Olympic National Park has it all - glacial mountains that rise thousands of feet from sea level, ancient temperate rainforests, and the largest, most magnificent coastal wilderness in the lower 48 states.
Olympic National Park, in Northwestern Washington, has 73 miles of coastline with unbroken stretches of wilderness ranging between 10 and 20 miles.The 9-mile long Ozette Loop trail is the most popular coastal hike in the park. And for good reason. My personal favorite is the wilderness trek from Rialto Beach through "Hole In the Wall" to the Chilean Memorial. With a rainforest that borders the ocean, tree lined islets, and gorgeous reefs, this hike has something for every wilderness traveler.
The glaciated Olympic Mountains run through the center core of the park. Mount Olympus, which rises 7,965 feet from sea level is the tallest followed closely by Mount Deception at 7,788 feet.
The western side of Olympic National park is mantled by a magnificent temperate rainforest which recieves annual precipitation of about 150 inches. An overnight journey into the Hoh Rainforest will reward the wilderness traveler with both solitude and the opportunity to explore the unique ecosystem of one of America’s most amazing forests. So don’t let the rain scare you off. That's why it is called a “rainforest.”
What Olympic National Park doesn’t have is a protective buffer zone around it. The Olympic National Forest - which borders the park - has been absolutely devastated by logging. Much of the lands heading into the park show conclusive evidence of massive clear cutting. Maybe the name of the forest should be changed from Olympic National Forest to Stump National Forest.