Limited ridge schedule
The normal winter schedule is Friday–Sunday and some holidays, weather permitting. Storms and avalanche hazards can close or delay the road.
Get oriented for winter
Choose the ridge, rain forest or coast before planning the drive. Each has different winter access and hazards.
- Mapped road corridor
- 1 · Olympic National Park Visitor Center · Port Angeles
- 2 · Hurricane Ridge
- 3 · Sol Duc
- 4 · Hoh Rain Forest
- 5 · Kalaloch Campground
- 6 · Graves Creek · Quinault Rain Forest
- Park boundary
Getting around in winter
Hurricane Ridge is the access-sensitive choice. Check its road status and the forecast for your actual destination.
Carry chains for the ridge
All vehicles above Heart O’ the Hills must carry chains November 1–April 1, including four-wheel drive. Confirm the day’s return requirements before going up.
Rain and coastal hazards
Carry a tide chart and watch for powerful waves. Forest travel calls for rain gear; winter conditions can change rapidly.
Things to do in winter
Snow sports center on Hurricane Ridge; rainy forests and ocean swells define the lower-country trip.
Hurricane Ridge snow
Snowshoeing and skiing are winter options at the ridge. Choose terrain to match your skills and check road and avalanche conditions before the trip.
Hoh or Quinault rain forest
Winter is the wet season. NPS recommends these forests once a little snow melts; bring rain gear and allow for changeable access.
Pacific beaches
Relatively snow-free beaches offer low-tide exploration. Carry a tide chart, watch your surroundings and respect storm waves.
Where to stay in winter
Match your overnight base to the part of the peninsula you will visit.
Kalaloch Lodge
NPS lists a year-round season with cabins and lodge rooms. Confirm the accommodation type and dates directly.
Port Angeles room
Compare gateway accommodation on the north peninsula for a ridge-focused trip. The ridge road starts south of Port Angeles.
Year-round camping has limits Some campgrounds operate year-round, but storms can interrupt access. Heart O’ the Hills becomes walk-in only in heavy snow; confirm the site and facilities before leaving.
Olympic winter crowds
The highlighted whole months average 117,179 recreation visits per month. August is the annual peak at 625,799.
Winter months highlightedNovember–March winter planning
LowestLowModerateHighPeakAverage month: 256,681
Olympic winter temperatures
NOAA 1991-2020 averages at Elwha Ranger Station, WA (preview station; full station review pending). 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.
Winter months highlightedNovember–March winter planning
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
Olympic winter daylight
Local sunrise and sunset on the 21st of each selected month. These are astronomical times, not a forecast or an access schedule.
| Date | Sunrise and sunset, local clock time | Daylight |
|---|---|---|
| November 21 | SunriseSunset | |
| December 21Shortest day shown | SunriseSunset | |
| January 21 | SunriseSunset | |
| February 21 | SunriseSunset | |
| March 21 | SunriseSunset |
Questions about Olympic winter
Quick answers to the practical questions below.
Is Olympic National Park good in winter?
Yes, if you choose the landscape and prepare for its weather: Hurricane Ridge for snow, the Hoh or Quinault for rainy forest walks, or the coast for low-tide scenery. Mountain roads and facilities have limited winter access.
Can you visit Hurricane Ridge on a winter weekday?
The normal winter road schedule is Friday–Sunday and some holidays, weather permitting. Do not assume weekday access; consult the official road status before planning the trip.
Does it snow everywhere in Olympic in winter?
No. Hurricane Ridge is typically snow-covered, while coastal beaches are relatively snow-free and the rain forests are in their wet season. Conditions vary sharply by area and elevation.
Where can you stay in Olympic in winter?
Kalaloch Lodge has a year-round season. Port Angeles and other gateway communities also offer lodging; choose a base for your area and verify property dates directly.
Is the Hoh Rain Forest worth visiting in winter?
NPS recommends the Hoh and Quinault rain forests once a little snow melts. Winter is their wet season, so bring rain gear and check road and trail conditions before committing to the drive.
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 Visiting in Winter distinguishes the snowy ridge, relatively snow-free beaches and rainy forests. The Hurricane Ridge winter page supplies normal road and chain requirements; dated services and reconstruction status are left to official conditions. NPS lodging and camping pages supply overnight options and snow-related campground access limitations. The weather graphic describes the low-elevation station, not Hurricane Ridge.
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. Daylight is computed from committed USNO 2026 local-time records at Olympic National Park Visitor Center, WA (48.10N, 123.43W).
This guide spans relatively snow-free coastal beaches and rainy forests as well as typically snowy Hurricane Ridge. A cool neutral treatment avoids implying snow at the low-elevation weather station or across the peninsula; snow is an explicit ridge activity.
Operational source check: October 21, 2026. Design and emphasized source review: 2026-10-21. A design review does not refresh every underlying record.