Your Guide to the Olympic Peninsula

At more than 1,400 square miles, the vast wilderness contained in Olympic National Park boasts a diverse variety of terrain for visitors to experience, from the Hoh Rain Forest to the Pacific coast and into the peaks of the Olympics. Find everything you need to know:

Webcams & Weather  |  About the Park  |  Fees & Passes  |  What to Do  |  Support the Park  |  Olympic Blogs

Peek Into the Park

Camera icon Check out weather conditions and take in the view from Olympic National Park’s live webcams:

Lake Crescent

Webcam view from Lake Crescent looking southwest

Kalaloch Beach

Webcam view from Kalaloch Beach

James Island

Webcam view of James Island

Hurricane Ridge

Webcam view from Hurricane Ridge

(This webcam was brought back after the Day Lodge fire with funding from WNPF donors!)

For snow depth at Hurricane Ridge and other current conditions, check the park’s weather page.

Olympic at a Glance

 

    Est. 1938
  1,441 sq. miles
2,947,503 visitors (2023)

Planning a Park Visit

Home to 60 named glaciers, this national park boasts 73 miles of wilderness coast and more than 600 miles of trails to interest any visitor. Whatever strikes your fancy — camping, hiking, fishing, biking, sight seeing, animal viewing, and more — you’ll find it here.

A visitor cross country skies in Hurricane Ridge

Fee-Free Days

On fee-free days, the National Park Service (NPS) at Olympic opens the gates and welcomes all visitors at no cost.

2023 Fee Free Days:

  • Monday, January 16:  Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Saturday, April 22: First Day of National Park Week
  • Friday, August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
  • Saturday, September 23: National Public Lands Day
  • Saturday, November 11: Veterans Day

Get a Park Pass

park pass is a great option to save costs. If you’re planning a trip that includes multiple national parks, consider the $80 annual pass that provides entrance to all national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests, and many other federal lands – more than 2,000 in all.

Just interested in Olympic? You can purchase an annual pass for $55, or a single-day pass for $30. Find fees and pass options here. And an important note: when you buy your pass inside the park, Olympic receives a greater share of the funds compared to when you purchase online!

There are a number of special passes you can look into. For example, the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is offered free to all active-duty military members and their dependents. Passes are also available for people with permanent disabilities and volunteers with 250 service hours with federal agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program. And fourth-graders can access the parks for free all year by obtaining an Annual 4th Grade Pass through Every Kid Outdoors.

To learn more about all of these passes, go to nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.

 

What to Do in Olympic

Find helpful information about the parks, historical sites, national landmarks, and other federally owned areas at the National Park Service WA Index.

The park offers plenty of resources to get you started on trip planning on their Things to Do page. Looking to hit the trails? Check out Olympic’s Day Hiking guide to get started. Our friends at the Washington Trails Association also have tons of great resources, interactive maps, guides, and more to help you find the perfect trail.

Interested in wilderness camping or backpacking? Start with our guide to reserving a backcountry site in Olympic. Prefer frontcountry over backcountry, or not sure about the difference? Start with our “Backcountry Beginners: Backcountry, Frontcountry, and How To Decide” article.

Or if you prefer to stay indoors, consider a historic national park lodge like Log Cabin Resort, Lake Crescent Lodge, Kalaloch Lodge, or Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort — all of which support the park through a guest donation program.

More interested in mountaineering and learning how to summit the peaks of the Olympics? Consider participating in one of our fundraising climbs through Climb for a Cause, like Lauren. She shared her story in our blog.

Lauren and her climb team summit Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus has it all! Hiking, glacier travel, and rock climbing.

 ON THE BLOG

Climbing Mount Olympus: A True Test of Strength

At the end of the trip, we had all faced a fear or worry, whether that was backpacking a high mileage approach (~20 miles!), being on a glacier for the first time, or climbing the summit block; we overcame it with our own perseverance and support of the others. And for the record, I didn’t cry on the mountain!

Read On

 

Give Back to Olympic

Climbing a peak isn’t the only way to give back to the park. You can volunteer your time, purchase a national park license plate, donate to support priority park projects — the options are practically endless! Explore all the ways to give.

 

Come Rain, Shine, or Even Snow

No matter the season, Olympic has a lot to offer. Find our top recommendations for visiting the park in summer, fall, winter, or spring, or check out our blog for more inspiration:

 

Park photos: Klahhane Ridge and peaks of the Olympics by Nate Brown 📷

Your Support Helps Olympic Thrive