How to visit Olympic National Park

Why you should go to Olympic

 One of the most primeval parts of the lower 48 states, Olympic National Park covers nearly 1 million acres of the eponymous peninsula in Washington State—95 percent of which is designated wilderness. While the typical image of the park is a dark, damp, and overwhelmingly beautiful temperate rainforest, the park also shelters alpine highlands, tranquil lakeshores, and a wild Pacific coastline that seems totally untouched by humans.

Olympic is one of the places that President Teddy Roosevelt recognized as an endangered national treasure, protecting the area’s snowcapped peaks and lush forest with national monument status in 1909. That set the stage for a struggle between the timber industry and conservationists that segued into the ecological wave that later swept the Pacific Northwest.

In 1938, Olympic was designated as a national park, after an act of Congress that was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt.

Where to find the best views in the park

From the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles, Mount Angeles Road meanders 17 miles (27 km) south into the heart of the park and the spectacular views from Hurricane Ridge. Take in the panorama from the summit parking area or various trails that radiate across the lofty landscape. 

It’s not as easy to reach, but the view from Mount Storm King is even more impressive. Adventurous hikers can reach it via a steep trail with numerous switchbacks and 2,000 feet (609 meters) of elevation gain, the summit overlooks deep-blue Crescent Lake.

Among the mesmerizing views along the park’s Pacific Coast are the short trails between the parking lots and along the shore at Kalaloch Beach and Ruby Beach. 

Where to find the park’s best trails

You don’t have to go far. Right outside the Olympic National Park Visitor Center are two short nature walks. Both the Living Forest Loop (0.4 mile/0.6 km) and Peabody Creek Trail (0.5 mile/0.8 km) are good introductions to the nature that lies ahead.

Hurricane Ridge offers hikers plenty of choices, from the short, flat Big Meadow Loop (0.25 miles/0.4 km) to challenging treks like the eight-mile (13-km) Wolf Creek Trail, where the higher elevations may feature snow well into summer.   

The park’s most popular walking spot is the Hoh Rainforest, which features two short loops through the mighty old growth trees: The Hall of Mosses Trail (0.8 miles/1.2 km) and Spruce Nature Trail (1.2 miles/1.9 km). As they form a rough figure eight, it’s easy to trek them back-to-back.  Those who crave a more challenging adventure can undertake a daytime out-and-back hike along the Hoh River Trail or apply for a wilderness permit and trek the entire 17.3 miles (28 km) to Glacier Meadows on the west side of Mount Olympus.

The Spruce Railroad Trail (10.5 miles/17 km) follows an old train route along the north shore of Crescent Lake, with an option to summit Pyramid Peak via a steep spur trail. 

Although they’re not marked trails, wilderness routes along the Olympic coast make adventurous one-way day hikes or multi-day treks if you’ve got a wilderness permit. The North Coast Route stretches 40.6 miles (65.3 km) across three sections between Rialto Beach and Shi Shi Beach. Anyone who attempts to hike all or part of this route should be fully aware of weather and tide conditions. 

The best spots for seeing wildlife

With around 95 percent of the park roadless and designated wilderness, Olympic National Park is home to diverse wildlife that tends to roam far away from areas that are easily accessible by road or short trails. 

However, there are exceptions. Like the Hoh Rainforest and its resident herd of Roosevelt elk, animals that are fairly habituated to humans—who should keep their distance from these large creatures even though they may seem tame.

Hurricane Ridge is the best place to spot Olympic marmots, large rodents that live underground and are often seen popping their heads out of burrows, sunning themselves on rocks, or scrambling across the alpine meadows or rocky slopes.

If you know where to look, marine life is abundant along the park’s Kalaloch coast. Gray whales migrate past the beaches in the spring and fall, although humpbacks and orcas make occasional appearances. At almost any time of year, you might spot dolphins, sea otters, harbor seals, or sea lions offshore. And be sure to scout the tidepools for sea stars, sea urchins, anemone, crabs, and other creatures.  

How to visit the park like a Nat Geo Explorer 

“I definitely have a lot of bias towards the Olympic National Park,” says National Geographic Explorer Korena Mafune, a fungal ecologist at the University of Washington who has studied trees around the globe. 

“I’ve never been to an area that has such a beautiful, lush canopy ecosystem. Within the continental United States, there’s no other national park that has as much greenery and biomass just engulfing the tree trunks, the tree branches, just everywhere you step. People often say it’s like an alien planet—like 'Fern Gully' or 'Avatar' really exists.”

Having grown up and lived in western Washington her entire life, Mafune has been exploring Olympic since she was a kid. But it’s only through field research during the last decade that she came to know the park in a much more intimate way.  

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On forays into the park’s lowland riparian old growth forest, Mafune climbs high into the branches to study a very special micro ecosystem: Life that exists beneath the gorgeous green moss that hangs from the trees.

“When you see a green, beautiful mat, draping off these trees, a lot of people don't realize that what's underneath that is basically organic soil on a tree branch. My research was focusing on the roots that grow out of the trees into the canopy soil on the branches. Very tasty, nutrient-rich soil on tree branches that are also associating with fungal mutualists. It’s a very beautiful, intricate, complex thing that barely anyone has researched.”  

“Being able to establish myself as a lead canopy researcher in the Olympic National Park has been a highlight of my life, Mafune concludes. “The forests are so beautiful, and they have so many things to see. Even if you look on the ground, there's a nursery log that's growing little trees and hosting a bunch of diversity. I always say that wherever you look in these ecosystems, there's a ‘forest in a forest’ no matter how big or how little.”

