• Olympic: Three Parks in One

    Olympic

    National Park Washington

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  • Olympic Hot Springs Road Closed

    The Elwha Valley's Olympic Hot Springs Road is closed to public entry beyond the Altair Campground during removal of the Glines Canyon Dam. Olympic Hot Springs is not accessible from the Elwha.

  • Elwha River Closures

    Boating is prohibited on the Elwha River from Upper Lake Mills Trail downstream to the Highway 112 bridge, except for the stretch between Altair Campground and the Highway 101 bridge.

  • Changes to Visitor Services Due to Sequestration

    Due to mandatory, across the board budget cuts, some visitor services at Olympic National Park have changed. See the Plan Your Visit section for more information.

Anadromous Fish

Overview:
Including the five species of Northwest salmon, steelhead, and certain bull trout, anadromous fish refers to those that migrate from freshwater rivers to the ocean and back to spawn in their natal streams. These populations of fish play an integral role in the wildlife community. Bears, otters, eagles, and many others feast on salmon carcasses as a main source of protein when other food is scarce. As well as a significant food source for members of the park community, the life cycle of various anadromous salmon stocks facilitates the transportation of key nutrients to lakes, rivers and streams.

For more information about a particular species, click on the links below.

 
bull trout
Bull trout
 
Chinook
Chinook Salmon
 
chum
Chum Salmon
 
coho
Coho Salmon
 
pink
Pink Salmon
 
sockeye
Sockeye Salmon
 
steelhead
Steelhead
 

Historic Anadromous Fish Runs in the Elwha

 
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This webpage was made possible in part by a grant from Washington's National Park Fund.
  • The Salmon Life Cycle The Salmon Life Cycle

    Click here to learn more about the life cycle of Pacific salmon! Read More

  • Fishing Regulations Fishing Regulations

    View and print current regs. Read More

  • Elwha Restoration Elwha Restoration

    Learn about restoring the Elwha River's native fish and ecosystem. Read More

Did You Know?

marmot

Although related to other marmots and groundhogs of North America, the Olympic marmot is unique.  An endemic species, it is found only in the Olympic Mountains.  Visitors to the high country of Olympic National Park may be lucky enough to encounter a marmot sunning itself near its burrow.