Olympic Marmot

Olympic Mountains · Clallam County · named official endemic mammal in 2009

The only marmot that lives nowhere else is a high-meadow squirrel of the Olympic Mountains, and Washington named it the official endemic mammal in 2009.

The Olympic marmot lives only in the Olympic Mountains. NPS says it is endemic — found nowhere else — and that about 90 percent of its habitat is inside Olympic National Park. The animals use subalpine and alpine meadows above 4,000 feet.

NPS places the Olympic marmot in the squirrel family. There are 15 marmot species worldwide and six in North America. In 2009 Washington named the Olympic marmot the official endemic mammal of the state.

Hurricane Ridge is one of the easier places to look for them when the road is open. The source below is the National Park Service Olympic marmot page.

Wildlife & Ecology

Sources (1)

government · Tier S
National Park Service
Olympic Marmot

Last reviewed: September 20, 2026

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