• Olympic: Three Parks in One

    Olympic

    National Park Washington

There are park alerts in effect.
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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.

Avalanche Safety

Skier headed into potential avalanche terrain.
Cross-country skier headed into avalanche terrain
Bryan Bell, National Park Service
 

The terrain and weather in the Olympic mountains can create ideal conditions for avalanches. Influenced by wind, temperature, snow, rain slope and aspect, the risk of avalanche can vary daily or even hourly.

If you are headed to Hurricane Ridge or elsewhere in the high-country of the Olympics, always check current avalanche forecasts from the Northwest Avalanche Center website or by calling (206)526-6677. Always check in at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center for current local conditions.

During the winter of 2007/2008, at least 9 recreationists were killed by avalanches in Washington State. Before you go out, take some time to learn more about avalanches, avalanche safety and rescue.

Have you checked your Avalanche Safety Checklist?

Avalanche Video Resources

 
An avalanche near Hurricane Ridge

An avalanche near Hurricane Ridge

Avalanches like this one can occur in the Hurricane Ridge area. If venturing outside of the designated ski area or parking lot, always check with a ranger or the ski patrol for the latest avalanche warnings and forecasts.
 
Rangers, snow plow drivers, ski patrollers, mountain rescue volunteers analize the snowpack at Hurricane Ridge
Avalanche Training at Hurricane Ridge
Mike Danisiewicz, NPS
  • Don't end up buried! Don't end up buried!

    Always check the latest avalanche forecasts Read More

  • U.S. Avalanche Danger Scale U.S. Avalanche Danger Scale

    Learn more about Avalanche Danger Levels Read More

  • Test Your Avalanche Knowledge Test Your Avalanche Knowledge

    Learn the basics about avalanches Read More

  • Learn more about avalanches Learn more about avalanches

    Check out the Canadian Avalanche Centre's online Avalanche Training Read More

Did You Know?

Mt. Olympus in winter

That Mount Olympus receives over 200 inches of precipitation each year and most of that falls as snow? At 7,980 feet, Mount Olympus is the highest peak in Olympic National Park and has the third largest glacial system in the contiguous U.S.