Olympic National Park
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The park can be divided into three basic regions: the Pacific coastline, the Olympic Mountains, and the temperate rainforest. 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
Pauline (USA):
Olympic National Park is one of those places you may never seen enough of .... on one side is Hurricane Ridge (with lovely mountainous views of the Olympic Mountains and of the Strait of Juan de Fuca), Lake Crescent (a pristine, clear lake with relatively little development) and our favorite, Rialto Beach (we saw a cluster of starfish, huge masses of bone-dry trees -- be careful, though, you have to watch the tide reports so you won't be on the water when high tide comes in: those trees start moving around). That's about half a day, if you want to see it all. It takes another three hours to get to the interior, where the Hoh Rainforest is located. It's a bit of everything all in one package! Date posted: July 2009 Emilia Bautista King (USA):
I've been longing to visit the temperate rainforest in the Pacific Northwest and it was definitely worth the wait! If your time is short like mine was, the heart of the park is the Hoh Rainforest, which is a 19-mile drive from the highway. Here, you will see heavy fringes of moss hanging from the trees, as well as nurselogs that have newer trees growing on top of them. I was also fortunate to see a banana slug. If you are a WHS plaque seeker, the plaque is located outside of the Hoh Rainforest visitor center, right beside the bathrooms. I hope to visit Olympic National Park again, since I missed Hurricane Ridge and Sol Duc Springs. One last thing, I was forewarned to bring my raingear (which I did), only to have a bright, sunny day. I guess it's better to be prepared! Date posted: June 2009 ():
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.
Have you been to Olympic National Park? Share your experiences!
Country: USA
Inscribed: 1981
Natural Heritage
Criteria: (7) (9)
Category: Natural landscape, Diverse ecosystems
Official website:
»National Park Service
Connections:
Architecture
Wooden architecture .
Constructions
Petroglyphs .
Ecology
Bears . Otters . Rainforests . Seals . Whales .
Geography
Glaciers . Hot Springs . Pacific Ocean .
Human Activity
Natural sites with indigenous human population . Traditional Hunting .
Trivia
One million visitors or more .
WHS on Other Lists
World Biosphere Reserves . World Heritage Forest Programme .
World Heritage Process
"Extended" Sites .
In the news:
» Olympic National Park plans 240-acre expansion to protect sockeye salmon habitat (24-02-2010).
Links:
» Information sheet by UNEP/WCMC.
» Wiki on Olympic National Park.
© WHS 1997-2013