The Hoh and Quinault rainforests on the western side are the temperate rainforest — moss-draped Sitka spruce and western hemlock under three metres of annual rain. Roosevelt elk, the largest elk subspecies and the animal the park was originally created to protect, browse the river flats; the Hoh River trail at dawn is the reliable place to find them.

Hurricane Ridge, high above Port Angeles, is the alpine zone. Black-tailed deer graze the meadows unbothered, Olympic marmots — found on this peninsula and nowhere else on Earth — whistle from the rocks, and the summer wildflowers are exceptional.

The Pacific coast strip at Rialto, Ruby and Second Beach is where sea otters raft offshore, bald eagles perch on the sea stacks, and tide pools hold anemones, ochre stars and urchins. Time low tide and the pools become the main event.

The rivers throughout hold returning salmon in autumn, with the Elwha now recovering after the largest dam removal in United States history — salmon are returning to a river that was blocked for a century.

Summer, roughly June to September, is the driest and most accessible. Autumn brings the elk rut and salmon runs; winter closes the high roads and brings serious rain to the rainforest, which is arguably when it is at its best.

Practicalities

The park is a few hours from Seattle including a ferry. Hurricane Ridge road closes in winter and can shut in storms; check status before driving up.

Wilderness permits and bear canisters are required for backcountry camping, and coastal hiking must be planned around tide tables — headlands become impassable at high water and people are cut off every year.