Lonely Planet: Washington, Oregon, and Pacific Northwest
June 2024
The Olympic Peninsula, located in the northwestern part of Washington state, features a landscape dominated by mountains that are still being lifted from the depth of the sea. At nearly 8000 feet above sea level, the tallest peak in the Olympic Mountain range, called Mt. Olympus, is protected by Olympic National Park, an UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve,
Within the national park’s one million acres, there are mountains, hot springs, over 70 miles of wild coastline, the last surviving temperate rain forests, and the quietest place on earth. The Olympic Peninsula is also home to ten Native American reservations, the world’s largest unmanaged herd of Roosevelt elk, lavender farms and the last remnants of virgin unexplored wilderness.
The Washington Coast stretches from the town of Ocean Shores (north side of Gray’s Harbor) to Cape Disappointment, where the Colombia River flows into the ocean. Compared to the Olympic Peninsula, the Washington Coast is less rugged.
While the weather in Olympic Peninsula and the Washington Coast is generally unpredictable, the southwest averages about 140 inches in the lowlands and over 200 inches in the mountains, while the northeast averages only 15 inches of precipitation per year. July and August usually experience less rain than other months; however, this is the peak season and will be crowded.
