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.
Moss and mist. Olympic National Park, Washington
The Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club operates Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area, a not-for-profit alpine ski area that offers ski lessons, rentals, and inexpensive lift tickets. The small alpine area is serviced by two rope tows and one poma lift. A large amount of backcountry terrain is accessible for skiers, snowboarders, and other backcountry travelers when Hurricane Ridge Road is open. Winter access to Hurricane Ridge Road is currently limited to Friday through Sunday weather permitting.
- If you can, plan on spending 5 to 7 days in Olympic National Park to fully explore all of the different regions.
- The fun small wildlife includes chipmunks, muskrat, river otters, skunks, snowshoe hares, squirrel, and weasels.
- During winter, the viewpoint known as Hurricane Ridge offers numerous winter sports activities.
Along the coast of the Pacific Northwest, Olympic National Park offers visitors an enticing selection of glacial peaks, stunning waterfalls, and epic coastlines. Spectacular and remote, the park rewards those that venture into the mountains, while also providing beautiful and accessible trails for the rest of us. Below the renowned Hoh Rain Forest and along the edge of Lake Quinalt – come to the Quinault Rain Forest to spot ancient spruce trees and beautiful waterfalls.
If you want to go a little higher, which I strongly recommend, hike one of the short trails that start at the parking lot. These notables met in the Olympic wilderness while exploring, and subsequently combined their political efforts to have the area placed within some protected status. In 1976, Olympic National Park was designated by UNESCO as an International Biosphere Reserve, and in 1981 as a World Heritage Site. Ruby Beach is another popular coastal spot offering renowned sea stacks and piles of deserted driftwood.
La Push Beaches
- From the parking lot, it is an easy 2.25 mile round trip walk to the waterfall.
- Connecting to the main scenic drive, the Quinalt Rain Forest has a scenic road all for itself.
- Turbidites are rocks or sediments that travel into the ocean as suspended particles in the flow of water, causing a sedimentary layering effect on the ocean floor.
- Obstruction Point Road is frequently called Washington’s scariest road.
- And if you’re chasing waterfalls, Sol Duc Falls delivers—three streams plunging into a narrow, mossy gorge.
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.
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. Passes are also available for people with permanent disabilities and volunteers with 250 service hours with federal agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program. And fourth-graders can access the parks for free all year by obtaining an Annual 4th Grade Pass through Every Kid Outdoors. If this is part of a bigger road trip through the USA, visit our United States Travel Guide and our Washington Travel Guide for more inspiration and travel planning tips.
Rain isn’t a problem here—it’s the reason this moss-draped area exists. On the western edge of the park, the Hoh Rainforest receives about 140 inches of rain a year—over 11 feet—and it wears every drop proudly. Towering Sitka spruces, western red cedars, and coast Douglas firs line trails like the Hall of Mosses, while banana slugs, bobcats, and Olympic black bears call the forest home.
This was a hike that was high on our to-do list, but drizzly weather and low-lying clouds created unfavorable conditions. We have learned from past experiences that if clouds cover the mountain peaks, you might as well as stay in bed and pull the covers over your head, because you’ll have the same view. The Staircase region is located in the southeastern corner of Olympic National Park. This is where you will find more old growth forests and some of the best hikes in the park.
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.
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.
The park offers visitors three unique ecosystems through four distinct regions of the national park. The park features the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, temperate rainforest, and drier forests. In one national park, you can walk through old growth temperate rainforests, climb peaks as high as 8,000 feet, and stroll along beaches littered with driftwood and enormous sea stacks. One of the few temperate rainforests in North America, you can experience some exceptional hiking along the three nature trails.
Hoh Glacier measuring 3.06 miles (4.93 km) is the largest of several glaciers atop Mount Olympus. The range away from the coastal side experiences less rain and becomes drier and displays rugged ridges. Mount Deception at 7,788 feet (2,374 m) is the highest peak in this part of the mountains. If you want panoramic views of the Olympic mountain range with very little effort, this is the place to go. The views from Hurricane Ridge, where you will look out over snow-capped mountains, forests of evergreen trees, and Mount Olympus, is one of the best experiences in Olympic National Park.
This is a bit off-the-beaten-path, but it’s worth the quick visit, if you like the idea of seeing something different than a hiking trail or waterfall. Hiking to the top of Mount Storm King is one of the best things to do in Olympic National Park. The walk to Marymere Falls, discussed next, also starts at Lake Crescent.
Mount Ellinor
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).
These beaches are named First, Second, and Third Beaches, with First Beach being the northernmost beach. Shi Shi Beach is great as a long day hike or as an overnight camping experience. The beach is located in Olympic National Park but access to the beach is on the Makah Reservation.
This area, pin up casino promo code because of its location, is often overlooked by many visitors and tends to be less crowded. For 13 miles, you will hike the East Fork Quinault River Trail through old growth forests until you reach the chalet. Bear, elk, coyote, mountain lion, and deer can sometimes be spotted along the trail. There are thick groves of trees adjacent to the sand, which results in chunks of timber from fallen trees on the beach.
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. 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.
The Hurricane Ridge Winter Access Coalition is a community effort to restore seven-day-a-week access via the Hurricane Ridge Road (the only park road accessing alpine terrain in winter). The visitor center has an information desk to gather up-to-date information on trail closings, weather, and campgrounds. This is also the place to pick up backcountry camping permits and bear canisters for the epic hike you’ve planned. Aside from ticking the boxes, there are nature exhibits to explore, including insights into the environment and native wildlife. Better yet, check out the theater and enjoy a free movie on Olympic National Park.
The shorter Spruce Nature and Hall of Mosses trails are family-friendly and educational, while providing a closeup view of some of the most unique landscapes in the United States. Olympic National Park has at least 175 different trails that allow visitors to hike and explore the rainforest, the mountains, and the varied ecosystems in the park. The trails range from short to long and from easy to difficult providing something for everyone. The most popular trail in the valley is the 1.6 mile return hike to Sol Duc Falls. Arguably the best waterfall in the national park, visitors will be rewarded with dazzling views among old-growth forests.