Olympic National Park in Washington State was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt 70 years ago this month and despite being one of the lesser-known national parks in America, it is one of only ten that are designated World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
The almost one million-acre park is often referred to as ‘three parks in one’ since it encompasses three distinct eco-systems – rugged, glacier-capped mountains; over 60 miles of Pacific coast and beaches; and old-growth and temperate rainforest. Around 95 per cent of Olympic National Park is designated wilderness.
The park is home to hundreds of different species of plant and animals, just offshore you can find whales and dolphins as they feed in the Pacific Ocean whilst the tide pools are overflowing with invertebrates and other water species.
On the land you can see a variety of animals, such as raccoons, beaver and mink in the lowlands as well as deer, cougars and bears in the valleys and mountain meadows.
Look towards the sky and you might catch a glimpse of a golden eagle soaring over the mountain peaks, as they are one of the 300 species of birds which live in the area for part of the year.
If you make it to the top of the 7,980-foot summit of Mount Olympus you can marvel as the Pacific Ocean shimmers in the distance, less than 33 miles west, but if you'd prefer to view the Olympic Mountains from a slightly less back-breaking platform, Hurricane Ridge at nearly a mile above sea-level, is by far the easiest place to see them.
Though most of the peaks do not have trails to their summits, day hikes or overnight backpacks on the park's trail system can take you to basins, lakes and passes surrounded by peaks.
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Female First - Ruth Harrison