All About the Olympic National Forest

Olympic National Forest Website

The Olympic National Forest is part of an emerald paradise on the Olympic Peninsula in the northwest corner of Washington State. The Peninsula is a unique geographic province consisting of five major landscape settings: temperate rain forests, rugged mountains, large lowland lakes, cascading rivers, and saltwater beaches.

The “Oly”, as it’s locally known, is noted for ecological restoration. Past intensive timber harvesting left the Forest with acres of young stands, extensive roads, and fish passage concerns. Restoration strategies integrate young stand thinning, road decommissioning, and aquatic habitat restoration to create a more resilient Forest landscape. The Olympic provides a scenic backdrop and serene refuge for the highly populated Puget Sound region. Four highly developed “Cornerstones” provide a staging area for diverse day-use opportunities and a peaceful place to sleep among the Forest’s most outstanding water features. Ranger Districts are located in Quilcene and Forks, with the headquarters in OIympia.

The temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest are the largest in the world. They run from the Prince William Sound in Alaska, to the Northern California coast; encompassing most of the Olympic National Forest. 

Lake Quinault, on the Forest’s southwestern edge, receives as much as 140 inches of rainfall each year. Popular destinations include the Bogachiel, Hoh, Queets, and Quinault rainforests on the Olympic Peninsula’s west side.
 

FOREST FACTS
634,000 acres
88,000 acres of  wilderness
279,871 acres for timber production
460,000 roaded acres
19 campgrounds
13 neighboring tribes

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  See what was accomplished this last year on the Olympic National Forest thanks to recreation fees.

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