• Olympic: Three Parks in One

    Olympic

    National Park Washington

  • 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.

Olympic Marmot Monitoring

Thank you for your interest in the Olympic marmot monitoring program. We are getting close to filling all volunteer opportunities for 2012. We have some remaining openings for volunteers who wish to do either day trips or 8-day backpacking trips, but are no longer recruiting volunteers for the 5-day backpacking trips.

Citizen Science
In a program launched in 2010, teams of volunteers hike to locations within Olympic National Park to record up-to-date information about the declining number of Olympic marmots within the park.

This is timely information that is vital to our understanding of this endemic mammal and its future. Most of the sites would not be visited without the help of volunteers.

Last year, more than 90 volunteers recorded the status of marmot populations throughout the park.

We will conduct volunteer research again this summer to learn what is happening to the marmot populations from year to year. This program is supported by donations through Washington's National Park Fund.

Apply by May 2012 for this summer's program.

 

Volunteer for 2012
If you'd like to sign up for this year's program, click here to get started. Investigate what a marmot monitor does and figure out if this is a task that is right for you. Identify which area of the park you'd like to survey. Download the application form here. A 10-minute video about the project and the training can be found by clicking here.

 

Information for Enrolled Volunteers
More answers to your many questions: What to know before you come, what to bring, how to get here, how to use your GPS device, training summary and more.

 

Research, Articles and Links
This page serves as a clearinghouse for all things Marmot. Peruse a 
variety of scholarly articles on the Olympic marmot as well as external links to pages of interest and information on related species.

 
WNPF washington's national park fund

Washington's National Park Fund has provided generous financial support for the Olympic marmot monitoring program, as well as many other important projects within the park.

  • 2010 Results 2010 Results

    Review results from Year 1 of Olympic's marmot monitoring program. Read More

  • Species Page Species Page

    The Olympic marmot's habitat, reproduction, diet and more. Read More

  • Volunteers-in-Parks Volunteers-in-Parks

    Want to be a VIP? There's plenty more ways to support your park. 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.