
The one thing that attracted me to Olympic National Park was its diversity. In one park you can visit many unique areas due to its location. Olympic NP features a stunning old-growth temperate rain forest, glacier-covered mountains, and a rugged Pacific coastline.
Olympic National Park protects almost a million acres of land, therefore, I scheduled at least two days to explore some of the main highlights of this unique and stunningly beautiful park. It would have been nice to have a few more days to experience much more of this incredible place.
Port Angeles Visitor Center
In June 2024, we traveled to Washington State to see family and had the chance to spend a few days at Mount Rainier National Park and Olympic National Park. Both parks are incredibly unique and beautiful. We were staying near Seattle, which is about a two-hour and 30 minute drive to the Port Angeles Visitor Center., located on the north side of Olympic National Park. This park is so massive that I planned an overnight stay in Forks, Washington, along the western coast, in order for us to be able to see some of the highlights throughout the preserve.
I always stop by the visitor center at each national park to obtain a park map and consult with a ranger about my trip highlights, making adjustments when necessary.The rangers recommended several changes to my itinerary, primarily suggesting that I visit the Hoh Rainforest in the late afternoon instead of early the next morning to steer clear of traffic.

Hurricane Ridge
Our first stop, Hurricane Ridge, is one of the most visited sites in the park and only a 35-minute drive from the Port Angeles Visitor Center. Hurricane Ridge is a picturesque mountainous area.
The ridge experiences winds exceeding 75 miles per hour, which is why it's called "Hurricane." Annually, 30-35 feet of snow accumulates and often remains into summer, affecting life throughout the year.
You can hike here or simply enjoy the fresh air and scenery. There used to be a visitor center, but it was destroyed by fire. Currently, there is a temporary ranger station, along with restrooms and a few viewing areas.
We set out on a short hike along the Big Meadow Trail, an easy 0.25 mile, one way, paved path offering impressive views of the Olympics and the meadows, where we also saw a few deer grazing in the fields. Numerous flowering plants and evergreen trees filled the air with a delightful fragrance.
I strongly suggest visiting this location. The scenery was breathtaking, and it was an excellent spot to see the Olympic Mountains.
Our next stop, Madison Falls!

Madison Falls Trail
After driving for 50 minutes from Hurricane Ridge (just 17 minutes away from the Port Angeles Visitor Center), you will reach the Elwha Valley. This spot is perfect for appreciating the beauty of the Elwha River from the parking area and walking the short, paved 0.1-mile trail to Madison Falls.
Walk the nicely paved trail and view massive Douglas firs, western hemlocks and mossy oaks.
Very shortly you will see Madison Falls, a stunning 60-foot waterfall. There are many places to sit and soak in the scenery.
An additional advantage is the restroom situated close to the parking lot.

Lake Crescent Lodge
In just a quick 20-minute drive, we arrived at Lake Crescent Lodge. This breathtaking location is another excellent option for an overnight stay. The historic lodge, built in 1915, appears both charming and beautiful.
We visited the lodge, which houses a restaurant and gift shop, to use the restrooms and do some shopping before enjoying a picnic lunch by the lake.
During our time in Seattle, we visited Pike Place Market and grabbed some delicious smoked salmon, fresh cherries, and cheese curds for our picnic lunch. It's hard to put into words just how incredible this picnic was, especially with our views of Lake Crescent.
After picnicking, we took a walk along the Moments In Time Trail. Situated close to the Lake Crescent Lodge, this easy 0.8-mile loop offers a tranquil stroll at Barnes Point.
The trail traces the edge of Lake Crescent, offering us stunning views at each turn. It was an excellent way to walk off some of our meal.

Lodging in Forks
We traveled to our accommodation for the night in Forks, Washington to unload our car and relax for a short while. The drive from Lake Crescent to Forks takes just 45 minutes, leading us to our overnight stop, the Woodland Inns.
The Woodland Inns consist of approximately thirteen small cabins, each equipped with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and a small sofa bed to accommodate more guests. You can conveniently park your car beside your cabin. For entry, the owner will provide a lock code via text message, allowing for a contactless check-in. I thoroughly enjoyed our overnight stay. The cabin featured a refrigerator and freezer for our food and drinks, and it was very clean and modern.
We originally intended to visit a nearby beach, but the ranger recommended that we change our plans and visit the Hoh Rainforest this evening around 4 pm instead of in the morning when it opens. Apparently, the entrance to the Hoh Visitor Center area can become very congested due to the limited parking space available.