Top experiences in Olympic

Situated above 5,000 feet (1,524 meters), Hurricane Ridge is open year-round and provides a range of outdoor adventures depending on the season. Hiking along eight different routes that fan out from the summit parking lot is the main event in summer. 

From late November to March, the summit transforms into the Hurricane Ridge Ski & Snowboard Area. Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, and tubbing are also possible. Tickets and passes can be purchased online and in some cases at the ski area. Equipment rental is not currently offered on the mountain; the closest winter rental shops are in Port Angeles. 

Heading west from Port Angeles, Highway 101 makes a beeline for blue-green Lake Crescent, renowned for both its beauty and indigenous trout species. Get out on the water with a rental canoe or kayak from Fairholme Store, hike or bike the north shore via the 10.5-mile (17-km) Spruce Railroad Trail or take a refreshing dip at East Beach.

Just beyond the lake’s western end, a side road leads to the Sol Duc Valley, where the hot springs resort features massage treatments and outdoor mineral pools (the hottest averages 104°F/40°C). The valley is also renowned for its ancient forest, with many of the towering trees more than 200 years old. Salmon Cascades is a great spot to watch fish spawn in the fall, while trails lead off to Mink Lake, Sol Duc Falls, and the secluded Seven Lakes Basin.

Over on the park’s rain-saturated west side, the lush Hoh Valley is home to the park’s most enchanting forest, a mosaic of moss, ferns, and giant trees that really does look like something from a medieval fairytale. 

Another textbook example of a temperate rainforest, the Quinault Valley is home to some of the world’s largest hemlocks, Douglas firs, western red cedars, and a 1,000-year-old Sitka spruce. The Quinault Rainforest Nature Loop provides a quick and easy glimpse of the forest and there’s also a 31-mile (50-km) drive around the exceptionally scenic lake.

Separated from the rest of the park by private and tribal lands, the Kalaloch area protects 65 miles (104 km) of a wild Pacific coast carved by waves and tidal action. Riptides and floating logs inhibit swimming or surfing in these waters. The shoreline is great for bluff-top camping, short- and long-distance walks, exploring tide pools, and scouting for marine wildlife.

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Best things to do for families

A walk through the Hoh Rainforest is a great family activity, especially for those with smaller kids because the trails are short and relatively flat. There’s also a good chance of spotting members of the resident elk herd munching the undergrowth beneath the giant trees.

Among the park’s other family-friendly trails are the Cirque Rim and Big Meadow on Hurricane Ridge, Marymere Falls near Crescent Lake, and Salmon Cascades in the Sol Duc Valley. 

Strewn with tide pools, driftwood logs, and dramatic sea stacks, the Kalaloch coast beaches are also ideal for kids. Check online tide tables to see when the water will be furthest from shore to maximize the amount of sand for kids to play. 

During the winter, the Hurricane Ridge creates a free-of-charge sledding area for children eight years of age and under, as well as a tubing area for humans of any age or size ($24 for 10 runs). 

Where to stay

Hotels: Founded in 1915, Lake Crescent Lodge, a south shore inn, offers biking, fishing, and paddle sports, and it features a restaurant and a gift shop. Perched on the north shore of Lake Crescent, Log Cabin Resort provides a wide range of choices from rustic camper cabins to A-frame chalets. Restaurants, boat rental, and a general store are additional on-site amenities. Located near mineral pools, the historic Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort features a restaurant, grocery store, gift shop, and spa treatments. The Kalaloch Lodge had cabins and motel-style rooms that overlook the Pacific.

Lodging is available outside the park in Port Angeles, Quinault, Sequim, Forks, Neah Bay, and other towns around the park’s periphery. 

Camping 
• Olympic National Park contains 15 developed campgrounds and scores of backcountry possibilities. Some campsites are first-come, first-serve while others are reservable through Recreation.gov. Wilderness permits for backcountry camping are available at the same website. 

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Here’s what else you need to know

Access: U.S. Highway 101 wraps around three sides of Olympic National Park. Sideroads at a number of spots—including Port Angeles, Crescent Lake, Forks, Hoh Rainforest, the Kalaloch coast, Hartzell Creek, and Quinault—provide access to different parts of the park. 

When to visit: Olympic is a year-round national park, but determining the best time to visit depends on seasonal activities and visitation levels. Activities like hiking, biking, and camping that largely depend on good weather are best during the summer season between Memorial and Labor days. But that’s also the most crowded time on park roads and trails, as well as the most difficult time to snag lodging and campground reservations. For snow sports at Hurricane Ridge and walks in the Hoh Rainforest or along the park’s Pacific beaches, winter is the least crowded season. However, many park facilities are closed during the colder months.   

Are pets allowed?

Pets are allowed outside their owner’s vehicle at drive-in campgrounds, picnic areas, and six pet friendly trails but must be restrained at all times on a leash no longer than six feet (two meters). Pets are forbidden in public buildings (including visitor centers), wilderness areas, or on interpretive walks. However, service animals are free to accompany their owners throughout the park. 

 How accessible is Olympic?

Visitor centers in Port Angeles, Hoh Rainforest, and Hurricane Ridge are mobility accessible, as are the Sol Duc Hot Springs, Kalaloch Lodge, and Lake Crescent Lodge. Six campgrounds feature accessible campsites and restrooms, and four of those have accessible amphitheaters for ranger programs. Two dozen park trails with compacted gravel or asphalt pavement are also accessible.

Park films at the Port Angeles and Hurricane Ridge visitor centers are closed-captioned for the deaf and hard of hearing,. With 14-days advance notice, ASL interpretation is available for any scheduled ranger-led program or event. Some ASL-fluent rangers may be posted in the park depending on the season or current staffing.