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Olympic National ParkBackpackers in the high Olympics
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Olympic National Park
Exploring the Mountains
 
green meadows with clumps of evergreen trees and cliffs with snow patches in background
Late-lingering snow dots north-facing slopes in summer.
 

Mile-High Scenery
Scenic vistas, wildflower-dotted meadows and gnarled subalpine forests reward visitors to Olympic's high country.
Learn more about plants and animals of the Olympic high country.

 

Hurricane Ridge 
Seventeen miles south of Port Angeles, Hurricane Ridge is the park's most easily reached mountain destination.  The paved Hurricane Ridge Road is open 24 hours a day from mid-May through mid-autumn. During the "snow months", the road is open, weather permitting, on weekends.

Hurricane Ridge offers a visitor center, self-guided nature trails, a snack bar and gift shop, ranger-led programs in summer and a nearby picnic area.  Camping is available at Heart O' the Hills.

More information and map of Hurricane Ridge (pdf)

 

Deer Park 
Reached by an 18-mile winding gravel road, Deer Park offers spectacular alpine scenery, a small tents-only campground and hiking trails.  A ranger station is staffed intermittently during summer and fall.

The last nine miles of this steep mountain road are gravel-surfaced, winding and narrow.  Please use caution and note that the Deer Park Road is not suitable for RVs or trailers.  From late fall until melt-out in late spring, the road is closed at the park boundary.

More information and map of Deer Park (pdf)

 

Hurricane Ridge Web Cam
Hurricane Ridge Webcam
Current view from Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center
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sharp rocky peak
Mountain Ecosystems
Learn more about Olympic's mountains.
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crosscountry skier on mountain ridge
Winter Wonderland
More about skiing, snowshoeing and sliding at Hurricane Ridge
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Hurricane Ridge Current Conditions
Hurricane Ridge Conditions
Road and weather report for Hurricane Ridge
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Mossy downed log in dense forest  

Did You Know?
The old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest produce three times the biomass (living or once living material) of tropical rain forests.
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Last Updated: March 12, 2009 at 13:00 EST