Olympic Peninsula

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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)