This Olympic National Park photos post contains affiliate links. This means that whenever you buy something or book a hotel through those links, we earn a small commission – without any extra cost to you at all! You can read more about our Terms of Use / Disclosure here.
Few national parks in America are as diverse as Olympic National Park. Often called “three parks in one”, it encompasses the towering Olympic Mountains, one of the world’s largest temperate rain forests and the longest stretch of coastal wilderness in the contiguous United States.
Boasting a huge biodiversity, it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve.
In this post, I wanted to show you guys this park’s exceptional diversity through a selection of my favorite Olympic National Park photos.
From panoramic views along Hurricane Ridge to the moss-covered trees in the Hoh Rainforest and the sea stacks on the Pacific Northwest coast, Olympic National Park is a photographer’s dream destination.
There are ridiculously beautiful waterfalls, wildflower-covered mountain meadows and shimmering glacial lakes.
Wildlife abounds on the Olympic Peninsula. This is one of the best national parks for wildlife watching—keep your eyes out for black bears, herds of Roosevelt elk, mountain goats, black-tailed deer and the endemic Olympic marmot.
On the coast, lucky visitors might catch a glimpse of a whale, seal or sea otter. Bald eagles soar high above, salmon rush through mountain streams.
Olympic National Park Photo Essay
Hopefully, the following Olympic National Park photos can give you an idea of what to expect when visiting this extraordinary national park. Enjoy!
Gray clouds linger over the iconic sea stacks at Rialto Beach.
Afternoon sunlight penetrates the dense old-growth rain forest in the Sol Duc Valley.
A paved hiking trail near the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center leads through pockets of pine trees and alpine meadows.
Two young black-tailed deer fawns explore the dry Hurricane Ridge meadows in summer.
One of the most objectively beautiful places in Olympic National Park: Sol Duc Falls.
A jumble of washed-up driftwood covers much of Ruby Beach.
Late-summer wildflowers on the slopes of Hurricane Ridge.
Curtains of moss hang from pine tree branches in the forests of the Olympic Mountains.
Moss drapes old trees while ferns carpet the forest floor in the Hoh Rain Forest.
Peering through the Hole-in-the-Wall at Rialto Beach.
A hiking trail runs high above the Hurricane Ridge Road. Views are obstructed by summer wildlife smoke.
Pretty Madison Falls is the one of the most accessible waterfalls in the park’s northern part.
A couple of hikers explore Ruby Beach.
One of my absolute favorite Olympic National Park photos: a moss-covered tree lit up by evening sunlight in the Hoh Rain Forest.
The Olympic marmot is endemic to the Olympic Peninsula; it lives nowhere else in the world.
Foggy coastal landscape at Ruby Beach.
A super-enjoyable trail through old-growth forests leads to Marymere Falls, a popular attraction near Lake Crescent.
These people are not deterred by the smoke from summer forest fires and enjoy the Lake Crescent views from a jetty.
Another low-tide scene at Rialto Beach: sea stacks, tidepools and seaweed-covered rocks.
The old-growth forests of Olympic National Park offer fantastic hiking.
Other National Park Photo Essays
- Acadia National Park in Photos
- Arches National Park in Photos
- Capitol Reef National Park in Photos
- Channel Islands National Park in Photos
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park Photos
- Death Valley National Park in Photos
- Petrified Forest National Park in Photos
- Saguaro National Park in Photos
- Shenandoah National Park in Photos
Joanne @ Travel Visa UK
Monday 17th of September 2018
Very much the kind of place I would like to visit for some refreshing air and nature seeing.
Bram Reusen
Tuesday 18th of September 2018
It's absolutely stunning, Joanne!