Hiking:
There are over 800 miles of trails that
will take you through pristine old growth temperate rainforests, up mountain
ridges and highland meadows where you can walk on 15,000 year old glaciers. Fish
for trout in mountain lakes, then hike down to the Olympic or Sol Duc hot
springs to ease your weary bones. The variety of ecosystems virtually boggles
the mind. Go from ocean tide pools and sea stacks (there is whale watching in
the spring and fall) into the rainforest along aqua green glacial rivers then up
to mountain passes where sub alpine meadows and glaciers exist. In the rain
shadow of the Olympic Range you will find desert-like conditions where cacti
grow on mountain sides. Along the coast of Olympic National Park you will find
90 miles of pristine ocean beaches where you can hike, camp, fish and find
solitude in the Olympic Coast Marine sanctuary.
Olympic National Park summer activities:
Guided hikes and campfire talks are given
daily at both the Hoh Rainforest and Kalaloch Beach areas. There are two hikes
that range between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours given daily at 10 AM and 2 PM where
interpretive rangers talk about the rain forest ecosystems at the Hoh
Rainforest. At Beach number 4 an interpretive ranger meets people at low tide to
talk about tide pools and the ecosystems of the coastal strip.
Note there is a $10.00 entrance fee (good for 7 days
at all entrances) that is collected at some Olympic National Park locations
from May to September. There is no entrance fee for the coastal strip.
Wildlife:
Animals, birds and fish abound in the park. Along the coast you can spot whales
moving to and from their calving grounds in the spring and fall. Sea otters,
seals and a multitude of sea birds are often seen along the secluded beaches of
the coastal strip. In the forest elk, deer, cougar, black bear, golden and bald
eagles, woodpeckers and a multitude of creatures great and small abound.
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