One of America's wildest and most isolated national parks lies on the Olympic Peninsula, the westernmost outcropping of the Pacific Ocean. Olympic National Park is often referred to as "three parks in one" because it contains three distinctly different ecosystems. Rugged glacier-capped mountains nearly 8,000 feet high are visible from almost everywhere in the park. Alpine meadows bursting with summer wildflowers lay beside frigid, sapphire-blue lakes. Also, more than 60 miles of the last wilderness beach in the contiguous United States stretch up the coast. Only changed by surf and storms over the past thousands of years, this beach is marked at low tide with boulders, tide pools and huge trees washed to sea, as well as swooping bald eagles, raccoons feeding on shellfish, and tiny sea creatures. (You can enjoy exploring the beach, but there is no swimming in the ocean due to dangerous currents and floating debris.) Between the mountains and the coast is the park's most remarkable and rare zone: a temperate rain forest, the likes of which stand only here and in a few other isolated areas of the world.

Equally significant, 95 percent of Olympic's nearly one million acres are designated wilderness area. Highway 101 circles the park, but no roads traverse the central wilderness area. To experience the park's diversity, you must take to some of the more than 600 miles of trails.

The best way to see the park is to divide your days among the various ecosystems inside. Or, if you only have a limited amount of time, choose one area of the park to explore. Some families opt to see the park by moving from campsite to campsite. Of course, this requires early rising during the busy season since all the park's campgrounds are first come, first served.

If you do want to "see it all" in one day, drive to Hurricane Ridge (about 17 miles south of the Olympic National Park Visitor Center) for a taste of the park's high country and mountain vistas. Meadow Loop Trails offer several short walks past blooming wildflower fields often visited by black-tailed deer. Then drive west along Highway 101 to the Hoh Rain Forest (about a three-hour drive) and take one of the short nature trails that lead from the Hoh Visitor Center. An additional 40-minute drive west takes you to Rialto Beach or Ruby Beach, where you can explore the park's Pacific coastline. (Be sure to coordinate your trip to the beach with current tide tables, available at all visitor centers.)

Throughout the park, you'll find a wide variety of programs to help you explore. Pick up a free copy of THE BUGLER at visitor centers around the park so you don't miss out on evening campfire programs, guided hikes and boat tours.


VISITOR INFORMATION

The park is open year-round, 24 hours a day. A $20 per car entrance fee is required. The park's main information center is the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles. Summer hours (end of June to Labor Day) there are expected to be 8:30 A.M. to 6:30P.M. daily. Visitor centers in Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh Rain Forest are also open daily during the summer. For brochures and more information, call 360-374-7566.


BEST BETS

BEST EASY WALK
The Marymere Falls Trail on the south shore of Lake Crescent leads you through old-growth forest to a thundering 90-foot waterfall.

BEST SHORE WALK
The park naturalist-led tide pool discovery walks at the Rialto and Kalaloch beaches may turn out to be the most memorable part of the trip for your children. Check the park newspaper for summer schedules.

BEST DAY HIKE
Make a day of hiking the 9.3-mile Ozette Triangle coastal loop. During this diverse trip, you'll walk through coastal forests (along a boardwalk), over rolling hills and down the beach (a 3-mile stretch), where you'll likely spot sea otters and brown pelicans.

BEST PICNIC SPOT
Pack a lunch and head to Hurricane Ridge, which features scenic mountain vistas. Don't miss the 1.5-mile Hurricane Hill Trail (beginning at the end of Hurricane Ridge Road), which rewards hikers with 360-degree views of the Olympic Mountains.

BEST WILDLIFE TO LOOK FOR
Olympic Peninsula is home to animals not found anywhere else in the world. On the trails, keep yours eyes open for chubby and friendly Olympic marmots, usually found in the high meadows. Also look for Roosevelt elk, often seen in the Quinault, Hoh and Queets rain forests.

BEST FAMILY PROGRAM
Olympic Park Institute runs weekend and day programs just for families. During June, July and August, choose from several programs, including "Seaside Safari," where you'll explore a rainbow of colors and critters in some of the world's richest tidepools, and "Critters and Creatures," where you'll spend a weekend investigating Olympic National Park animals in their wilderness homes. Call 800-775-3720 for reservations, or visit their Web site.

BEST RANGER PROGRAMS
Though all the guided interpretive programs are lively and entertaining, the unique environment of the Hoh Rain Forest is best revealed on a walk with a park naturalist (check the park newspaper for times that hikes leave the Hoh Visitor Center). If you can't make a guided hike, don't miss the Hall of Mosses Trail, one of the best-known nature trails in the park. This gentle 3/4-mile loop winds over creeks and through cool, jungle-like forests dripping with moss.

BEST SWIMMING
The East Beach Picnic Area on Lake Crescent offers a large sand beach and some of the park's warmest water temperatures.

BEST CAMPGROUND
One great way families can spend time in the park's different ecosystems is to jump from one campsite to the next. All campgrounds are available on a first -come first-served basis. These can fill quickly so be sure to be there before 10:00 A.M. There are four family-friendly campgrounds around the park, all with flush toilets, drinking water, fire grates, ranger programs and beautiful nearby trails: Heart of the Hills, Mora, Staircase and Hoh.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated June 2005.