Introduction

A visit to Olympic National Park offers spectacular scenery, diverse terrain and surprisingly sudden changes in climate. Rugged mountains capped with glacial ice line the horizon, while the inviting wilderness of a lush rain forest and free-flowing streams lie below. Breathtaking shoreline views offer steep cliffs, secluded coves, offshore islands and the vast Pacific horizon.

Located on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park is one of the most diverse national parks in America. This majestic park, often referred to as "three parks in one," is divided in two distinct sections: a narrow coastal strip and a large inland block covered with forests in low-lying areas, and alpine and subalpine regions at higher elevations. Several roads tie the two portions of the park together.

Summers in Olympic National Park are cool and sunny with occasional rain. Temperatures rarely rise above 80 degrees. Winter, on the other hand, is very wet. In fact, the west side of the park is the wettest region of the continental United States, especially the Hoh, Queets and Quinault rain forest valleys, which receive an average of 12 feet of precipitation each year. Mount Olympus, the highest peak in the park, receives even more precipitation (mostly in the form of snow). While winter may be the wet season, temperatures seldom reach freezing. Northeast of the Olympic Mountains is an area known as the rain shadow of the Olympics. The city of Sequim is a part of this rain shadow region and receives only one foot of rainfall each year. Farmers in this agricultural valley are forced to irrigate their crops.

With more than 4,000,000 visitors each year, Olympic National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the nation. Visitors come to the park to relax, appreciate nature and enjoy the scenery. The park has 923,000 acres of land, 600 miles of trails, more than 60 glaciers, 12 rivers and over 60 miles of wilderness along the Pacific Coast. With this much diversity, hiking, horseback riding, bird-watching, camping, canoeing, kayaking fishing and mountain climbing in this majestic park are outdoor experiences like no other.