3015;
Web: www.nps.gov/olym/
Size: 922,651 acres.
Established: Proclaimed as Mount Olympus National Monument on March 2, 1909; established as Olympic National Park on June 29, 1938. Wilderness designated on November 16, 1988. Designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and a World Heritage Site in 1981.
Location: On the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington, encircled by US 101. From the Seattle/Tacoma area, travelers may reach U.S. 101 by several different routes, either by crossing Puget Sound on one of the Washington state ferries or by driving south around Puget Sound. The main park visitor center and park headquarters are located in Port Angeles at the north end of the peninsula.
Facilities: Campgrounds (é), picnic area, rest rooms (é), cabin rental, lodging, groceries, restaurant, boat rental, boat ramp, bathhouse, visitor centers (é), museum/exhibit, self-guided tour/trail. Entrance fee required.
Activities: Camping, hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, mountain climbing, swimming, boating, fishing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, wildlife viewing, auto touring, ranger-led programs.
Special Features: Park encompasses three distinctly different ecosystems: rugged glacier capped mountains, more than 70 miles of wild Pacific coast (the largest section of wilderness coast in the lower 48 states), and majestic stands of old-growth and temperate rain forest. These diverse ecosystems are still largely pristine in character (about 95% of the park is designated wilderness). More than 600 miles of trails provide access to these wild areas. Archeological and historical records show that human habitation of the area goes back at least 12,000 years.

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See other parks in Washington.