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Olympic Peninsula

video olympic peninsula
Rising from the Olympic Peninsula is a range of snow-covered mountains, and the highest peak is Mount Olympus, named by an English explorer in 1788 who thought this mountain was beautiful enough to be named after Mount Olympus in Greece. A large chunk of the Olympic Peninsula is devoted to Olympic National Park, where kids can run through misty rain forests, swim in sparkling lakes, and hike through meadows with wildflowers blooming. And, the peninsula has miles and miles of beaches to explore!
Olympic Peninsula Photo Album
    Olympic National Park
    Sequim
    Port Townsend
    Hood Canal
    Port Angeles
    Northwest Coast
family hotels olympic peninsula washington

There's lots of fun things to do with kids on the Olympic Peninsula , but you'll need a fun place to stay.

Here's our own Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels, all styles and price ranges, near to places you'll want to explore:

Olympic Peninsula family hotels
vacation rentals olympic peninsula

A vacation rental has lots of advantages for families – full kitchen and dining area so you don't need to eat all your meals in restaurants, washer and dryer, and more.

Olympic Peninsula family vacation rentals
kids books olympic peninsula washington
     
Curious Kids Nature Guide  
Curious Kids Nature Guide
Fiona Cohen, Marni Fylling

Explore habitats of the Pacific Northwest – forests with giant trees and diverse wildlife, beaches and tide pools, freshwater ponds with beaver and salmon, changing seasons throughout the year. 100 fabulous illustrations of animals, plants, and fascinating facts. (Guide)

 

     

Celebration of Salish Sea that surrounds Olympic Peninsula, not just the marine life, but trees, birds, and rain drops. Wonderful papercut illustrations! (Picture book)

One stubby squid exploring below
Seven seals napping all day
Twenty clams for an octopus's feast
Ten thousand plankton glowing at midnight

 

 
1 2 3 salish sea
     
sea otter pup  
Sea Otter Pup
Victoria Miles, Elizabeth Gatt

Delightful story to read about sea otters you'll see around the Olympic Peninsula. Cycle of life for a sea otter mother and her pup – the mother feeds, washes, and snuggles the pup, and soon pup dives down to find food for himself. Beautifully illustrated! (Picture book)

Also easy reader: Sea Otters

 

     
Baby Orca
Mary Batten, Chris Rallis

On the peninsula, kids might see orcas from the shore. Read about a baby orca (she weighs four hundred pounds), as she learns to swim, play with other orcas, hunt for fish, and "talk" with her family. (Picture book)

 

 
baby orca
     
explore the salish sea  
Explore the Salish Sea
Joseph K. Gaydos,
Audrey DeLella Benedict

Learn about amazing life of the Salish Sea, including Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca orcas, giant pacific octopus, birds, salmon, gray whales, sea otters, wolf eels and more. Fabulous photos, a super nature guide. (Illustrated chapter book)

 

     

Going back 50 years, there are Sasquatch (Bigfoot) sightings in Washington. Journalist Laura Krantz goes into the woods on the search for Bigfoot, starting here in the Olympic Peninsula. She interviews researchers and scientists, collects storytelling by Native Americans and eyewitness accounts (Sasquatch is stinky), bridging the gap between science and myth about this fascinating creature. Good for older kids. (Chapter book)

 

 
the search for sasquatch
     
waiting for high tide  
Waiting for High Tide
Nikki McClure

A young boy is eager to jump in the water, but the tide is out, so he explores the beach, and finds ... barnacle glasses (along with four clamshells, seaweed, a heron feather). As the tide creeps in, his family builds a raft, has lunch like the gulls, and soon the raft is floating – time to dive in. A perfect day at the beach on the Olympic Peninsula! (Picture book)

 

     

Exploring Pacific coast beaches of Olympic National Park, this waterproof fold-out guide is useful to identify shellfish, plants, marine mammals, shorebirds, coastal habitats. (Guide)

 

 
pacific northwest beachcomber
     
best easy day hikes olympic national park  

Guide to 31 easy hikes in Olympic National Park, ideal for families (most are less than 4 miles round trip). Maps, trail descriptions, trail difficulty, and what you'll see along the way. (Guidebook)

 

More children's book on other Washington pages
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