Olympic NP 2025

Our last National Park for this year is one of Sue’s favorites, Olympic National Park. When we were in our 20’s we lived in Seattle for a while, and Sue thought this place was Eden on earth. She will always love being in temperate rain forests, and this was our first introduction to the complex, layered environment.

Forests packed with trees, berry bushes, ferns, mosses, lichens and may other small plants growing thick and lush in poor soil, with lots of moisture. Olympic National Park has tall mountains with glaciers, temperate rain forest, old growth forests and Pacific coast, something for everyone! It is still one of Sue’s favorite spots on earth, 45 years later.

We not only met elk, deer and mules but a trio of bear cubs during our visit. There were more people here than the other 5 parks we visited so shorter paths had plenty of people. Fortunately, the longer paths were quiet except for the rushing creeks with salmon trying to swim, jump and climb to their birth spot to lay their eggs.