Fall Colors: Olympic National Park

Photo by: Joe Dsilva via Flickr [CC BY-NC-SA 2.0]

Washington's Olympic National Park is abundantly diverse in it's beauty and geography. From its snow-capped mountain peaks to its lush rainforests and wild, wooded coastlines, autumn in Olympic National Park provides spectacular beauty around every bend.

The diversity of the park also makes it tough to pick an ideal time to visit the park to experience the peak of fall color. The colors start much earlier in the higher elevations (mid-September), but it will often not be until early to mid-October when the colors start becoming vibrant in the Hoh rainforest and along the coastlines.

While you will not see widespread scarlet and amber colors throughout the park like are typical in the eastern United States, you will have some opportunities to spot blazing scarlet leaves on the small maples that grow along the Hoh River. The bright flame of the leaves against the glacial blue waters of the river is truly spectacular in deed!

Keep in mind also that Fall weather is unpredictable in the park. Roads may be closed temporarily by snow or other potentially dangerous weather conditions, and snow tires or chains may be required.