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NATIONAL PARKS IN THE U.S.A |
Olympic Nation Park WA |
Keith Silvester |
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Located in the northwest corner of Washington State, “Olympic” is an isolated remnant of wilderness that once covered all of the Pacific Northwest.
Often referred to as "three parks in one", Olympic National Park encompasses three distinctly different ecosystems— glacier capped mountains, over 60 miles of wild Pacific coast and magnificent 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).
Olympic is also known for its biological diversity. Isolated for thousands of years by glacial ice, the waters of Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Olympic Peninsula has developed its own distinct array of plants and animals. Eight kinds of plants and five kinds of animals are found on the peninsula that live nowhere else in the world.
DESIGNATION as National Park - June 29, 1938
Olympic has a moderate marine climate with pleasant summers and mild, wet winters. Summers are generally fair and warm, with high temperatures usually between 65 and 75 degrees F. Summer is the driest season, with heavier precipitation during the rest of the year. At higher elevations, snowfall is generally heavy, with accumulations of up to 10 feet common. Closer to sea level, much of the precipitation comes as rain, with some infrequent snow fall.
At any time of year, visitors should come prepared for a variety of conditions. Rain gear and layered clothing are a must. The Seattle office of the National Weather Service provides up-to-date weather information and forecasts.
Plan on spending at least two full days to get a feeling for the park's diversity. With this amount of time, visitors often drive to Hurricane Ridge for a taste of the park's high country and mountain vistas. From there, a three-hour drive to the west will bring you to the Hoh Rain Forest, where over 12 feet of rain per year creates a stunning world of huge trees and profuse greenery.
Views of the Pacific Coast and Olympic's wilderness beaches can be seen by an additional 30-40 minute drive to Rialto or
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Ruby Beach. |
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Seattle is a great place to start. From the Seattle/Tacoma area, travellers 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 the Sound. Travel time along any of these routes is approximately two-and-a-half to three hours to Port Angeles, where the main park visitor centre and park headquarters are located. Plenty of accommodation here. See below for park campgrounds nearby.
All park destinations can be reached from the famous U.S. Highway 101, which (almost) circumnavigates the Olympic Peninsula, starting at the State Capital, Olympia, running northwards and then anticlockwise around the park, reaching the coast west of Mt. Olympus (nearly 8000 ft) itself. This is the “famous” Route 101 as it runs almost completely down the whole west coast of the USA nearly to the Mexican Border, a distance of about 1200 miles.
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(looking East) |
Situated about 10 miles to the west of Port Angeles. At the western end of the lake is the Fairholm camp ground - on the lake shore.
Visitor Centres are located in Port Angeles, Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh rain forest. Each of these provides exhibits and visitor information.. The Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles is open and staffed year-round and serves as the park's primary information and orientation centre. It is the finest place to start any visit. The Hurricane Ridge and Hoh Visitor Centers are open throughout the year (when road and weather conditions allow), but may be self-service during the winter months.
$10.00 for 7 Days. This permit allows all persons travelling with the permit holder in one single private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van) to leave and re-enter the park as many times as they wish during the 7-day period from the date of purchase.
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Crescent Bay |
The National Park Service operates 16 campgrounds with a total of 910 sites. Camping fees at park campgrounds range from $8.00 to $12.00 per night, depending on the services and amenities provided at each one. All are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Some remain open throughout the winter. Go to Olympic's expanded website for detailed information.
The State has a number of other N.P.s - Mt Rainier (14,400ft); Lake Roosevelt (100x4 miles!) and the well-known Mt St. Helens
National Volcanic Monument
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Also a National Park, NE of Seattle. |
We started our visit by driving from Seattle around the southern end of Puget Sound and then up to Port Angeles, on that part of the Olympic Peninsular nearest to Vancouver Island, stopping at the Conastoga Quarters campground, small (34 sites) but good. We arranged to leave our vehicle there for the next day while we paid a visit - to Canada !
The trip across to Victoria by hydrofoil, arriving among the many seaplanes, and then on to the Butchart Gardens was very good indeed. Next day we made our way west and then south down the Pacific coast. Visibility is frequently poor here due to the very cold currents coming down the coast, but patient sightseers can look from the cliffs through the mist for Orca whales, seals etc.
We stopped the night inland at a small site on Lake Quinault, and the next day left the National Park, on our way south to California via Oregon.
For further information on any aspect of RV/Motorhome holidays in the USA or Canada, contact me at:
silverstarusa@ntlworld.com
