This is the third in a series of diaries from the Park Avenue Daily Kos group about planning a visit to a National Park. Each week we will be opening up a diary on a specific park chosen the previous week in our Photo Friday open thread. After a short introduction of the park and a few diarist contributed tips, people are invited to contribute their own tips about the park or to ask specific questions about the park they'd like to see answered. Hopefully, with the collective knowledge of DKos community, we can harness the power of crowd sourcing to generate a lasting resource for community members wanting to visit the parks. We're looking for info such as... When is the best time to visit (and why)? Where should you stay while visiting? What are the can't miss sites? What are the hidden gems of the park that not many people know about yet? What piece of advice on visiting the park do you have that I'm not going to find in a travel guide?
The subject of this week's column is Olympic National Park.
The forests and mountains of Olympic National Park in Washington State have been protected in some manner by the Federal government since Grover Cleveland declared much of the region a National Forest Reserve in 1897. Teddy Roosevelt declared a smaller portion of the Reserve as the Mount Olympus National Monument in 1909, and FDR signed the act of Congress declaring Olympic a National Park in 1938. A long 72-mile portion of the Pacific coastline was added to the park in 1953, completing the current boundaries of this remarkably diverse set of ecosystems now recognized as both an International Biosphere Preserve and World Heritage Site. In recognition of the value of the land, in 1988 Congress designated more than 95% of the entire park as protected Wilderness.
With that brief introduction to the founding of the park, let me try to introduce you to some of the things I had to learn before and during my visit to this lush and wild park.
A Shared, Diverse Resource
In closing I would state that while the country on the outer slope of these mountains is valuable, the interior is useless for all practicable purposes. It would, however, serve admirably for a national park.
-- Lt. Joseph P. O'Neil, explorer, in his 1890 Report
Well, that was prescient, if perhaps a bit of a backhanded compliment. Today, the Olympic Peninsula's core - the Olympic Range - is dominated by the National Park. The coastal regions are shared between the parks, a few towns, and the many Native American tribes who have fished the bountiful waters in and around the peninsula for ages. And between the coasts and the mountains - those "outer slopes" Lieutenant O'Neil mentioned - the verdant forest is split between many interests, including a thriving timber industry. (Before you get there - I found the sight of these clear-cut lumber operations to be almost tragic. However, apparently these logging sites have been cut time and time again, and the climate is friendly enough that regrowth is rapid and healthy.)
I'll come back to some things to do outside of the park later in the diary, as we consider the first and most important question on the list for any trip planner to Olympic NP: what is it that you want to see and do? Like any of the larger National Parks, you can spend weeks and months exploring Olympic.
Alpine Wilderness
The core of Olympic National Park is the Olympic Mountain range, topped off by the heavily glaciated Mt. Olympus, which towers some 6,900 feet above the valley floors below. Visitors who have little time or don't want to concentrate on the mountains can drive the 17 miles from Port Angeles to the popular Hurricane Ridge visitor center year-round for easy access to stunning views of the park's alpine features. (Your mileage may vary - the road may close due to bad weather, and winter maintenance is paid for in collaboration between the park and other entities.) If you have a bit of time to explore the mountains, though, consider taking a hike. You can start with a short jaunt from Hurricane Ridge or Obstruction Point, or you can go all-out with a multi-day backpacking trip that crosses the entire length of the mountain range. If you're going on an overnight hike, you can see a great variety by starting in one of the rain forested valleys and passing through a variety of ecosystems on your way in to the mountains.
Avalanche Lilies, courtesy U.S. National Park Service |
The mountains are also a great place for wildlife and wildflower viewing. In summer, the endemic Olympic Marmot is a common sight, especially around Hurricane Ridge. If you time your trip for some time around July you'll also be in the park at the right time to see some of the park's rich alpine and subalpine wildflower blooms. Particularly beautiful in my opinion are the fields of Avalanche Lilies, pure white amidst rich green leaves.
