Olympic
National Park
Olympic National Park located in Washington State encompasses glacier capped peaks, rain forest valleys, Pacific Ocean beaches and an amazing variety of animals and plants. The Olympic Peninsula has developed its own array of animals and plants. Five kinds of animals and eight kinds of plants are unique to the Olympic Peninsula. There is access to the outer edges of the park by road but 95% of Olympic National Park is designated as wilderness. So the best way to see it is to hike into this primeval sanctuary and enjoy it's largely pristine character.
You should come prepared for a variety of weather conditions and rain gear is a must. The Western, Ocean side of Olympic National Park receives 10 to 12 feet of rain a year while the Eastern side of the park lies in the rain shadow of the mountains and only receives around 25 inches of rain and is much drier. Olympic has a moderate marine climate with mild wet winters and pleasant summers. At the lower elevations summer temperatures are between 65 to 75 degrees F. Winter temperatures at lower elevations are in the 30s and 40s F. There is generally heavy snowfall during the winter at the higher elevations.
