Summer 2024 Bugler Newspaper

Sol Duc Valley

NPS Photo / K. Campbell

Three Parks in One

Would you rather visit glacier-capped mountains, rain forests or coastal beaches? Welcome to Olympic National Park, where you can visit all three! Explore this diverse, rare sanctuary, which preserves thousands of species of life amongst three unique ecosystems.

 

Olympic Marmot, Banana Slug, Sea Star

K. Campbell (Olympic marmot); T. Wandel (Banana slug); B. Baccus (Sea star)

Mountains

Rising from sea level are steep mountain peaks covered in glaciers. The rocky slopes and ridgelines give way to subalpine meadows. Drive the scenic Hurricane Ridge Road to heights of 5,242 feet to take in the views, or walk trails through meadows to look for sightings of the Olympic marmot.

Temperate Rain Forest

“The trees are the view!” The rain forests of Olympic are home to many champion trees—the largest of their species found anywhere in the world. At the Hoh or Quinault Rain Forest, immerse yourself in a world of green and peer through the mossy curtains covering branches of bigleaf maple trees.

Coast

The rugged coastline offers opportunities for exploring rocky beaches and viewing large sea-stack formations. Olympic is home to the longest undeveloped coastline in the contiguous United States and protects the homes of tide-pool creatures, marine life and coastal birds.

It's All Connected

Glaciers in the mountains provide cold, fresh water to streams and rivers. Salmon swim in rivers through shady forests, before eventually reaching the ocean. The ocean waves reveal rocky tide pools bursting with life. At Olympic, the mountains, forest and coast are always connected. Will you explore all three ecosystems on your visit?

 

Helpful Links

Park Passes
Safety
Wilderness Permits
Pets
Visitor Centers
Park Concessions (stores, resorts, lodges)
Services Outside the Park
Ranger Programs Calendar
Junior Ranger
Night Sky Viewing at Hurricane Ridge
Campgrounds
 

 

Trip Planner and Park Map

Check out these scenic destinations and experience the variety of Olympic National Park.
Planning your trip? Choose 1-2 locations from the same region per day for the best experience.

 

 

Stop by a visitor center for more maps and information.
Purchase detailed topographic maps for planning hikes.

 

Tide pooling

NPS Photo / D. Sullivan

Reading the Tides

The rugged coastline of Olympic offers excellent opportunities for hiking the beach, tide pooling, viewing sea-stack formations, photography and bird watching. Knowing how to read a tide chart can help you plan the best time of day to visit the coast, but it also helps to keep you safe. Some sections of the beach are dangerous or impassable during high tides.

Looking for tide pools?

Tides change every day. The best tide pooling is when there is a negative tide, or a tide that is lower than normal. You’ll need at least a 2 ft. tide or less to see most tide pools.

Going hiking?

Check detailed topographic maps or ask a ranger to determine how low the tide needs to be to hike safely. Aim for a 5 ft. tide or less in most locations. Some areas may be completely impassable during high tide, and some sections are always impassable.

Step 1: Get a Tide Chart.

Visit tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov or stop by a visitor center to get a copy of a tide chart. You can also find them posted on area bulletin boards at Kalaloch, Mora and Ozette.

Step 2: Find the Low Tides.

Each day has two high tides and two low tides. Find the lowest tide during daylight hours on the day of your visit to determine if you’ll have a tide that is low enough for your activity.

Step 3: Check the Map.

Use a topographic map to find areas that may be impassable. Avoid these areas or hike only during a low enough tide.

 

Tide-Pooling Destinations

Easy

Beach 4: From the parking area on Hwy 101, walk a 0.1 mile trail to the beach.
Ruby Beach: Hike a 0.25-mile trail from the parking area to the beach for views of a large sea-stack formation.

Moderate

Second Beach: From La Push Road, descend 0.7 miles on a winding trail through forest to the beach.
Hole-in-the-Wall: Hike 1.5 miles one way on the beach to views of a unique, arch-like sea stack. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before the lowest tide.
Third Beach: From La Push Road, hike a trail 1.4 miles one way through forest to the beach.

 

Art by Magda Dumitrescu

Twenty Years Monitoring Olympic's Mountain Lakes

How do we track the health of park ecosystems?

Just like a medic takes the pulse of a patient, park scientists rely on sensitive environmental indicators to assess change. Mountain lakes are one of the important “vital signs” monitored at Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades. Every summer since 2005, scientists have visited nine remote lakes in Olympic’s wilderness for a health check-up, tracking how these ecosystems are responding to stresses like human visitation, nonnative species, and climate change.

Each year, teams measure physical and chemical characteristics such as temperature, water level, and nutrients.

Teams also monitor biological characteristics including invertebrates, algae, zooplankton, and amphibians. This can help track how species like the long-toed salamander are withstanding predation from nonnative fish, especially in low-snow years when smaller, fish-free ponds are dry.

 

Art by Magda Dumitrescu

2015: A Glimpse Into the Future

For nearly two-thirds of the year, these vibrant communities lie under a blanket of ice and snow. This cuts off access to light and oxygen, shaping lake waters even after summer arrives. In years with less ice, monitoring shows that lakes are warmer, murkier, and harbor more microscopic plants and animals. In 2015, an abnormally warm winter and record-low snowpack reduced ice cover by nearly three months. Climate projections show that conditions like these will become more frequent, shifting the lakes’ delicate physical and ecological balance and signaling larger changes in park ecosystems.