Temperate Rain Forests
The slopes of the Olympic Mountains, like those further south in California, capture the moist ocean breezes of the Pacific, giving rise to magnificent temperate rain forests. Towering evergreens provide a heavy canopy under which Vine Maple twines, providing purchase for hanging Club Moss. On the forest floor, large Ferns sprout from carpets of Oxalis and rich ground mosses.
Rainforest Path, Hoh Rainforest. |
Walking and staying within Olympic's grand forests should be a highlight of any visitor's trip. If you have only a short time for your visit, I highly recommend the Hall of Mosses trail in the Hoh rain forest section of the park. For those with a bit more time and interest in the forests, I would recommend adding some time in some of the park's other valleys such as Sol Duc and the Quinault areas. Spring seems to be the best time to visit the rain forests at their lushest, greenest potential, but I understand that the temperate coastal climate makes for a very long growing season.
In addition to the sheer majesty of the forests, visitors can also spend time ogling other bits of nature's wonder to be found within this layer of the park. There are a number of beautiful waterfalls within these sections of the park for lovers of cascades; for you, I would especially recommend the triple cascade of Sol Duc Falls, the vertical drop of Marymere Falls, and the lush course of Bunch Falls down in the Quinault section. Flower lovers looking to stay within the forests should come in late April to mid-May when the Rhododendron and Trillium are in bloom in the shade of the giant trees. And for those into the more off-beat sights in nature, keep an eye out for the endemic Banana Slug as well as a wide variety of photogenic fungi.
Trillium, Quinault Rainforest |
Bunch Falls |
For those who enjoy recreating around water, the forests of the park hold a number of attractions. Hot springs lovers can stay at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort; whitewater kayakers can try out the Elwha River, where concession guides are available; and those seeking a more tame boating experience can try Crescent Lake or the more primitive Lake Ozette. The Park Service recommends wet suits for boaters, as the park's waters are cool year-round.
Coastal Wilderness
Olympic's seventy two miles of Pacific coastline are rich with wave-beaten sea stacks, beaches of all sorts, and tidal pool areas teeming with sea life. Ocean lovers could spend their entire vacation on the park's shores and not run out of things to do. Much of my time at the park was spent driving up and down the coastline chasing the low tide or the sunset - emphasize "driving", because 72 miles on a park highway takes a while!
As a photographer with a limited amount of time, I spent most of my hours at Ruby and Rialto Beaches. These are probably the two easiest to reach scenic beaches within the park. Ruby Beach is best for those without much time to spend though, as Rialto Beach requires a good walk on a pebbled beach before reaching the best sea stacks (and the Hole-In-The-Rock).
Ruby Beach |
Spiny Sea Star, Beach 4, Olympic National Park |
If you have an interest in exploring tide pools, be sure to look up the low tide times for areas within the park when planning your trip. I was lucky to have extremely low tides the first few days of my stay - and better for my photos, they were right around dawn when the lighting was excellent! I spent most of my tidal explorations at the numbered beaches near Kalaloch, but also took a hike up Rialto Beach one morning to view the tidal pools there. The park hosts a variety of sea stars and an abundance of sea anemones, as well as sea urchins, crabs, limpets, and other critters.
Lovers of sandy beaches should try Kalaloch Beach and the other beaches in that area as many of the beaches in other sections of the park are covered in rounded "pebbles". For those more adventurous and with a bit more time, grab a good topo map (including tide marks by the headlands), a tide chart, and an overnight pack and head into the coastal wilderness where you can camp along the beach.
The offshore islands and sea stacks are protected wildlife sanctuaries - people are not permitted on them, and access to the ocean is restricted. Still, visitors can often see a variety of ocean birds and mammals - including seals, sea lions, dolphins and whales (at the right time of the year). Private concessions outside the park boundaries offer whale-watching tours; if you want to make that a part of your Olympic experience, I'd suggest doing some research to find out when it's best to see the kinds of animals you're wanting to see, as whales are migratory and not all species are in the area at the same time of the year.
