Olympic National Park is located in north western Washington state. Here are some Olympic National Park facts;
- UNESCO world heritage site
- You can see Vancouver Island, Canada to the north
- 70 miles of coastline
- Mount Olympus is the highest peak at 2,342 meters above sea level
- The mountain range is visible from Seattle
I hired a car and visited Olympic National Park on a day trip from Seattle.
Olympic National Park Facts
Olympic National Park, Washington
Olympic national park offers 70 miles of Pacific coastline and a view of Victoria, BC, Canada. The true highlight of any trip here is the view of the Olympic mountain range which are visible from Seattle on a clear day. The highest peak is appropriately name Mount Olympus. This is 2,432 meters above sea level. However, the peak you are most likely to see from Seattle is Mount Constance because it is located on the Eastern side of the range. Mount Constance is 2,364 meters above sea level, so only slightly smaller than Olympus.
Wildlife at Olympic National Park
Wild Deer at Olympic National Park
Wildlife that calls Olympic National Park home includes;
- Deer
- Elk
- More than 300 species of birds
- Olympic Marmots
- Salmon (Salmon run is in the fall)
- Whales (April to May and October to November)
- Mountain goats
- Black bears
If you are in the park for wildlife photography I recommend visiting at dusk or dawn when the wildlife is most like to be out. Read about the spectacular Salmon Run at Ketchikan Alaska.
Hire a Car to Explore Olympic National Park
Port Angeles
A view of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
The Island of Victoria looks so close that you could swim there! From the town of Port Angeles to the north of the park it’s possible to take a ferry over to the city of Victoria. Black Ball ferry line offer package tours, single and return trips to Victoria. The one-way trip to Victoria takes 90 minutes. Read about things to do in Vancouver Island.
Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center
Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, Olympic National Park, Washington
It’s from Hurricane Ridge where you get this amazing view of the Olympic range. There’s information on which peak is which and the height of each peak too. In the visitor center you can watch a short movie about the park and also receive information on everything in the park. There are a couple nature trails you can take from the visitor center too.
How to Travel from Olympic National Park to Seattle
From Hurricane Ridge visitor center, I drove through Port Angeles before taking US-101 east and WA-305 south to Seattle. This is a beautiful drive, there are mountains, Islands and then the city skyline of Seattle.
These pictures are incredible – so vibrant! I love going to places that are in one country, but seem almost within touching distance of another! In one of the hostels I stayed at in Jordan, if you stood on the roof and looked around you could see Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel in the distance, each in different directions. So cool.
I’ve always wanted to see bears in the wild, so maybe I should keep this park in mind if I’m ever in Washington state 🙂
I’ve been to Seattle (and Vancouver too!) and was enamoured with both it and the splendour around it, that I swore to return! Would definitely want to visit this park and get about the wilderness of Washington State (although the thought of seeing bears in the wild makes me feel a wee bit nervous!).
The Olympic National Park seems to have so much to offer in terms of wildlife. This is a massive attraction to me. I wouldn’t like to try my luck at swimming to the island though. 90 mins by ferry sounds like the better option for me 🙂 I love hiking so when I am in the area, I would certainly visit here.
Love the bright photos and overview of Olympic. We did a Washington road trip last summer which included Olympic and Seattle. So many pretty spots, such great hiking and camping, and lots of yummy food in the cities/towns. Did you see whales? We didn’t see them in Olympic, but got to watch Orcas from shore on San Juan Island. Very cool!
I did see whales but not until I got up to Alaska. I know they do offer whale watching tours down here to. It’s great fun try to photograph whales!
I would love to visit Seattle, looks lovely! The nature and wildlife in the Olympic National Park definitely looks like it is worth a trip. I can’t believe I had never heard of this park!
First thing first, I’m a sucker for UNESCO World Heritage Sites, so I’m intrigued here! Btw, Seattle always reminds me of Grey’s Anatomy!
I will be visiting Seattle this summer and hope to get chance to visit the Olympic National Park! Your photos are so..so..alluring me that I must go there.
I’m really into national parks wherever I travel, so this article is a great read for me. The view of Vancouver Island looks really stunning from your photo! I haven’t been to North America yet but your article really motivates me to save money and hit the road to this beautiful part of the world soon 🙂
ahh thanks so much for the amazing tips! This looks like the perfect destination for a photoshoot and to spend a lovely weekend connecting with nature. I hope to be able to go one day, I haven’t spent much time on the West coast!
I love deers!!! They are so cute! I saw them in Nara (Japan) but this place looks beautiful!