Hiking & Backpacking

When you visit the Olympic Wilderness, whether to clamber along the roaring beaches of the wilderness coast, to immerse yourself in the freshness and healing of the old-growth forests, or to push yourself up onto the peaks and ridges of the high country, keep in mind that this remnant of wild America is fragile.

This year, nearly 40,000 people will camp in the Olympic Wilderness and several hundred thousand people will take day hikes. The Wilderness Trip Planner is a useful resource with in-depth descriptions of trails, camping, precautions, and tips.

If we treat Olympic with respect, we can preserve its wildness and grandeur for future generations.

In 1988, Congress designated 95% of Olympic National Park as Wilderness. To find out more about wilderness, wilderness designation and the Wilderness Act, click here.

You can help preserve the beauty of this wilderness by learning how to Leave-No-Trace and Stop the Spread of Invasive Plants.