Outside of the Park
If you have time to expand your visit outside of the park boundaries, here are a couple of suggestions.
- Try some whale-watching. The closest tours leave out of Port Townsend, but check the concessions leaving from other locations within Puget Sound as well as they might be better suited to your desires.
- Or some fishing... Ocean fishing charters are available from a number of private services. One of the main sites for charter boats is Neah Bay in the Makah Reservation.
- Learn some native history. The Makah Reservation has a good museum detailing the tribe's history and culture. The Makah are one of the largest of at least thirteen diverse tribes in the area. You might pass through some of the others during your visit, but as far as I know the Makah have done the most to adapt to tourism.
- While you're there - visit the northwestern tip of the lower 48. Also on the Makah Reservation, Cape Flattery is a high bluff that looks out over the end of Puget Sound, the lighthouse at Tatoosh Island, and the Pacific Ocean beyond. A trail leads around to an overlook of some impressive sea caves.
- Try some other natural sites. There are several county and state parks on the peninsula as well as some other federally preserved areas. Try Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge and the 10 mile hike to the New Dungeness Lightstation. Visit Salt Creek Recreation Area and the Tongue Point Marine Sanctuary for some excellent tide pool wildlife. Or wander in the Olympic National Forest on the eastern side of the national park to see Rhododendrons in bloom in the spring.
- It's not my thing, but... Forks, where I spent several nights on my trip, is now "Twilight central". If someone in your family eats and breathes Twilight, check it out.
Where To Stay and Eat
Within the park, four lodges operated by Aramark - Kalaloch Lodge, Lake Crescent Lodge, Lake Quinault Lodge, and Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort - as well as independent concession Log Cabin Resort (also on Lake Crescent) all offer lodging and dining; the three Aramark lodges are historic settings in the park tradition for those who like to stay in such places. The Kalaloch Lodge restaurant was a step above park standards when I visited, while Sol Duc's dining was somewhat limited - go for the hot springs.
The park also has a lot of camping... Some of it (like at Kalaloch) is oriented toward RVs. Other sites were mixed (we had a great time at the Mora campground in among the coastal trees, lulled to sleep by the distant sounds of buoys and awakened by the equally distant but carrying sounds of sea lions and the closer sounds of a riot of birds). There are also many backcountry sites for tents and adventurous hikers only. If you camp, be aware of your campsite's rules, especially on bear-proofing - bears are common in the park and have a lot of experience breaking in to visitors' food supplies.
Lodging and dining are also available outside of the park at several towns, including Forks, Port Angeles, and Sequim, as well as a few places tucked in to the woods outside of the major towns. I don't remember seeing them while I was there, but I am led to believe that there are places to stay in La Push as well.
Wrapping it up
Well, that sums up a lot of what I remember of my trip to Olympic National Park and its planning. Please chime up with whatever you have to add, or if you are looking for info about a visit, don't hesitate to ask. I'll be hanging around to answer any questions as best I can, and I hope I get some help to round out the discussion. My visit was in Springtime and it was focused on reasonably accessible forests and shoreline, so I'd love to see what people who have visited at other times of the year or with a different focus have to add.
Sea Stack Silhouette, Rialto Beach |
Up Coming Park features
The Park Avenue group, in addition to having these "Things to Know Before You Come" columns is also putting out user contributed features on the parks on a volunteer basis. Previous features have included
Jackson Hole National Monument,
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine,
Capitol Reef National Park, and
Petrified Forest National Park. This Thursday, Scott in NAZ will be writing about Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and next Thursday we have one of the truly remote gems of the park system, Dry Tortugas. If you are interested in writing a feature about a park, please volunteer at our sign up form and as your window approaches, you'll be contacted (about 3 weeks before) to finalize your date. And with that, I'll see everyone in the comments.