Olympic National Park — Interstate Access, 2026 Fees & Truck Notes

01 Park overview

Olympic is the rare park that wraps three different ecosystems into a single 922,000-acre boundary: a temperate Pacific rainforest on the west side (Hoh, Quinault, and Queets valleys), a 73-mile wilderness coast along the Pacific, and a glaciated mountain core topped by Mount Olympus (7,980 ft) at its center. There is no road that crosses the park, instead a ring of spur roads off US-101 reaches each section, and visitors typically pick two or three to combine over a weekend. From I-5 the standard access is Exit 104 in Olympia, then 83 miles up US-101 to Port Angeles for Hurricane Ridge, or further west for the Hoh Rainforest, Lake Crescent, and the Pacific coast. Olympic was designated a national park in 1938 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site shortly after.

Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site
73 miles of protected Pacific coastline, the longest undeveloped coast in the contiguous US
Hoh Rainforest receives 140-170 inches of rain a year, more than any other forest in the lower 48
No road crosses the park, spur roads off US-101 access individual valleys
Mount Olympus (7,980 ft) is the highest peak; over 250 glaciers cover the interior

02 Photos

A sweeping panorama from Hurricane Ridge looking out over the snow-streaked peaks of the Olympic Mountains in Olympic National Park, Washington. Dllu / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

03 Don't miss

Hurricane Ridge
Hoh Rainforest
Lake Crescent and Marymere Falls
Rialto Beach / Ruby Beach (Pacific coast)
Sol Duc Falls

04 Getting there & truck/RV access

Route from interstate

From I-5

Exit 104 (Olympia / US-101 North)

83 mi north on US-101 to Port Angeles, the gateway for the Hurricane Ridge corridor

Big rigs & RVs

Truck access

US-101 around the perimeter is paved and unrestricted for all vehicle sizes. The spur roads vary: Hurricane Ridge Road is paved and 17 miles long with one tunnel and several switchbacks; Hoh Rainforest Road is paved but narrow; the coastal spurs are mostly easy.

Parking: RV/oversized parking is available at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center and the Hoh Visitor Center. Overflow lots open during peak summer weekends. Truck stops are concentrated in Olympia and Aberdeen, none near the park.

Restrictions: Trailers over 21 ft are not advised on Hurricane Ridge Road. The Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort road has a 35-ft length recommendation. Several coastal spurs (Mora, Rialto) have small lots that fill by mid-morning summer weekends.

05 Seasonality & road closures

Best months: July through September, Hurricane Ridge fully open, less rain, longer daylight, all spur roads passable.

Closures: Hurricane Ridge Road operates on a winter schedule (Friday to Sunday only, weather depending) from December through March. The Mount Olympus Lodge / Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center burned in 2023 and as of 2026 services on the ridge are limited.

Notes: Pacific coast trail conditions are tide-dependent, many "trailheads" require timing your hike to a low tide window. The park publishes a tide-pool calendar each summer.

06 Entrance fees (2026)

Pass	Price
Private vehicle (7-day)	$30
Motorcycle (7-day)	$25
Individual / walk-in (7-day, age 16+)	$15
Park-specific annual pass	$55 (Olympic Annual Pass)
America the Beautiful (annual, all NPS sites)	$80 U.S. residents · $250 non-residents

2026 nonresident fee — does not apply here

The $100 NPS nonresident surcharge applies at 11 specifically named parks. Olympic National Park is not on that list, so non-U.S. residents pay the same standard entrance fees as U.S. residents.

Fee-free days available for U.S. residents only beginning January 1, 2026.

Note: Olympic is not on the 2026 nonresident-surcharge list. Cashless park, credit/debit only.

Official NPS fee page →

07 Current alerts (7)

Active National Weather Service alerts and FEMA disaster declarations affecting Olympic National Park's state(s). Updated every 15 minutes.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued June 10 at 1:31AM CDT until June 10 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN

Anoka, MN; Benton, MN; Blue Earth, MN; Carver, MN; Chisago, MN; Dakota, MN; Faribault, MN; Freeborn, MN; Goodhue, MN; Hennepin, MN; Isanti, MN; Kanabec, MN; Le Sueur, MN; McLeod, MN; Meeker, MN; Mille

FIRE WEATHER WATCH

Fire Weather Watch issued June 9 at 9:19PM MDT until June 10 at 8:00PM MDT by NWS Denver CO

North and Northeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/North Lincoln County; Southeast Elbert County Below 6000 Feet/South Lincoln County; Washington County

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement issued June 10 at 2:31AM CDT by NWS Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN

Hennepin; Anoka; Ramsey; Washington; Carver; Scott; Dakota; Le Sueur; Rice; Goodhue; Pierce

DENSE FOG ADVISORY

Dense Fog Advisory issued June 10 at 1:07AM CDT until June 10 at 7:00AM CDT by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan WI

Sheboygan; Washington; Ozaukee; Waukesha; Milwaukee; Racine; Kenosha

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement issued June 10 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Louisville KY

Orange; Washington; Scott; Jefferson; Dubois; Crawford; Perry; Harrison; Floyd; Clark; Hancock; Breckinridge; Meade; Ohio; Grayson; Hardin; Bullitt; Jefferson; Oldham; Trimble; Henry; Shelby; Franklin

HEAT ADVISORY

Heat Advisory issued June 10 at 1:47AM EDT until June 12 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Albany NY

Southern Berkshire; Southern Herkimer; Southern Fulton; Montgomery; Northern Saratoga; Northern Washington; Schoharie; Western Schenectady; Southern Saratoga; Western Albany; Eastern Columbia; Western

TORNADO WATCH

Tornado Watch issued June 9 at 8:36PM CDT until June 10 at 3:00AM CDT by NWS Omaha/Valley NE

Monona, IA; Antelope, NE; Boone, NE; Burt, NE; Butler, NE; Cedar, NE; Colfax, NE; Cuming, NE; Dodge, NE; Knox, NE; Madison, NE; Pierce, NE; Platte, NE; Saunders, NE; Seward, NE; Stanton, NE; Thurston,

08 FAQ

How do I get to Olympic from I-5?

From I-5 take Exit 104 in Olympia onto US-101 north. Port Angeles (the gateway for Hurricane Ridge) is 83 miles up the highway. The Hoh Rainforest is roughly 145 miles by US-101, and the Pacific coast spurs are between 110 and 160 miles depending on which beach you choose.

Is the $100 nonresident fee charged at Olympic?

No. Olympic is not one of the 11 surcharged parks. Non-U.S. residents pay the same $30 vehicle entry as U.S. residents in 2026.

Is Hurricane Ridge open in winter?

On a limited Friday to Sunday-only schedule from December through March, weather depending. The road is plowed and chains may be required. The visitor-center facilities at the top burned in 2023 and have not been fully replaced as of 2026.

Can I drive across Olympic?

No road crosses the park interior. To see the rainforest, the coast, and the alpine areas, you drive around the park on US-101 and turn in on individual spur roads to each valley.