• 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 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.

Coastal Food Storage

On The Coast All food, garbage and scented items must be stored in bear canisters. Hanging food in bags is not allowed on the coast. Bear canisters are available for loan at the WIC and some park ranger stations for a $3 suggested donation.

Along the coast, especially at Cape Alava and Sand Point in the Ozette area, years of heavy use, feeding of wildlife, and improper food storage have habituated raccoons to stealing human food. Raccoons are clever, resourceful and aggressive. They can climb ropes, hang from tree branches and leap long distances. Raccoons have learned how to work toggles and zippers, and can unscrew containers.

Do not feed any wild animals!

To protect wildlife, yourself and your gear:

NEVER leave unsecured food unattended. Turning your back for a moment is long enough for a raccoon to snatch your food.

Store your food, garbage and scented items in bear canisters at all times.

Keep a clean camp.

Any type of gear is susceptible to raccoon thievery. Store any unhung, unscented gear inside your tent (NO FOOD).

 
Black bear

Black bear

Black bears also live in the coastal wilderness and frequent tide pool areas. Be sure to protect your food and gear from bears also.

Did You Know?

rocky beach

Olympic National Park protects 73 miles of wild Pacific coast.  Tidepools, sandy beaches and rocky cliffs can all be found here.