Olympic National Park
Overview Olympic National Park, the fifth most visited national park in the contiguous United States, is located in the northwest corner of Washington State on the Olympic Peninsula. It’s conveniently accessible from nearby towns like Port Angeles (1.8 mi), Sequim (17.3 mi), Port Townsend (47.5 mi), and Forks (56.5 mi). The park can be reached by car, bus, or plane, with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport being the nearest major airport. From there, renting a car and taking a road and ferry trip is the best option. While Olympic Bus Lines and Clallam Transit System offer connections to the park, driving remains the most efficient way to explore the area.
Park Entrances and Highlights Olympic National Park features 11 entrances, all accessible via Highway 101, which loops around the peninsula. Some of the most popular entrances include:
Hurricane Ridge: Located near Port Angeles, this entrance is known for its stunning views and easy access.
Lake Crescent: A short drive west from Hurricane Ridge, this entrance is ideal for starting your visit with swimming or paddling in Lake Crescent.
Hoh Rainforest: From the west, this entrance is perfect for exploring the temperate rainforest.
The park's scenic loop takes approximately eight hours to drive around, but you can easily spend days exploring its sights and trails. Spending at least three days in the park is recommended to experience its four unique ecosystems fully.
Where We Stayed We stayed at Elwha RV Park for four nights, which quickly became one of our favorite campgrounds. The amazing staff, hiking trails, and amenities such as laundry, play areas, and a garden for picking herbs and veggies were all highlights. The owners live on the property and were wonderful to talk to. Conveniently located off Scenic Highway 112, near the Elwha River Canyon and the former Elwha Dam site, the campground is peaceful and healing, surrounded by forests with natural springs and the Elwha River just a short walk away. Mountain peaks, lakes, waterfalls, and the ocean are all within a five-minute drive. Emmie loved feeding apples to the horses daily!
Our Recommended Itinerary
Day 1:
Hurricane Ridge (arrive by 8 AM)
Marymere Falls Trail
Lake Crescent
Day 2:
Sol Duc Falls
Rialto Beach
Second Beach
Day 3:
Hoh Rainforest (arrive before 8 AM)
Hall of Mosses & Spruce Nature Trail
Ruby Beach
Quinault Rain Forest (if time allows)
Hoh Rainforest
One of the largest temperate rainforests in America, the Hoh Rain Forest offers a tranquil nature escape surrounded by lush greenery, old-growth trees, and abundant wildlife. Visitation to the Hoh Rain Forest is very popular during the summer months. Visitors should be prepared for 1-2 hour wait times at the entrance station between 10 AM and 5 PM. The parking lot fills early, and then traffic is metered. Thankfully, we arrived at 8:30 AM and had no issues finding parking.
The 0.8-mile Hall of Mosses trail is an iconic loop that takes you through old-growth forest and features a grove of maple trees draped with abundant club moss. Throughout the winter season, rain falls frequently in the Hoh Rain Forest, contributing to the yearly average of 140 inches of precipitation. The result is a lush, green canopy of both coniferous and deciduous species. Mosses and ferns blanket the surfaces, adding another dimension to the enchantment of the rainforest. This is an easy, short hike with educational signage and plenty of opportunities to explore some of Washington's gorgeous, lush rainforests. Kids will love this loop, and at less than a mile round trip, it's a great option for hikers of any age. Additionally, the Spruce Nature Trail (1.2 miles) is a diverse trail that loops through both old and new growth forest as you walk alongside Taft Creek and the Hoh River.
Hurricane Ridge
Hurricane Ridge, nearly a mile high, offers fantastic hiking with many trails to choose from. Located 17 miles south of Port Angeles, it is the most easily accessed mountain area within Olympic National Park. We were astonished by the thick fog during the first 8 miles of our drive. In fact, we turned back to the Ranger Station to ask about the fog status. The ranger reassured us, so we returned up the mountain. Around the 9th mile, it was like a curtain was lifted, and the sun shone brightly through the blue sky. Fun fact: the area receives 400 inches of snowfall annually!
At the end of Hurricane Ridge Road, the Hurricane Hill Trail is an incredible hike leading to a fantastic viewpoint. It is listed as the #2 kid-friendly trail in Olympic National Park on AllTrails. The trailhead starts 1.5 miles beyond the parking lot. This paved trail climbs to a panoramic view of the Olympic Range, Puget Sound, and Vancouver Island. As one of the most easily accessible locations in the Olympic Peninsula (under an hour from Port Angeles), this day hike is a popular option for visitors.
Our second hike was High Ridge. The hike here is amazing, offering stunning views in every direction: south into the mountains, west towards Mount Olympus, and north across a fog-covered Strait of Juan de Fuca towards Canada. Hawkins tested his fear of heights here, and I was tremendously proud of him! The trail was steep, with drop-offs on either side, making his accomplishment even more impressive.
