March
Start lowBuild a low-elevation forest or coast itinerary. Higher trails can remain buried in snow.
133,353 average visits in March
Choose your spring month
Compare the return of flowers, trail access and visitor services.
April
Coast migration windowNPS lists April–May among coastal whale-migration seasons. Watch from safe shore viewpoints and check tides.
134,215 average visits in April
May
More seasonal choicesSeasonal campgrounds and lodges begin returning at different dates. Do not interpret mild valley weather as snow-free mountain trails.
247,409 average visits in May
Getting around in spring
Use the season’s access and weather limits to choose the day’s route.
Stay low unless trails are verified
High trails can remain buried in snow. Choose lowland forests, lake areas or the coast as the core trip.
Read tides before the beach
Plan coastal outings around tides, waves and the return route. Keep back from storm surf and drift logs.
Things to do in spring
Choose one or two outings that fit your dates and the day’s conditions.
Hoh forest loops
Choose the Hall of Mosses or Spruce Nature Trail for lowland rainforest walking. Check road and trail access first.
Lake Crescent
Plan a separate lake-and-forest stop rather than a shortcut to another peninsula area.
Shore-based whale watching
April and May are coastal migration windows. Use safe viewpoints and binoculars; a date does not guarantee a sighting.
Get oriented for spring
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 spring
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 spring crowds
The highlighted whole months average 171,659 recreation visits per month. August is the annual peak at 625,799.
Spring months highlightedMarch through May
LowestLowModerateHighPeakAverage month: 256,681
Olympic spring 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.
Spring months highlightedMarch through May
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 spring
Quick answers to the practical questions below.
Is Olympic worth visiting in spring?
Olympic in spring is best planned around lowland rainforest, lakes and coast, with mountain snow still shaping higher trails. April and May add whale-migration opportunities, but rain and tide planning remain essential.
Which spring month should I choose?
March: Start low. April: Coast migration window. May: More seasonal choices.
Where can you see migrating whales?
April and May are coastal migration windows. NPS identifies Kalaloch and Rialto as shore-viewing areas; use binoculars and check tides and waves.
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.