Olympic Peninsula & Washington Coast - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 261

Clallam County's The Bus ( www.clallamtransit.com ) travels as far west as Neah Bay and
La Push and as far east as Diamond Point. In Port Angeles, the main transfer center is at
Oak and Front Sts, conveniently near the ferry dock and visitors center.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Olympic National Park
Declared a national monument in 1909 and a national park in 1938, the 1406-sq-mile
Olympic National Park shelters a unique rainforest, copious glaciated mountain peaks
and a 57-mile strip of Pacific coastal wilderness that was added to the park in 1953. One
of North America's great wilderness areas, most of the park remains relatively untouched
by human habitation, with 1000-year-old cedar trees juxtaposed with pristine alpine
meadows, clear glacial lakes and a largely roadless interior.
Opportunities for independent exploration in this huge backcountry region abound, be
it hiking, fishing, kayaking or skiing. The park's distinct and highly biodiverse ecosys-
tem is rich in plant and animal life, much of it - such as the majestic Roosevelt elk - in-
digenous to the region. Boasting numerous large, car-accessible campgrounds and
around 100 backcountry campgrounds, the park offers easy and rewarding overnight ex-
cursions.