Hiking Olympic National Forest’s Unprotected Wildlands

Excerpts from the Hiking Guide:

The Olympic Mountains are known internationally as one of the finest remaining natural areas on Earth. Visitors flock to the region during all seasons to experience its outstanding forests, rivers, sub-alpine meadows, and glaciers firsthand. Most visit only the most well known attractions, leaving the more obscure (though often equally impressive) areas to those with the curiosity and willingness to seek them out.

What follows are descriptions of how to access some of these special places in our beloved Olympic National Forest, ranging from easy day hikes to energetic, multi-day adventures. What distinguishes the hikes below, however, is that each traverses a wild landscape that has yet to receive ironclad protection via congressional Wilderness designation. As a result, despite their beauty and critical wildlife habitat, these areas remain vulnerable to future logging and destructive road building. Immensely valuable in their own right, the continued integrity of these areas directly contributes to the health of the Olympic Eco-region as a whole. But don’t take our word for it-visit these areas, form your own opinion, and let our leaders in Congress know what you think.

Please click hiking_guide  to open the Hiking Guide document (in Acrobat Reader format).