Olympic National Park is Magic Magic Magic
Misty mountain magic right here. Photo by Andrew Spencer on Unsplash
If you love weather, those deeply densely green forests, and visiting spots with multiple climates + ecosystems… do yourself a favor and take (at least) a few days to explore the Olympic Peninsula and the inside of Olympic National Park.
We’ve been twice, once during the Summer and once during the Fall, and on each little mini adventure there we had such a great experience. Our first visit there played a huge role in inspiring our move to the West Coast, from Virginia to Oregon.
It stole our hearts.
After that first visit we thought of it every day and talked about it all the time; so when the opportunity sprang up a year later for a job in Oregon, we took the leap. It’s been just over two years living out here and we absolutely love it.
To give you a context for the weather, our first trip to the Peninsula was the first week of July, 2017 and the second trip was just last Fall in late September. Each trip was only three or four days, but both were equally magical!
Our biggest tip: pack warm & waterproof layers.
My fiancé and I both needed our insulated jackets for mornings and evenings in JULY. And those aforementioned warm layers and our rain gear were absolutely essential in September. (That includes waterproof hiking boots year-round, too. For more on PNW gear essentials, check out my post with my gearlist here.)
If you like weather like me, however, and you LOVE weather - then you’ll love the Peninsula! Olympic sees epic amounts of rainfall, fog, and clouds.
Rialto Beach. Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
“Eight tribes have traditional associations to lands now in Olympic National Park: Makah, Quileute, Hoh, Quinault, Skokomish, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Jamestown S'Klallam, and Lower Elwha Klallam. Despite the changes wrought upon them, area tribes are working to sustain their long traditions. The Makah have revived the custom of whaling, a tradition that dates back thousands of years according to archeological evidence. Coastal tribes continue their performance of a First Salmon ceremony to honor and give thanks to salmon returning from the sea. They are passing on the teachings of their elders to preserve language and traditional arts, like basket weaving and carving.”
Read more info on the indigenous groups of the peninsula here.
Before the clouds rolled in on Hurricane Ridge in late September. Source: my own photo
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Whatever the weather, we absolutely adore the Olympic Peninsula. It’s quiet, remote, lush, and deeply beautiful. I could definitely envision finding a piece of property in the misty forest one day and building a lovely little cabin there.
The diversity is part of the draw for us. Within a small area coexists the alpine mountains, meadows, and lakes at Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent, the temperate Hoh Rainforest further Southeast, and the rugged beaches of the Pacific coastline along the Western border.
We recommend at least a few days to at least get a good overall feel for the Peninsula and more notable parts of the National Park. Since we only had three/four days on each trip we kind of had to hit everything quickly and move on to the next spot. I’d love to spend an entire summer exploring and adventuring in each of the park’s special areas - hence the need for my dream-cabin someday.
Here’s our itinerary with info and tips from Summer versus Fall, to give you some ideas for easy exploration.
day 1: TRAVEL FROM SEATTLE TO PORT ANGELES. (w/ a Summer detour to explore PORT TOWNSEND)
Day one was our travel day from Seattle to the Peninsula. We left early Saturday morning (July 1st) to avoid the mass-exodus of Seattle residents that would be leaving town for the holiday. And since the drive down through Tacoma and back up and over onto the Peninsula is only a few hours, we figured better to leave early and beat the rush/give ourselves more exploring-time during the day!
We rented a car through SeaTac, Seattle International Airport, since that’s where we flew in and out of, and it was seamless and easy.
Check out rates through Enterprise and Expedia now.
We took a small detour to check out Port Townsend because we’d heard it’s worth a 101 detour if you want to check out a funky/arty/cute town on the otherwise largely remote Peninsula. The detour was well worth it; we caught the end of their Farmer’s Market and grabbed some local veggies, cherries, and cheeses for our next few days of snacking. We drove up and down the small beach-town streets and stopped here and there at a small garden, in front of neat old Victorian gingerbread houses, and along some quiet rocky beaches.
