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With almost a million acres of wilderness, Olympic offers many backpacking options. Explore Olympic’s diverse ecosystems and history with a ranger during scheduled programs.

For something more casual, enjoy a comparatively simple walk to Marymere Falls. In the middle of the Olympic Peninsula Loop Drive, Crescent Lake combines the awe-inspiring mountain sights with a slower-paced lakeside experience. After some time spent chasing hair-raising experiences in the high alpine, Crescent Lake provides the chance to relax.

An early morning visit as the sun begins to pierce through the trees is one of the best times to explore. There are chances to see wildlife but the endless shades of green are the highlight of the endeavor. The coastal region of Olympic stretches a distance of 60 miles (97 km), however, it is only a few miles deep. The beach terrain changes from sandy to wilderness to areas covered in rocks and boulders. Hiking the area is challenging because of slippery footing, vegetation, and rain forest weather. Olympic National Park is located in the western part of the United States in the northwestern part of the state of Washington.

Dungeness Spit Wildlife Refuge

• Beginning in Port Angeles, the loop passes the majority of attractions and things to do in Olympic National Park.
• The Sitka spruce tree is on full display, roots and all, providing an insight into how nature adapts in harsh environments.
• A paved trail called the Hurricane Hill trail is about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long each way, with an elevation gain of about 700 feet (210 m).
• For example, the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is offered free to all active-duty military members and their dependents.
• Several promontories must be struggled over, using a combination of muddy steep trails and fixed ropes.

Scenic and adventurous, kids will love creating seesaws out of the wood and exploring the several tide pools. Olympic National Park has a variety of visitor centers placed throughout the park. Two fantastic locations include Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh Rain Forest. However, the main visitor center exists just outside the park in Port Angeles.

This park is located on the Olympic Peninsula, a region that home to numerous ecosystems. The smaller coastal portion of the park is separated from the larger, inland portion. President Franklin D. Roosevelt originally had supported connecting them with a continuous strip of parkland. Olympic National Park has fewer amenities than some of the other parks in the US, especially when it comes to supplies. Along the Olympic Peninsula Loop Drive, you’ll have better access to food and gear for your adventures to more remote areas.

The views get even better as you walk farther along the trail. This list of things to do in Olympic National Park is organized by geographical area. Visiting Olympic National Park is different than visiting a park like Zion, Arches, or Yosemite, when most of the top things to do are located along one road that cuts through the park. The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration Project is the second-largest ecosystem restoration project in the history of the National Park Service after the Everglades. It consisted of removing the 210-foot (64 m) Glines Canyon Dam and draining its reservoir, Lake Mills and removing the 108-foot (33 m) Elwha Dam and its reservoir Lake Aldwell from the Elwha River.

At Olympic National Park, the roads form a loop around the perimeter of the peninsula, with short access roads that cut towards the center of the park. If you want to see and do everything on this list, you will need a bare minimum of three days and it is best to plan your visit as a road trip. During winter, the viewpoint known as Hurricane Ridge offers numerous winter sports activities.

It is imperative that you like the natural colors of green because the abundance of rain has created one of the greenest places on earth. Larger mammals include black-tailed deer, elk, and mountain goats on the land side with dolphins, seals, sea lions, sea otters, whales on and along the coastal part of the park. There is a large variety of bird species occupying the different parts of the park. Olympic National Park appears in our Best US National Parks in June, Best US National Parks in July, and Best National Parks in August articles. For more information about the best times to visit the national parks, check out our Best National Parks Month-by-Month Guide.

As its name implies, it is also one of the best places to capture the moss hanging from the trees. To get here, you will need to do some hiking…6 to 10 miles round trip, depending on how far down the beach you will go. This paved trail turns to dirt just before a spectacular viewpoint.

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Providing visitors with hot springs, rivers, and waterfalls, the Sol Duc Valley is one of the most picturesque parts of Olympic National Park. Offering a variety of short and long hikes, you can enjoy the best of all three without extensive hiking experience. This trail is an easy 1.1-mile (1.77 km) loop trail that circles around the Hoh Rainforest with an abundance of ferns, green moss, and spectacular trees.

The temperate rainforest is located in the western side of the national park, but inland from the coastal region. Hoh Rainforest and Quinault Rainforest account for this region and collectively get about 150 inches (380 cm) of rain a year. Views of the Olympic National Park can be seen from the Hurricane Ridge viewpoint. The road leading west from the Hurricane Ridge visitor center has several picnic areas and trailheads. A paved trail called the Hurricane Hill trail is about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long each way, with an elevation gain of about 700 feet (210 m).

To visit Rialto Beach, park at the Rialto Beach parking area, which is located next to the beach, and then walk right out to the beach. You can walk in either direction but the best direction to go is north, where you get to see the sea stacks sitting along the coastline. This stretch of beach allows you to explore more of Olympic National Park’s rocky coastline. pin up casino promo code It is easier to get to than Shi Shi Beach and it is not located on a reservation, so there is no additional fee, other the national park fee, to visit this beach. Park in the parking lot and then it is a half-mile walk through a forest to get to the coastline. Just before reaching the beach, you will have a nice view along the spit.

• Hiking the area is challenging because of slippery footing, vegetation, and rain forest weather.
• The driftwood, sea stack boulders, forested and rugged coastline is quite picturesque.
• Not only does that make the Hoh Rain Forest a predictably damp environment, but its aura rivals that found high above the treeline.

Olympic National Park

Hoh and Quinault Rainforests are different from the traditional rainforest comprised of coniferous trees. These trees include Coast Douglas-fir, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, and Western redcedar. You can volunteer your time, purchase a national park license plate, donate to support priority park projects — the options are practically endless!

Scenic and not too long (3.2 miles return), hikers can witness some of the best views in the park without having to venture too far. This is a 3.1 mile (4.99 km) trail that ascends 797 feet (242.9 m) while providing panoramic views of Hurrican Ridge and the surrounding Olympic mountains. The trail is rated moderate but the views are rated captivating.

This hike is 6.2 miles round trip with 3,300 feet of elevation gain. Your reward is panoramic views over the Olympic Peninsula and out to Mount Rainier and Mount Baker. To visit Ruby Beach, park in the large parking area and then it is a downhill walk to the beach. You can either explore this stretch of coastline or hike north to the Hoh River (6 miles round trip). There are several roads in the park, but none penetrate far into the interior. The park features a network of hiking trails, although the size and remoteness mean that it will usually take more than a weekend to get to the high country in the interior.

Whether you’re arriving from Seattle or traveling from further afield, check in here before heading into the park. Beginning in Port Angeles, the loop passes the majority of attractions and things to do in Olympic National Park. After taking you by a connection to the amazing Hurricane Ridge, the drive descends towards the Sol Duc Valley. From there, enjoy impeccable scenery on your way to Forks, with easy access to the coastline. Olympic National Forest has over 270 miles of trails, with 20 campgrounds to choose from. Of the forest’s many treks, eight of them are wheelchair accessible, including the half-mile Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail and the Brown Creek Nature Trail around a beaver pond.