Visiting the Hoh Rainforest
Following a 50-minute drive from Forks, we reached the entrance of the Hoh Rainforest. At 4:00 pm, we waited almost 45 minutes to enter the parking lot due to a one-in, one-out system.
It might also be worth noting that if you purchased a national park pass you will need to provide it here or pay the entry fee to get in.
During the winter months, the Hoh Rain Forest experiences frequent rainfall, contributing to an annual average of 140 inches of precipitation. This results in a vibrant, green canopy composed of both coniferous and deciduous trees. The mosses and ferns covering the woodlands enhance the rainforest's magical allure.
Trails in Hoh Rainforest
Our first hike through this scenic area was The Hall of Mosses Trail (0.8 miles/1.2 km). This scenic trail forms a loop that guides you through an ancient forest, highlighting a group of old growth Sitka spruces, Douglas firs, Western red cedars and big-leaf maple trees decorated with beautifully colored club moss. The combination of the enormous sized trees draped in moss will leave you speechless.
Next, we explored the Hoh River Trail, which is the area's main hiking trail. Fortunately, this is an out-and-back trail; therefore, we hiked only about 30 minutes out and 30 minutes back in order to return to our car before dusk settled upon us.
If followed to the end, it passes several camping spots, with Glacier Meadows being the final one at 17.3 miles (27.8 km), and concludes 18.5 miles (30 km) away at the Blue Glacier moraine, offering a view of Mt. Olympus.
Another trail, The Spruce Nature Trail (1.2 miles/ 1.9 km) is in this location as well. Since we were short on time, we did not venture on it.
Overall, there's so much to discover in this single area that you could easily spend a couple of days exploring it.
As night descended, we returned to our base in Forks, dined at a pizza restaurant, and then retired to our cabin. Overall, we enjoyed a fun and eventful day in Olympic National Park.

Rialto Beach
Rialto Beach is definately one of the most beautiful places you can visit in Olympic NP, and just a short 20 minute drive from Forks, Washington.
Reaching Rialto Beach is easy! There's a spacious parking area equipped with a restroom. From the parking lot, simply follow the signs leading to the beach. You'll descend a few switchbacks with some viewpoints along the way until you arrive at the beach. To access the beach, you'll need to traverse sand, rocks, and driftwood barriers. It's advisable to wear water shoes to assist with walking.
I really wanted to view the marine life during low tide; therefore, we looked up the tide charts on tidecharts.com to find out when low tide would be at Rialto Beach. Luckily for us, there was a negative low tide early in the morning. So, shortly after waking up, we journeyed to Rialto Beach for one of my most memorable experiences in a national park.
As illustrated in the chart below, the lowest tide occurs around 7:30 am, making it the best time to observe intertidal species.

Tide pools host a variety of marine species, such as sea slugs, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, hermit crabs, sea lettuce, and red algae. In order to face the challenging conditions of tide pools, these inhabitants have developed useful adaptations. Barnacles, sea stars, and anemones produce adhesive, glue-like substances that anchor them as the tides change.

Observing these intertidal species in such a majestic and beautiful area was truly remarkable.
When tidepooling, be sure to exercise caution as the tide comes back in. Also, wearing water shoes is extremely helpful for navigating the slippery rocks and water.
Besides the stunning marine life at Rialto Beach, you can also hike the 1.5-mile trek north along the undeveloped coast.
We had the opportunity to spend 1.5 hours here exploring the marine life.

Kalaloch Beach
Kalaloch Beach hosts the renowned "Tree of Life". This stunning and otherworldly natural wonder is situated just a brief walk from the parking area that leads to Kalaloch Beach. The parking area is about an hour south of Forks on Highway 101. Look for the signs leading to Kalaloch Campground (not lodge). Here you will find a large parking area near the campground. There is an entrance to the beach with several flights of stairs descending to it. To the right of these stairs, you'll find the "Tree of Life"!

Witness the amazing Tree of Life! Also called the Tree Root Cave, this remarkable tree is alive and thriving although there is no soil under its visible roots. It is definately a beautiful sight to see!
The beach here is so expansive!!!! You could spend all day here walking the beach or just soaking up the sun. Kalaloch Beach is also a great place to explore at lowtide for marine life.

Lake Pleasant County Park
After spending the whole morning at the beach, we made our way back to Port Angeles and paused for lunch at a wonderful county park, Lake Pleasant.
This is a great area to stretch your legs and enjoy the scenery. This park has restroom facilities, a small beach, a playground, boat launch, fishing and picnic areas.

Port Angeles, Washington
In just an hour, we found ourselves back at Port Angeles, where we started. Although we didn't have the chance to explore more waterfalls like Marymere Falls and Sol Duc Falls, we experienced a great deal of what Olympic National Park has to offer. It's simply a great reason to return.
Port Angeles has much to see as well. We visited the Port Angeles Wharf which houses many shops and eateries. My favorite was Welly's Real Fruit Ice Cream which is a New Zealand treat made with real fruit and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then blended in a machine until it's light and airy. So yummy!!!!
You will discover an art gallery featuring numerous locally crafted items and additional attractions.
Exploring Olympic National Park and its surrounding areas was an excellent way to enjoy our time in the Pacific Northwest.
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