Onward to Port Angeles, where during our Summer visit we stayed in a cute little Airbnb with an excellent view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca where you could watch giant barge ships going by. In the evening we drove back into the tiny downtown, parked and walked past lots of small local shop fronts until we found a yummy spot for dinner with a big garage-door open-aire front where we could sit outside and eat hot mac & cheese.
We see you, Port Townsend. Source: my own photo
During our first Summer trip we divided our stays between AirBnbs in Port Angeles and Forks so that we would have less driving time between our days where we were exploring Hurricane Ridge/Lake Crescent, and later on the Hoh Rainforest and Pacific Coastline. This worked pretty well.
When we visited again in the Fall we stayed exclusively at a cabin on Lake Sutherland that we’d found through VRBO. (Seen in the pictures below)
Lake Sutherland is near Port Angeles, just by Lake Crescent; and though it took a bit more driving back and forth each day when we visited the coast and the rainforest, it was awesome to be right on the lake in a cozy little cabin, watching the fog and the weather roll through every day. The trees were just started to turn a golden yellow and it stayed crisp and chilly the whole time.
Check out houses on Airbnb and vrbo now.
Lake Sutherland VRBO house. Source: my own photo
DAY 2 - Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent
On day two we drove up to the Hurricane Ridge visitors’ center and did some day-hiking that stems from there and enjoyed the absolutely breathtaking 360 degree views of the Olympic Mountains. We even saw a big group of mama and baby mountain goats on one of our short summer hikes!
Like we mentioned before, be ready and bring a pack with layers in case it becomes super windy, foggy & cold, or rainy. It’s a great idea to check the weather conditions as you head up to Hurricane Ridge — (Olympic National Park’s site is a helpful tool) as it is appropriately named and clouds can swoop in and engulf everything as weather systems quickly move over the ridge. When we were there in July it was perfect for us — barely any clouds and lots of sunshine. When we visited again in late September it was beautifully moody when we arrived. We could see the clouds coming in but managed to get some beautiful mountain pictures before we got completely lost in the fog. We were prepared with rain gear and warm layers and were able to continue exploring on the available trails.
After a few hours at Hurricane Ridge we jumped back in the car and continued on to the historic Lake Crescent Lodge to do some exploring there.
Shop my “Fall-in-the-PNW” layers below:
Mountain goats right along the trail. LOOK AT THAT BABY! Source: my own photo
Lupine in bloom in July on top of Hurricane Ridge. Source: my own photo
The houses we found on VRBO + AirBNB for both of our Olympic Peninsula trips were absolutely amazing.
Like we mentioned before — depending on what you want to check out, it might be a good idea to consider staying in a few places to shorten your driving time to some of the Park’s more popular destinations. (On our first trip we stayed in Port Angeles to check out Lake Crescent and Hurricane Ridge. Later we stayed in Forks to make it quicker to check out the Hoh Rainforest and the coastal beaches.)
And if your hang time in the morning and evenings is just as precious? Look for a special spot that gives you and your company a great view or a great space to hang out in and enjoy your surroundings to the fullest.
On our second trip to the peninsula, finding a VRBO right on Lake Sutherland with kayaks, a diving board, a fire pit, and a great deck made the trip extra extra amazing. We got such great use out of them and made so many great memories! We had a hard time leaving our awesome rental to do some of our day trip activities!
Start scoping out some of the awesome rentals on VRBO to see some great vacation houses on the Olympic Peninsula.
Walking up to Lake Crescent Lodge. Source: my own photo
The Lodge itself is amazing. Built in 1937, it’s a classically charming craftsman bungalow that is still operated by the National Park Service.
Staying there (or in one of the adjacent cabins) is on our bucket list, but whenever we’ve visited we do make a point to treat ourselves to a cocktail from their bar. You’re in such a special spot! Treat yourself. And if you’re there during the summer, do yourself a favor and also treat yourself to a slice of berry pie and enjoy it in the sunroom.
From the Lodge we needed to digest our treats and opted for the an easy 1.8 out-and-back mile hike to Marymere Falls which is a definite recommend if you’re a waterfall lover like me.
