Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is an isolated area with a varied topography from seashore to glacier.
It is the lowest altitude in the world in which glaciers begin at an elevation lower than 2000m and exist below 1000m.
The park has complex and varied vegetation zones, with endemic wildlife including the Olympic marmot.

Year	Decision	Comments
1990	Extended	New boundaries, to include the coastal strip
1981	Inscribed	Reasons for inscription

Reviews

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In December,I will finally be venturing to your Rain Forest. 1954 while stationed in the P.I. I got my first taste of a rain forest. Any in put that I can garner from any one as to a must see,I will be quite appreciative. I am hoping December will be a good time. As far as "proper attire" goes, I am thinking I should take rain gear. Does anyone have input on that subject? What are any thoughts as to my "pickup camper" whay to "feel" what the forest has to offer.

Thank you in advance for any input.

Don Shafer.

Joyce (Netherlands):

We visited Olympic National Park for a weekend once, and it’s a beautiful piece of nature. We drove up to a campsite where we pitched up our tent, and after another drive through the forested mountains, we got out of the car and hiked into the forest until we ended up at a group of natural hotsrpings. All the springs were seperated from each other and the water was very warm. If there wasn’t a rotting smell coming from it (due to all the natural gasses) it would have been very romantic. We spent the night in the hotsprings, but since I saw a documentary once about the park with its cougars and bears I didn’t feel quite comfortable (who wants to be eaten in the dark in a hot spring?). The fact that we saw a bear and heared cougar sounds on our way back were a bit exiting. But the park is beautiful, great for a weekend (or longer!) getaway.

Date posted: December 2005

Ben Pastore (USA):
Anyone who visits here had better like the color green and I'm not talking about money. It seemed like everything was covered with moss and other green growths, and the forest had a real primeval feel about it. If you're coming from Seattle, be aware that the distance is deceivingly long, and for a day trip you had better start early and plan on getting back late-not that it's not worth the time and effort.

Date posted: June 2005

Klaus Freisinger (Austria):
My visit to Olympic National Park happened some time ago, but I still remember vividly the enormous tress, high peaks, big glaciers, and breathtaking views. The vegetation especially was great and seemed to be right out of the Amazon jungle. Finally I knew what was meant by "temperate rainforest". A portion of the park is on the Pacific Ocean, and you can spend endless hours wandering along the untouched beach, seeing only birds, driftwood, and the occasional whale (seriously). For anyone visiting the Seattle area, this is a must-see.

jaxon nobori (USA):
Went 'matsutake' (mushroom) hunting one weekend. It was a memorable day amidt the conifer and temperate rain forests, plus gravel beaches and alpine streams. Like most natural parks, it takes time to really experience it.

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