Visit · Port Angeles · Plan your trip
The Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles is the park’s main front door, at 3002 Mt Angeles Rd. Stop here for exhibits, a park orientation film, a hands-on Discovery Room, wilderness permits and two short forest trails. It is also the place to check road and weather news before you drive up to Hurricane Ridge.
We are Friends of Olympic National Park, a local volunteer group, and this building is close to our hearts. We hold meetings here and care for its grounds with volunteer work days. This guide covers what you will find, how to plan your time and how to check current hours.
Where the visitor center is
The visitor center sits on Mount Angeles Road in Port Angeles, WA 98362, surrounded by tall forest. The building also houses the park’s Wilderness Information Center, so day visitors and backpackers share the same entrance.
Because it is in town, it makes an easy first stop whether you are heading to Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent or the coast. Rangers at the desk can help you match a plan to the day’s weather and road news.
Olympic National Park visitor center hours
Hours change with the seasons, with longer days in summer and shorter ones the rest of the year. We don’t list times here because they shift, so please check the park’s official visitor centers page for current hours before you go.
The Park Service lists the Wilderness Information Center as open year-round, closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. For road and weather updates, the park says to call 360-565-3131.
What’s inside
According to the park’s visitor center brochure, the building offers exhibits on the park, seasonal ranger programs, a park orientation film and the chance to talk with rangers. Teachers can also use a visitor center scavenger hunt with their classes.
Exhibits and the park film
The exhibits introduce the park’s landscapes and wildlife, from a Roosevelt elk display to a giant cross-section of an old tree. A large relief map shows the whole peninsula at a glance. Ask at the desk about the orientation film if you want a sit-down introduction.
The Discovery Room
Families should find the Discovery Room, an interactive space for all ages. Its murals show creatures that live in the park, and you can ask at the front desk for the key to the discovery drawers. Our post on the Children’s Discovery Room at the visitor center has more ideas for kids.
Wilderness permits and trip planning
The Wilderness Information Center inside the building helps visitors explore the park’s wilderness, which makes up about ninety-five percent of Olympic. Staff there issue wilderness backpacking permits for the whole park and help with trip planning, trail conditions and safety.
The center also teaches Leave No Trace and safe food storage, and it lends bear canisters. Overnight backpackers need a wilderness camping permit, from the center or through Recreation.gov wilderness permit reservations. The center’s own phone line is (360) 565-3100.
Questions worth asking at the desk
A few minutes with staff can save you hours on the road. These are the questions we suggest bringing:
- Is Hurricane Ridge Road open today, and what is the weather like up top?
- Which trails are in good condition for the time and fitness I have?
- Do I need a wilderness permit or a bear canister for my plans?
- Are any ranger programs running during my visit?
Teachers planning a class trip can call the park’s education coordinator at (360) 565-3146. The park also rents out a traveling trunk of park materials for classrooms.
Short trails right outside
You don’t need to drive anywhere to walk in the forest. The park says the Living Forest and Peabody Creek trails offer short forest walks from the visitor center. They are a good way to stretch your legs after a long drive, or to give children a taste of the woods before a bigger hike.
Expect tall trees, ferns and moss close to the path. Stay on the trail, and ask at the desk if you want to know more about what grows here.
Port Angeles visitor center things to do, by time
| Time you have | What to do |
|---|---|
| 30 minutes | Talk to a ranger, pick up a map and browse the exhibits |
| About an hour | Add the park film or the Discovery Room |
| Two hours | Add a walk on the Living Forest or Peabody Creek trail |
| Half a day | Check road news, then drive up to Hurricane Ridge |
| Planning an overnight | Visit the Wilderness Information Center for a permit |
Next stop: Hurricane Ridge Road
From Port Angeles, Hurricane Ridge is about a 45-minute drive. The Park Service says the road climbs 17 miles to 5,242 feet at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, with the Heart O’ the Hills entrance station, campground and trailheads five miles up.
In winter the road may be closed on some days, and every vehicle must carry tire chains. The park’s advice is simple: check at the visitor center for the latest road and weather updates, or call 360-565-3131.
How Friends of Olympic National Park helps here
The visitor center grounds are one of our regular work sites. Our fall cleanup on September 27, 2025 was planned as a morning of weeding, deadheading and mulching around the entrance sign and the visitor center. On May 2, 2026, our annual Visitor Center Cleanup and pollinator garden day was set for general cleanup and garden care.
The garden supports native plants and wildlife, and you can read about it in our post on the visitor center pollinator garden. We also gather indoors: our Spring Membership Meeting on March 19, 2026 was scheduled at the visitor center, with a keynote on historical structures in Olympic National Park.
Volunteer days are listed on Volunteer.gov and on our upcoming events page. If you’d like to lend a hand, see how to volunteer at Olympic National Park with us.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles?
It is at 3002 Mt Angeles Rd, Port Angeles, WA 98362. The Wilderness Information Center is in the same building.
What are the Olympic National Park visitor center hours?
Hours change with the seasons. Check the visitor centers page on nps.gov for current hours. The Wilderness Information Center is open year-round and closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
What is there to do at the Port Angeles visitor center?
You can browse exhibits, watch the park orientation film, explore the Discovery Room, talk with rangers and walk the short Living Forest and Peabody Creek trails.
Where do I get a wilderness permit for Olympic National Park?
Overnight backpackers need a wilderness camping permit. Get one at the Wilderness Information Center inside the visitor center or through Recreation.gov.
How far is Hurricane Ridge from the visitor center?
Hurricane Ridge is about a 45-minute drive from Port Angeles. The road climbs 17 miles to 5,242 feet. In winter it may be closed some days and vehicles must carry tire chains.
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