Olympic National Park
| Olympic National Park | |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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| Location | Jefferson, Clallam, Mason, and Grays Harbor counties, Washington, USA |
| Nearest city | Port Angeles |
| Coordinates | 47°58′10″N 123°29′55″W / 47.96935°N 123.49856°WCoordinates: 47°58′10″N 123°29′55″W / 47.96935°N 123.49856°W |
| Area | 922,650 acres (3,733.8 km2) |
| Established | June 29, 1938 |
| Visitors | 3,263,761 (in 2015) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Olympic National Park |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | vii, ix |
| Designated | 1981 (5th session) |
| Reference no. | 151 |
| State Party |
 United States
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| Region | Europe and North America |
Olympic National Park is a United States national park located in the state of Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. The park has four basic regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west side temperate rainforest and the forests of the drier east side. Within the park there are three distinct ecosystems which are sub-alpine forest and wildflower meadow, temperate forest, and the rugged Pacific Shore. These three different ecosystems are in pristine condition and have outstanding scenery.
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt originally created Mount Olympus National Monument on 2 March 1909. It was designated a national park by President Franklin Roosevelt on June 29, 1938. In 1976, Olympic National Park was designated by UNESCO as an International Biosphere Reserve, and in 1981 as a World Heritage Site. In 1988, Congress designated 95 percent of the park as the Olympic Wilderness.
The coastal portion of the park is a rugged, sandy beach along with a strip of adjacent forest. It is 60 miles (97 km) long but just a few miles wide, with native communities at the mouths of two rivers. The Hoh River has the Hoh people and at the town of La Push at the mouth of the Quileute River live the Quileute.
The beach has unbroken stretches of wilderness ranging from 10 to 20 miles (16 to 32 km). While some beaches are primarily sand, others are covered with heavy rock and very large boulders. Bushy overgrowth, slippery footing, tides and misty rain forest weather all hinder foot travel. (Times to hike should typically be doubled.) The coastal strip is more readily accessible than the interior of the Olympics; due to the difficult terrain, very few backpackers venture beyond casual day-hiking distances.
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Wikipedia