September
Watch the high-country forecastSnow can arrive at higher elevations by late September. Salmon Cascades viewing is often strongest in late September–early October.
420,210 average visits in September
Choose your fall month
Compare early-season outings with later weather and service changes.
October
Rain and wildlife seasonRain and wind build at low elevations by late October. Fall elk rut requires extra space, and coastal whale migration resumes.
263,849 average visits in October
November
Plan a wet-season baseMost rainforest/coast rain falls November–April. Choose lower areas and check road, campground and lodging calendars.
177,710 average visits in November
Getting around in fall
Use the season’s access and weather limits to choose the day’s route.
Watch the mountain forecast
Snow can arrive at higher elevations by late September. Keep a lowland alternative before committing to a ridge day.
Prepare for the wet season
Rain and wind build through autumn. Check road and lodging calendars and coastal tides before choosing the day’s route.
Things to do in fall
Choose one or two outings that fit your dates and the day’s conditions.
Salmon Cascades
Late September and early October are useful salmon-viewing windows at the overlook. Do not promise fish on a particular visit.
Rainforest walks
Hoh and Quinault give lowland alternatives when mountains are snowy. Give elk extra space during the fall rut.
Autumn whale migration
October and November bring a coastal migration window. Watch from safe shore viewpoints with tides and waves checked.
Get oriented for fall
Choose one peninsula area at a time: mountain, rainforest, lake or coast.
- Mapped road corridor
- 1 · Hurricane Ridge
- 2 · Hoh Rain Forest
- 3 · Sol Duc Hot Springs
- 4 · Mora
- Park boundary
Where to stay in fall
Choose a base for one side of the peninsula, then check the property’s own calendar.
Kalaloch Lodge
This year-round coastal lodge is a different base from Port Angeles and the mountain approaches.
Lake Crescent or Sol Duc
These have different seasonal calendars. Compare the destination and actual opening dates rather than assume one peninsula-wide season.
Camping Campground seasons and reservation arrangements differ. Use the park’s camping guidance before choosing an overnight stop.
Olympic fall crowds
The highlighted whole months average 287,256 recreation visits per month. August is the annual peak at 625,799.
Fall months highlightedSeptember through November
LowestLowModerateHighPeakAverage month: 256,681
Olympic fall temperatures
NOAA 1991-2020 averages at Elwha Ranger Station, WA (preview station; full station review pending). Rainforest, coastal and mountain weather differ; check the forecast for your chosen peninsula area.
Fall months highlightedSeptember through November
Cooler Hotter
Jan
High41°F
Low33°F
Feb
High44°F
Low33°F
Mar
High50°F
Low35°F
Apr
High56°F
Low38°F
May
High63°F
Low43°F
Jun
High67°F
Low47°F
Jul
High74°F
Low51°F
Aug
High75°F
Low52°F
Sep
High68°F
Low48°F
Oct
High56°F
Low42°F
Nov
High46°F
Low36°F
Dec
High41°F
Low33°F
Questions about Olympic fall
Quick answers to the practical questions below.
Is Olympic worth visiting in fall?
Olympic in fall moves quickly from late-summer trips toward rain and high-country snow. Late September and early October add salmon-viewing opportunities; later visits should lean toward forest and coast with storm-aware plans.
Which fall month should I choose?
September: Watch the high-country forecast. October: Rain and wildlife season. November: Plan a wet-season base.
Can mountain snow affect a fall trip?
Snow can arrive at higher elevations by late September. Keep a lowland alternative before committing to a ridge day.
How we built this page.
An independent guide using official data. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service.
- Official guidance
- NPS and the relevant operators. The linked official pages support the access, facilities and rules described here. Confirm details before traveling.
- Crowd context
- 2021–2025 monthly averages. NPS recreation visits describe normal seasonal demand, not trail congestion, parking availability or unique visitors.
- Schedules and conditions
- Planning patterns, not live status. Seasonal information describes the normal pattern or explicitly dated source schedule. Current conditions are handled separately. The official source is the place to confirm today’s access.
Topic sources and data details
NPS seasonal, activity and overnight guidance supports the normal patterns and named choices on this page. Check the linked official pages for current operation and booking details.
Month choices describe the reviewed planning window. Monthly recreation visits are full-calendar-month 2021–2025 averages, including any month partly inside the window.
Temperatures are NOAA 1991-2020 normals at Elwha Ranger Station, WA; The Elwha Ranger Station sits at about 360 ft in the Elwha River valley on the park's north side, near Port Angeles. Olympic's coast, rain forests, and mountains each have their own weather. NPS says the Hoh and Quinault rain forests average 12 feet of rain a year, more than twice Elwha's normal of about 58 inches, and that thirty to fifty feet of snow can fall each winter in the subalpine country around Hurricane Ridge (5,242 ft). Treat these numbers as a low-elevation preview for the north side, and check a mountain or marine forecast before a Hurricane Ridge or coast day. We have not finished reviewing this station. This is a preview station, pending full station review.
Seasonal highlights mark the editorial month window, not guaranteed access or travel-date weather.
Operational source check: October 21, 2026. Design and emphasized source review: 2026-10-21. A design review does not refresh every underlying record.