• 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 between Upper Lake Mills Trail to Altair Campground.

  • 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.

Steller's Sea Lion

A Steller's sea lion bobs its head up in the waters of Cape Flattery.

A Steller's sea lion swims offshore near Cape Flattery, the northwesternmost corner of the Olympic Peninsula.

Ken and Mary Campbell

Steller's Sea Lion - Eumetopias jubatus

Identification:
The Steller's sea lion is the larger of two species of sea lions that inhabit Pacific coastal waters. Males may weigh upwards of 2,000 pounds. They are tawny-colored and much less vocal than the California sea lion.

Habitat:
Steller's sea lions arrive off the Olympic coast during the late summer and early fall, hauling out in masses on the abundant offshore rocks, right alongside their smaller cousins. These whiskered creatures are often visible on the islands off the coast of Cape Flattery and Cape Alava.

Diet:
Codfish, smelt, squid, rockfish, and other fish are staples of their diet.

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Did You Know?

dam with water flowing

Removal of two dams on the Elwha River is the second largest ecosystem restoration project in the National Park System.