For Seattle-area nature lovers, Olympic National Park continues to be one of the region’s biggest outdoor draws—ranking among the 10 most visited national parks in the U.S. last year.
According to newly released data from the National Park Service, the park welcomed roughly 3.6 million visitors in 2025. That figure is slightly lower than the year before, a dip that may be tied to the temporary closure of the popular Hoh Rain Forest. The area was inaccessible from December 2024 through May 2025 after severe storms damaged the only road leading in.
Located across Puget Sound on the Olympic Peninsula, the sprawling 922,651-acre park offers a remarkable mix of ecosystems within a relatively short distance of Seattle. Visitors can explore rugged Pacific coastline, dense rainforest, and alpine terrain all in one trip. Highlights include the afore-mentioned Hoh Rain Forest, Lake Crescent, Ruby Beach, Rialto Beach, Sol Duc Hot Springs, and Hurricane Ridge.
Nationally, Olympic ranked ninth in visitation. The top 10 most-visited U.S. parks for 2025 were:
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (11.5 million)
- Zion National Park (4.9 million)
- Yellowstone National Park (4.7 million)
- Grand Canyon National Park (4.4 million)
- Yosemite National Park (4.2 million)
- Rocky Mountain National Park (4.1 million)
- Acadia National Park (4 million)
- Grand Teton National Park (3.8 million)
- Olympic National Park (3.6 million)
- Glacier National Park (3.1 million)
Planning a visit? There are several fee-free entry days in 2026, including Memorial Day, Independence Day weekend, and Veterans Day.
From Seattle, the park is about a three-hour drive, though many travelers opt to shorten the trip with a ferry ride—making it an easy and scenic getaway.
You can see the full national park statistics on the nps.gov website.