Olympic National Park
🇺🇸 United States
🦦 Sea Otters Along the Wild CoastOlympic National Park is a massive temperate conifer forest spanning the Pacific Northwest, featuring dense evergreen woodlands, jagged snowy peaks, and wild ocean shores. Visitors walk through moss-draped trails of giant hemlock and cedar, surrounded by towering mountain ridges and coastal tidepools.
47.779° N 123.597° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Elk (wapiti)
Cervus canadensis
★ 
Olympic Marmot
Marmota olympus
★ 
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
★ 
Sea Otter
Enhydra lutris
📊 Most Spotted
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Poecile rufescens
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
Douglas' Squirrel
Tamiasciurus douglasii
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Western Toad
Anaxyrus boreas
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Elk (wapiti)
Cervus canadensis
★ Olympic Marmot
Marmota olympus
★ American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
★ Sea Otter
Enhydra lutris
📊 Most Spotted
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
Douglas' Squirrel
Tamiasciurus douglasii
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Yellow-pine Chipmunk
Tamias amoenus
Northern River Otter
Lontra canadensis
Snowshoe Hare
Lepus americanus
Northern Sea Lion
Eumetopias jubatus
Townsend's Chipmunk
Tamias townsendii
California Sea Lion
Zalophus californianus
Killer Whale
Orcinus orca
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
📊 Most Spotted
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Poecile rufescens
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Anna's Hummingbird
Calypte anna
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
📊 Most Spotted
Northwestern Garter Snake
Thamnophis ordinoides
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Northern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria coerulea
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
Thamnophis elegans
Common Wall Lizard
Podarcis muralis
Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta
Northern Rubber Boa
Charina bottae
Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Dermochelys coriacea
Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Caretta caretta
Sharp-tailed Snake
Contia tenuis
📊 Most Spotted
Western Toad
Anaxyrus boreas
Rough-skinned Newt
Taricha granulosa
Pacific chorus frog
Pseudacris regilla
Northern Red-legged Frog
Rana aurora
Western Red-backed Salamander
Plethodon vehiculum
Cascades Frog
Rana cascadae
Ensatina
Ensatina eschscholtzii
Olympic Salamander
Rhyacotriton olympicus
Coastal Tailed Frog
Ascaphus truei
Northwestern Salamander
Ambystoma gracile
Cope's Giant Salamander
Dicamptodon copei
Wandering Salamander
Aneides vagrans
Recent sightings in Olympic National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Roosevelt Elk Herds
Roosevelt elk concentrate in large herds in the lowland rainforest river valleys in late winter, when sightings in the Hoh and western valleys peak
2Humpback Whale Season
Humpback whales feed off the Olympic coast and the western Strait of Juan de Fuca through summer and fall
3Gray Whale Migration
Gray whales pass the Olympic coast on their northbound spring migration to Alaska, visible from park beaches like Kalaloch
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Roosevelt Elk Herds
- 2Humpback Whale Season
- 3Gray Whale Migration
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
We also saw quite a bit of wildlife – mostly seabirds, some black-tailed deer (they’re white-tailed at home!), and we did see the head of a large sea lion (we believe it was a Steller, but maybe a California) as it swam along beyond the kelp, keeping its head out of the water and surveying the shore.
The sea otter we saw looked healthy, and a couple we spoke with on the beach had been watching it feeding in the water for quite a while before it came ashore.
We explored the tide pools and saw lots of starfish, anemones and even a seal.
I have of that first visit was sitting around camp and being surprised to see not one, not two, but three separate bears appear across the meadows from me, grazing.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Olympic National Park?
The most likely sightings are Mule Deer (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), American Robin (seen by about 40% of wildlife watchers), American Crow (seen by about 40% of wildlife watchers), Song Sparrow (seen by about 40% of wildlife watchers), Chestnut-backed Chickadee (seen by about 40% of wildlife watchers) — among 562 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Olympic National Park for wildlife?
October has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Elk (wapiti) in Olympic National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Elk (wapiti) sighting in Olympic National Park, based on 515 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Olympic Marmot in Olympic National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Olympic Marmot sighting in Olympic National Park, based on 511 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see American Black Bear in Olympic National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a American Black Bear sighting in Olympic National Park, based on 332 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Sea Otter in Olympic National Park?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Sea Otter sighting in Olympic National Park, based on 236 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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