Large trees and ferns inhabit the temperate forests of Olympic.
With its incredible range of precipitation and elevation, diversity is the hallmark of Olympic National Park. Encompassing nearly a million acres, the park protects a vast wilderness, thousands of years of human history, and several distinctly different ecosystems, including glacier-capped mountains, old-growth temperate rain forests, and over 70 miles of wild coastline. Come explore!
One person is dead, and two others are injured after a small plane crashed in a remote area of Olympic National Park, according to National Park Service officials. Around 6:50 p.m. on July 15, park rangers were notified of the crash in the Quinault area of Olympic National Park. The crash site is on a forested, steep slope north of the Irely Lake Trailhead.
Due to dry conditions, high fire danger, and the number of interagency resources already dedicated to active incidents, campfires in Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest will be restricted to established fire rings starting at 12 a.m. on July 11th, 2025.
On July 8, Olympic Interagency Fire crews continued their efforts to contain the human-caused Bear Gulch Fire with heavy helicopters and ground crews. As of 6:00 p.m. PST, 328 acres have burned north of Lake Cushman in Olympic National Forest. The helicopter water drops limited the fire’s eastern spread to five acres. There are currently no evacuation orders for nearby communities.
On July 6, a human-caused fire was reported in Olympic National Forest near the Mt. Rose Trailhead along the Lake Cushman Corridor (FS-24). The fire – named the Bear Gulch Fire – is burning on a steep, rocky slope north of Lake Cushman and southeast of the Staircase area of Olympic National Park. The fire is approximately 200 acres. There is no current threat to structures or nearby communities.
Last week, Olympic National Park teams versed in technical and swiftwater rescue worked to recover an 18-year-old man's body that was located below Sol Duc Falls on June 9. Recovery efforts included lowering multiple responders into the narrow canyon. Attempts to recover the submerged body were unsuccessful. Rangers faced high river flows in the 7-8' wide canyon due to recent warm temperatures and rapid snowmelt. The park’s priority is to safely complete this recovery as soon as conditions allow. Rangers will continue to monitor the target area, natural hazards, and changing conditions. Recovery operations will resume when it is safe to do so.