Road will open at 9am. All vehicles must carry chains. The uphill gate closes at 4pm; all vehicles must be below the entrance station by 5pm. Lifts and children’s sledding area open. No potable water, or food service are available.
Hoh Rain Forest area will reopen when county road is repaired - 3/13/25
Olympic National Park will begin restoring essential services to the Hoh Rain Forest once the Upper Hoh Road, which is maintained by Jefferson County, is safe for travel. Until then, the area is closed to all traffic, including pedestrians & bicycles. More
Rough-skinned newts use their bright orange underbellies as well as a poison secreted from their skin to protect themselves. They breed in ponds but usually live in the forest.
Amphibians
Walk through a rain forest valley on a damp spring day and look around at the mossy forest floor, or under the abundant, decaying downed trees. You may spot an amphibian. The ponds, lakes, streams and forests of Olympic National Park provide the ideal habitat for frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders. Some, like the rough-skinned newt, which sports a bright orange belly and bumpy brown skin, are common in the lowlands. Others, like the tailed frog, can live in cold, rushing mountain streams. Olympic is home to one endemic (found only locally) species, the Olympic Torrent Salamander (Rhyacotriton olympicus).
Throughout the world, many amphibian populations are declining. Though research has revealed Olympic seems to have fairly stable populations of most species, western toads could be declining. With life histories that include life in air and water, amphibians are susceptible to pollution from both sources, as well as being vulnerable to predation by introduced non-natives like bull frogs and eastern brook trout.
Reptiles
The cool, maritime climate in Olympic National Park is not ideal for reptiles. Nevertheless, there are some snakes and lizards that have been documented in the park. There are no venomous snakes on the Olympic Peninsula. Off-shore there are several species of sea-turtle that are at home in our ocean waters. Sometimes these turtles strand on the shoreline. If you should find such a turtle please report it via email to e-mail us.
Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.
Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.
Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.
Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.
Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.
Occurrence Tags
Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.
False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.
Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.
Abundance
Abundant:
Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.
Common:
Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.
Uncommon:
Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.
Rare:
Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.
Occasional:
Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).
Unknown: Abundance unknown
Nativeness
Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.
Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.
Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.
List Differences
The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.
The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.
The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.
Locations:Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, Hot Springs National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Indiana Dunes National Park, Isle Royale National Park, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Jewel Cave National Monument, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, John Muir National Historic Site, Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Joshua Tree National Park, Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, Katmai National Park & Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Kings Mountain National Military Park, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, Kobuk Valley National Park, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park, Mammoth Cave National Park, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park, Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, Mesa Verde National Park, Minute Man National Historical Park, Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, Missouri National Recreational River, Mojave National Preserve, Monocacy National Battlefield, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Moores Creek National Battlefield, Morristown National Historical Park, Mount Rainier National Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Muir Woods National Monument, Natchez Trace Parkway, National Capital Parks-East, National Park of American Samoa, Natural Bridges National Monument, Navajo National Monument, New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, Nez Perce National Historical Park, Ninety Six National Historic Site, Niobrara National Scenic River, Noatak National Preserve, North Cascades National Park, Obed Wild & Scenic River, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Olympic National Park, Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Oxon Cove Park & Oxon Hill Farm, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Padre Island National Seashore, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, Pea Ridge National Military Park, Pecos National Historical Park, Petersburg National Battlefield, Petrified Forest National Park, Petroglyph National Monument, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Pinnacles National Park, Pipe Spring National Monument, Pipestone National Monument, Piscataway Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, Presidio of San Francisco, Prince William Forest Park, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Redwood National and State Parks, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Rock Creek Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Russell Cave National Monument, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, Saguaro National Park, Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, San Juan Island National Historical Park, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Saratoga National Historical Park, Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Shenandoah National Park, Shiloh National Military Park, Sitka National Historical Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Stones River National Battlefield, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Thomas Stone National Historic Site, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve, Tonto National Monument, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tuzigoot National Monument, Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, Vicksburg National Military Park, Virgin Islands National Park, Voyageurs National Park, Walnut Canyon National Monument, War In The Pacific National Historical Park, Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, Weir Farm National Historical Park, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, White Sands National Park, Whitman Mission National Historic Site, Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, Wind Cave National Park, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve, Wright Brothers National Memorial, Wupatki National Monument, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Yucca House National Monument, Yukon - Charley Rivers National Preserve, Zion National Parkmore »
To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation.
Locations:Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park
Offices:North Coast and Cascades Inventory & Monitoring Network
An on-going long-term study of the impacts of atmospheric pollution, climate change, non-native species, backcountry visitation, and other factors on park lakes.
