Discoveries…America National Parks: Olympic National Park, Washington State

The splendors of Washington state's Olympic National Park are on full display in this new entry from Jim and Kelly Watt's high-def filmed Discoveries…America National Parks series. A dense, isolated, old growth rainforest ecosystem, the park offers a wide array of hiking trails designed for every visitor, including wheelchair-accessible paths. Rivers full of migrating salmon, fallen trees that take a century to decay but feed other vegetation, and a general tone of magic help to make this park a genuine perennial lure for nature lovers. Viewers will also visit Hurricane Ridge (elevation: 5,000 feet), which offers incredible views of mountains and glaciers, and take in the wonders of the San Juan Island National Historical Park and Whidbey Island's Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, the latter featuring 22 square miles set aside for fishing and farming. Whidbey Island's charming town of Coupeville has successfully fended off developers in order to remain a small historic site, and it offers visitors a day trip to Fort Ebey State Park. Other notable stops include Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (with a recreation of the actual 19th-century fort), Whitman Mission National Historic Site near Walla Walla (once a regular stop for settlers heading west), and the North Cascade National Park. A beautifully-lensed travelogue capturing the verdant sights of the “other” Washington, this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)