Olympic National Park

🇺🇸 United States

🦦 Sea Otters Along the Wild Coast

🌍 #258 Global · 3.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #51 in North America #56 in Temperate Forest

Pacific Northwest, United States 562 spp. recorded

Olympic 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

Cervus elaphus

Marmota olympus

Ursus americanus

Enhydra lutris

📊 Most Spotted

Odocoileus hemionus

Turdus migratorius

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Melospiza melodia

Poecile rufescens

Junco hyemalis

Phoca vitulina

Tamiasciurus douglasii

30–40% · Possible

Larus glaucescens

30–40% · Possible

Corvus corax

30–40% · Possible

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

30–40% · Possible

Anaxyrus boreas

30–40% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

Cervus elaphus

Marmota olympus

Ursus americanus

Enhydra lutris

📊 Most Spotted

Odocoileus hemionus

Phoca vitulina

Tamiasciurus douglasii

30–40% · Possible

Megaptera novaeangliae

Tamias amoenus

Lontra canadensis

Lepus americanus

Eumetopias jubatus

Tamias townsendii

Zalophus californianus

Orcinus orca

Procyon lotor

📊 Most Spotted

LC Endemic

Turdus migratorius

40–50% · Likely

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Melospiza melodia

Poecile rufescens

Junco hyemalis

Larus glaucescens

Corvus corax

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Pipilo maculatus

Calypte anna

Regulus satrapa

Sitta canadensis

📊 Most Spotted

Thamnophis ordinoides

Thamnophis sirtalis

Elgaria coerulea

Thamnophis elegans

Podarcis muralis

Trachemys scripta

Charina bottae

Chrysemys picta

Caretta caretta

Contia tenuis

Chelonia mydas

Sceloporus occidentalis

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Anaxyrus boreas

Taricha granulosa

Pseudacris regilla

Rana aurora

Plethodon vehiculum

Rana cascadae

Ensatina eschscholtzii

10–20% · With luck

NT Endemic

Rhyacotriton olympicus

Ascaphus truei

Ambystoma gracile

Dicamptodon copei

Aneides vagrans

Animal Events

🦌

Roosevelt Elk Herds

Mar

Roosevelt elk concentrate in large herds in the lowland rainforest river valleys in late winter, when sightings in the Hoh and western valleys peak

Cervus elaphus

30–40% · Possible

🐋

Humpback Whale Season

JunJulAugSepOctNov

Humpback whales feed off the Olympic coast and the western Strait of Juan de Fuca through summer and fall

Megaptera novaeangliae

20–30% · Possible

🐋

Gray Whale Migration

AprMay

Gray whales pass the Olympic coast on their northbound spring migration to Alaska, visible from park beaches like Kalaloch

Eschrichtius robustus

0–10% · With luck

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

30–40

20–30

30–40

Red Deer

20–30

30–40

40–50

30–40

20–30

30–40

Olympic Marmot

0–10

20–30

40–50

30–40

American Black Bear

10–20

0–10

10–20

20–30

30–40

20–30

30–40

20–30

10–20

0–10

Sea Otter

20–30

10–20

20–30

10–20

20–30

10–20

Mule Deer

40–50

30–40

40–50

50–60

60–70

50–60

40–50

American Robin

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

30–40

40–50

20–30

30–40

American Crow

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

Song Sparrow

40–50

30–40

20–30

30–40

40–50

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

Dark-eyed Junco

40–50

30–40

20–30

40–50

Harbor Seal

30–40

40–50

30–40

20–30

30–40

40–50

30–40

Douglas' Squirrel

30–40

10–20

20–30

30–40

20–30

Glaucous-winged Gull

30–40

20–30

10–20

20–30

30–40

40–50

Common Raven

30–40

20–30

30–40

40–50

30–40

Bald Eagle

30–40

40–50

30–40

20–30

10–20

30–40

40–50

Western Toad

10–20

20–30

30–40

10–20

Animal Events

🦌 Roosevelt Elk Herds

🐋 Humpback Whale Season

🐋 Gray Whale Migration

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good

🦦 Sea Otters Along the Wild Coast

🦜

Biodiversity

Very good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

4.7 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

407

🐒 Mammals

121

🦎 Reptiles

🐸 Amphibians

562 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

35 Threatened 77 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

2.4 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

38%

📊

Coverage (139 species at ≥5% of 562 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

25%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 4 mammal)

47% Global avg

59%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

Explore Other Parks

📍 163 km 🐋 Gray Whales Pass the Surf Coast

Olympic National Park

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Red Deer

Olympic Marmot

American Black Bear

Sea Otter

📊 Most Spotted

Mule Deer

American Robin

American Crow

Song Sparrow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Dark-eyed Junco

Harbor Seal

Douglas' Squirrel

Glaucous-winged Gull

Common Raven

Bald Eagle

Western Toad

⭐ Iconic Species

Red Deer

Olympic Marmot

American Black Bear

Sea Otter

📊 Most Spotted

Mule Deer

Harbor Seal

Douglas' Squirrel

Humpback Whale

Tamia améne

Northern River Otter

Snowshoe Hare

Northern Sea Lion

Townsend's Chipmunk

California Sea Lion

Killer Whale

Common Raccoon

📊 Most Spotted

American Robin

American Crow

Song Sparrow

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Dark-eyed Junco

Glaucous-winged Gull

Common Raven

Bald Eagle

Spotted Towhee

Anna's Hummingbird

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Red-breasted Nuthatch

📊 Most Spotted

Northwestern Garter Snake

Common Garter Snake

Northern Alligator Lizard

Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

Common Wall Lizard

Pond Slider

Northern Rubber Boa

Painted Turtle

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Sharp-tailed Snake

Green Turtle

Western Fence Lizard

📊 Most Spotted

Western Toad

Rough-skinned Newt

Pacific chorus frog

Northern Red-legged Frog

Western Red-backed Salamander

Cascades Frog

Ensatina

Olympic Salamander

Coastal Tailed Frog

Northwestern Salamander

Cope's Giant Salamander

Wandering Salamander

Animal Events

Roosevelt Elk Herds

Red Deer