Rialto Beach
Rialto Beach is located about 40 miles southwest of Lake Crescent and approximately 70 miles from Port Angeles. It is accessible via Mora Road, off La Push Road near the town of Forks. During our visit, it was very foggy and rainy, but we had read that the beach offers dramatic coastal scenery and is an excellent spot to see sea lions, seals, otters, whales, seabirds, and eagles. Visitors often describe the beach as "intense" and a place to witness the "pure power of nature."
We ventured down a portion of the trail to Hole in the Wall, a signature attraction of Olympic National Park. This unique rock formation is located 1.5 miles north of Rialto Beach. Although we couldn't make it all the way to Hole in the Wall, it was still breathtaking to see the eerie fog enveloping the beach. The kids enjoyed climbing over the driftwood and logs, making the experience memorable despite the weather.
Sol Duc Falls
Sol Duc Falls Trail is a 1.8-mile out-and-back trail near Joyce, Washington. Generally considered an easy route, it takes about 50 minutes to complete. Ranked as the #3 family hike in Olympic National Park on AllTrails, it is a very popular area. We initially had issues finding parking but eventually found a spot close to the trail entrance.
The trail winds through mature forests, leading to a reflective lake and a unique sideways waterfall. The path is lined with natural beauty, including ferns and wildlife. The falls themselves are stunning. The Sol Duc River is a vital path for coho salmon, which run through the valley and ascend to the lakes and headwaters in the surrounding mountains.
We had planned to check out Sol Duc Hot Springs, but they only allow 10 guests every 2 hours on a first-come, first-served basis. Since it was an hour drive, we decided not to risk it as we were unprepared. The hot springs feature three mineral soaking pools and one freshwater pool. The soaking pools vary in temperature from 99 to 104 degrees and include a wading pool for all ages and two 3-foot-deep pools.
The soaking pools are naturally formed by spring water that comes from rain and melted snow. The water seeps through cracks in sedimentary rocks, merges with gases from cooling volcanic rocks, and rises to the surface along a larger fissure, creating mineral-rich spring water. Day passes are available to non-hotel guests, with towel rentals and lockers provided.
Lake Crescent
Nestled in the Olympic Mountains, Lake Crescent is a glacier-carved lake with pristine waters and scenic views. Popular hikes include Spruce Road Trail and Barnes Creek Trail. Unfortunately, we got to see this beautiful lake from afar, well as we drove past it many times en route to other destinations. The rain changed our plans for our visit. The lake offers activities like hiking, boating, and camping. It’s home to unique fish like the Beardslee and Crescenti trout, two types of fish found nowhere else in the world. The hike to Marymere Falls leads to a 90-foot-tall waterfall, and the easy 0.6-mile Moments in Time loop trail offers a self-guided trek through the forest and along the lake.
Feiro Marine Life Center
This small aquarium is focused on local marine life, featuring hands-on exhibits & 3 touch tanks. It showcases sea stars, crabs, scallops, anemones, fish and moon jellies found in the waters off the Olympic Peninsula.
Let’s eat local
Downriggers on the Water was fresh and yummy! They are known for their fresh seafood and famous for the clam chowder. We tried the Crab and Pawn Fettucini, clam chowder, and calamari (the less adventurous eaters had chicken and burgers).
Additional Areas to Explore that we missed on this trip
Ruby Beach: Allow 2-6 hours to explore. Known for its rugged shoreline, it’s recommended to check low tide times Here. Ruby beach is a dramatic Pacific coast beach with rugged shoreline. Kalaloch Nature Trail, a 1 mile trail located on the southwest coast of the Olympic Peninsula, is one of the most visited areas of Olympic National Park. The marine environment and offshore islands are protected by three national wildlife refuges. Western gulls, bald eagles and other coastal birds can be seen nesting and feeding along the southern coast. Visitors also commonly see harbor seals and harbor porpoises. Reviewers call the scenery "beyond beautiful" and "picture perfect." It started pouring on our way to Ruby Beach so we weren’t able to see it in person.
Marymere Falls: I was sad to miss this trail but we decided to move to our next spot earlier that morning versus cramming in a hike. It is listed as AllTrails #1 FAMILY HIKES and only one mile (in and out). It has the most scenic waterfalls in Olympic National Park and will take you through a beautiful conifer tree area, a bridge, and amazing mossy trees.
Second Beach: A 1-mile hike through a lush forest leads to sweeping views of a sandy beach and towering sea stacks. Known for tide pooling and spectacular sunsets.
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees." -John Muir