To say this is the slow season in many national parks is an understatement. However, if you're flexible and curious about off-season vistas, the slow season can carry many benefits. Such as half-off on lodging in some parks.

Through the end of February you can land a room in, or adjacent to, Olympic National Park with a 50 percent discount on your second night. The deal is being offered at Kalaloch Lodge, which is inside the park's southwestern corner, and Lake Quinault Lodge, which is just outside the south border.

True, February might not seem like the perfect month to visit Olympic. But you certainly won't have to worry about crowds, and if a storm rolls in off the Pacific, it's something to watch the bigger-than-usual waves smash into the sea stacks off Rialto Beach.

If you stay in the lowlands there are plenty of hiking opportunities as well, with 250 miles of trails in the park's temperate rain forests. And yet....the winter months are the wettest in Olympic, with monthly precipitation in the rain forests averaging more than 18 inches.

Still, if you're game, to make a reservation call 866-297-7367 and use the request code: BOGO09. And be sure to ask for one of the fireplace rooms at Quinault or one of the cabins with a woodstove at Kalaloch. That's just the thing to dry yourself out after coming inside.

The fine print: Rates include all taxes and gratuities. Valid for new reservations only. Inventory is limited. Blackout dates: Feb. 13-14, 2009. Rate based on double occupancy; additional people and pet fees apply.