Deer Park

Deer Park Ranger Station amid mountains and forest.

NPS Photo

Much of the area's weather originates in the Pacific Ocean. Fronts storm inland from the southwest, heading straight for the Olympics. As the clouds rise over the mountains, pressure and temperature drop, so the air can no longer hold all its moisture. The moisture falls as rain and snow. By the time the clouds pass northeast of Mount Olympus and the Bailey Range, they have dropped most of their water. So here in the eastern Olympics, we are in a dry rainshadow.

The 18-mile Deer Park Road is narrow and steep with occasional turn-offs. The last 9 miles are gravel. It is not suitable for RVs or trailers. Please use caution. From late fall until melt out in late spring, the road is closed at the park boundary, about 9 miles from Highway 101.

Facilities: Deer Park Ranger Station: Intermittently staffed during summer and fall. Information available.

Deer Park area brochure.

 

The glow of a tent beneath a starry sky at Deer Park.

NPS Photo

Camping: 14 sites, fire pits with grates, picnic tables, accessible pit toilets, animal-proof food storage. Potable water is not available. Firewood gathering prohibited. If it's windy, watch for branches falling from trees killed by a 1988 fire.

Regulations: Pets and bicycles are not permitted on the trails. Open fires outside of campground fire pits are not permitted above 3,500 feet. Backpackers must obtain a wilderness camping permit. See www.nps.gov/olym for more information about permits and reservations.