Olympic National Park

Welcome to Olympic National Park, an oasis of temperate rainforests and high mountain peaks located between Washington's Puget Sound and Pacific Coast!

Park History: The area that is now Olympic National Park was first occupied by Native Americans who hunted mastodons over 12,000 years ago. In the mid-19th century many European settlers began arriving and setting up establishments at the mouths of the Quinault, Quillayute, Makah, and Hoh Rivers. The establishment of the Olympic Forest Reserve in 1919 actually pushed a number of white settlers out of the region.

Flora and Fauna: Olympic National Park, one of the largest remaining tracts of intact primeval forest in the lower 48 states, helps protect the home of numerous plant and animals species. Some of the more than 1,400 plants that grow inside the park boundaries include Sitka spruces, western hemlocks, bigleaf maples, licorice ferns, and lungworts. Some of the wild animals who call this place home include killer whales, sea lions, raccoons, beavers, minks, mountain lions, deer, bears, and over 300 species of birds. Please treat their home with respect.

For the lover of the outdoors Olympic National Park boasts numerous hiking trails, skiing at Hurricane ridge, and so much more. Come on out and explore.

This was RecPlanet place of the day on April 23, 2016.