Day 3 - The Hoh Rainforest and Pacific Coastline: Hole in the Wall Beach & Second Beach
We started our day on the Western side of the Olympic Peninsula, almost at the coast but about 20 miles inland, nestled in Forks, a quiet little lumber town (as we know it) —
— unless you’re a Team Edward fan — in which case, it’s a quiet little lumber town that’s the location home of Stephenie Meyers’ famous Vampire book series, Twilight.
From Forks we stopped at one of the Pacific Northwest’s adorable trademark coffee shacks , hopped back onto Highway 101 and drove about 45 minutes south to The Hoh Rainforest.
This part of Olympic National Park is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. As a Floridian I am familiar with the Spanish moss that drips from the oak trees there — but this was my first experience in a lush temperate rainforest where the moss dripping from everywhere is a bright acid green.
The Hoh experiences an average of 140 inches of annual rainfall. In other words, it is lush lush lush.
The ferns are like something out of Jurassic Park and in many places, towered over me; the trees wear the moss like a blanket.
If you plan a visit to The Hoh make sure to do the Hall of Mosses Trail. It’s a great starting point to exploring the park’s amazingly unique rainforest. It’s an easy 0.8 mile loop that’s great if you’ve got kids along, too!
The Hoh Rainforest. Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
Looking up into the canopy of The Hoh Rainforest. Source: my own photo
the beach + the coast:
Fourth of July festivities near Second Beach. source: my own photo
Hole in the Wall Beach. source: my own photo
Second Beach. Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
We took advantage of the late-night sunlight during our Summer visit and made sure to head down to the beach every night after our day hikes in the rainforest. It’s about a twenty minute hike from the parking lot down to the famous Second Beach (pictured above), but it’s a pretty easy and beautiful stroll. (Be sure to bring a headlamp if you’re doing it late-night like we did so you can see the trail!)
Because it was Fourth of July holiday week, there were families and friends cooking out, camping, lighting off fireworks, enjoying bonfires, and playing all over the beaches all week and we couldn’t have loved it more. It’s probably one of the more memorable and beloved July 4ths I’ve ever had; bundled up in the windy evening watching fireworks go off over the haystacks in the Pacific Ocean.
Final Leg: travel from forks back to seattle: cruising Highway 101 + lake Quinault Lodge.
Our final day was July Fourth - and though we weren’t ready at all, it was time to head out early and venture back towards Seattle so we could fly home to Virginia early the next morning.
We left Forks in the morning, grabbed one more latte from a cute little coffee-shack, and continued down Highway 101. There are lots of gorgeous pullovers and viewpoints along Highway 101 where you can park and get out to admire the mighty Pacific. We couldn’t help ourselves and stopped often, finally making our way down to quickly check out our second original National Park Service historic hotel, Lake Quinault Lodge. The Lodge was built in 1926 and is still chock-full of its original rustic charm. I would love to come back to the Peninsula and spend a few nights here, at Lake Crescent, and Kalaloch Lodge.
Onward we went, a little further down the 101 until it was time to head East. We dropped off our rental car (so we wouldn’t have to deal with parking it and paying for it one more day) and Ubered to our final Airbnb. We were lucky and found a cool spot a few blocks behind Lake Union. We could both fit on the apartment’s small balcony which ended up being a perfect viewpoint for the fireworks show later that evening.
Lake Quinault Lodge on the Olympic Peninsula. Source: my own photo.
Most highway pullover viewpoints are not this epic. Thank you Highway 101. Source: my own photo.
There’s still so much we have yet to do on our Peninsula bucket list. We still haven’t hiked Mount Storm King, seen the salmon run on the Elwha river, been to Cape Flattery (the northwesternmost point in the contiguous U.S.) or hiked along the Sol Duc River. Guess that means we’ll have to start planning our return trip!
What are your favorite spots on the Olympic Peninsula? Let me know in the comments below!
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Originally published 01/24/2020. Updated 09/23/2020.