Olympic Mountain School®

Trailhead Shuttle

Olympic Mountain School offers limited capacity for shuttling hikers and gear around the Olympic Peninsula when the guide is between programs. Price is for the entire vehicle (4 persons maximum; 3 adults and one squished child)--no single-person rates, although passengers may share open seats and divide costs among the group. Remember, however, that you only need one driver to get your vehicle to the trailhead from which you will exit: (1) drop most of your party at the entry trailhead, (2) drive your car to the destination trailhead, and (3) your trailhead shuttle driver will drive the driver back to the entry trailhead. If the entry trailhead is on the way to the destination trailhead, you will not need to backtrack.

• IMPORTANT NOTE: ALL PRICES HAVE INCREASED FROM THOSE STATED IN THE BROCHURE TO MEET RISING GAS PRICES AND FUND AN ADDITIONAL INSURANCE POLICY.
• $200 between any two points around the Olympic Peninsula. Trip around entire peninsula on Highway 101 is 6-7 hours (can be more with construction and RVs). Most trailheads are 1 hour in from Highway 101, so 2 hours must be added to driving time around peninula from origin to destination.
  • Grave Creek (Quinault) to Staircase, FOR EXAMPLE: 1 hour Graves Creek to HWY 101 (at Lake Quinault) +1 hour Quinault to Aberdeen +1 hour Aberdeen to Shelton + 30 minutes Shelton to Hoodsport + 1 hour Hoodsport to Staircase Ranger Station = 4.5 hours or more.
• $50 each way between Amanda Park and the North Fork (to Low Divide) or Graves Creek (to Enchanted Valley) trailheads. Trip is 1 hour one way.
• Oil City-3rd Beach: $125. Trip is 1.5-2 hours.
• Rialto Beach/Mora-Ozette: $200
• Rialto Beach-Shi Shi: $200
• Sol Duc-Elwha: $125. Trip is 1.5-2 hours.
• Ocean Shores-Quinault trailheads: $100. Trip is 1.75-2 hours.
• All shuttles 1/2 price when purchased with a program (i.e. hiking, backpacking, mountaineering)
• $350 between SeaTac (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport) and any trailhead
• Reservations by phone [(360) 581-3936], email (jason@olympicmountainschool.com), or by post (PO Box 624, Amanda Park, WA, 98526)
• CASH ONLY to keep prices low for clients. ATMs available in Forks, Port Angeles, Ocean Shores, Port Townsend, Shelton, Olympia, Aberdeen, and many other hamlets around the Olympic Peninsula.
• Vehicles currently used is a Subaru Outback Impreza Sport with roof rack (smaller hatchback seating 3 passengers comfortably and a possible 4th crammed in center rear seat).
• At additional cost, a larger vehicle can be obtained for groups
• Last-minute reservations taken if not already booked; call (360) 581-3936
• Please allow time for reservations confirmation: the driver may be out of reach in the backcountry
• Limousines, armored vehicles, and security personnel may be obtained for high-value functions

Remember to get your overnight wilderness permit and Animal Resistant Food Containers (a.k.a. "bear cans") from the National Park Service at its Wilderness Information Center (WIC). Bear cans are required by the National Park Service on the coast; you are violating a federal regulation if you do not comply, and you may be fined. The phone number to the main Port Angeles WIC is (360) 565-3100. Even if you are not going to a limited use area (e.g., Seven Lakes Basin and Ozette) to pick up your permit with your reservations [all limited use-area reservations should be made or changed by calling (360) 565-3100], you should still go to the WIC to find out current conditions and to pick up your bear can. The most convenient office to visit is the Port Angeles WIC located in the box of a building behind the Visitor Center (NOT the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center). Call the WIC or go to the WIC's web site for info on the most current hours of operation. There are also WICs in Forks and Quinault (call the WIC or go to the main WIC web site for hours of operation), but the Port Angeles WIC is the most reliable and convenient location at which to stop.

Arrangements to pick up permits and bear cans at other ranger stations can be made through the Port Angeles WIC by calling 360) 565-3100, but congressional budget cuts in D.C. have prevented the hiring of a sufficient number of the excellent people who serve as park rangers, naturalist staff, and in other vital positions to help visitors. Consequently, staffing hours at some of the other ranger stations are irregular. Please contact the congressperson from your congressional district and your two U.S. senators and ask them to stop the yearly budget cuts and to raise funding for the protection of YOUR Olympic National Park. You can find out more about budget cuts at Olympic and how to stop them by visiting the National Park Conservation Association web site (www.npca.org).

Bear cans are the easiest mode of food storage and only add a little over 2 pounds to your pack--a weight requiring fewer calories to carry than to carry at least 100 feet of rope (and a bucket if you are on the coast). Borrow a $70 bear can from the Park for FREE and make your life easier. Bring the can (preferably) back to the WIC from which you borrowed the can or (less preferably) any other ranger station to avoid paying the $70 required to replace the can after the rangers use your driver's license to collect the replacement fee. The can fits inside any backpacking-sized pack; pack your pack the same way you would if the can were not inside the pack. Call the Port Angeles WIC at (360) 565-3100 for more questions about the the cans.

Remember that a shuttle is not the only way to go. If you are through-hiking the coastal strip of Olympic or other trails in the inland section of the Park, you have the options of (a) hitchhiking (which can take hours or days to get a ride), (b) shuttling your own vehicles (if you have them), (c) taking public buses, (d) or taking a shuttle service. To ensure you are choosing the least expensive and most reliable means of paid transportation, consider the options of inexpensive public transportation and other drivers versus more expensive private service.

• Public transportation (i.e. BUSES) runs by county, is very inexpensive and reliable, and you can find their schedules and fare information by clicking on the links below. Drivers will stop on Highway 101 when flagged down by hand or flashlight (at night). The buses do not, however, take you to the trailheads.
• HITCHHIKING. Some hikers successfully circumnavigate Olympic National Park by hitchhiking, but it requires time, patience, and a higher degree of personal risk.
• FIND ANOTHER DRIVER. Talk to your friends; if you don't want to camp with them, you can enter at opposite sites and meet to exchange keys for the vehicles at the trailheads. You can also try posting a request for a ride on one of the backpacking bulletin boards on the web and in some outdoor stores. Some outdoor clubs also offer this service.

Consider all your options before concluding to go with OMS' trailhead shuttle; maintaining your independence could save you some money and bring additional adventure. Independence does, however, require that limitations be recognized, and getting stuck trying to get from trailhead to trailhead could ruin your vacation. At least write down and carry the (360) 581-3936 number with you for you to call if you get in a jam; the driver may be able to help you extricate yourself from the situation. Call the Port Angeles WIC at (360) 565-3100 to change your permit if transportation problems change your route or its schedule.

Bus Schedules, Rules, and Fare Information:

• Clallam County Transit (northernmost county: Port Angeles to Forks)
• Jefferson County Transit (middle county: Forks to North Shore Quinault)
• Grays Harbor Transit (transit runs south of Olympic National Park from North Shore Quinault to Aberdeen and east to Olympia)

For example: to hike from North Fork Quinault Ranger Station to Whiskey Bend ("Press Expedition" route north to south (or south to north) through the Park), you could do the following:

1. leave your car at the ranger station
2. hike through the park
3. hike or hitchhike from Whiskey Bend to Highway 101
4. take Clallam County Transit to Forks
5. take Jefferson County Transit to Brinnon Grocery
6. hike or hitchhike 20 miles on North Shore Road to North Shore Ranger Station