A Weekend in Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park spans a huge area of the Olympic Peninsula, rendering it impossible to see all of it in one short trip.  The diversity of the park is incredible as it consists of four distinct regions: the Pacific coast, a temperate rainforest, higher alpine areas, and drier forests that are more inland.  It is home to many unique fauna and flora that are native only to this area of the Pacific Northwest, including the Roosevelt elk and the Olympic marmot.

Here is a sample itinerary if you’re looking to hit the highlights of Olympic National Park in a long weekend (two or three full days).  Nearly all of these activities are family friendly.  However, since this is part of the National Park System, none of the trails are dog-friendly. 

If you are unable to obtain camping/lodging reservations within the actual Park, we recommend staying in Port Angeles, the closest town to the National Park boundaries. 

Day 1: rainforest + coast

• AM: start your day by waking up early and driving to the Hoh Rainforest
  • This is about 2 hours from Port Angeles 
  • Hall of Mosses (0.8 miles) and Spruce Nature Trail (1.2 miles) are easy hikes that kiddos of all ages will love.  The rainforest is magical and mossy full of fun finds like banana slugs and Roosevelt elk

• PM: head to the coastline for the second half of the day
  • Have a picnic on the beach for lunch
  • Hike from Rialto Beach to Hole-in-the-Wall (3.3 miles), a flat and rugged coastal trek to a tidepool with beautiful sea stacks along the way
  • Another beach hike option is to start from the town of La Push and hike to Second Beach along the rugged coastline (4 miles roundtrip) 
  • Ruby Beach and the Tree of Life by Kalaloch Beach are a few other favorites
  • Stick around for sunset for gorgeous colors along the scenic coast!
  • Be sure to check the tide forecast!!!  You’ll want to go at low tide in order to see the wildlife within the tidepools themselves, and to ensure your safety.  Link here for more details about tidepooling and tide charts here

Day 2: lake + mountains

• AM: drive about an hour from Port Angeles into Sol Duc Valley
  • Sol Duc Falls (1.8 miles round trip, easy) is the highlight hike in this area
  • Could also add Ancient Groves Trail (0.5 miles) for a lush forest hike

• PM: Spend the second half of your day in the Lake Crescent area
  • For a short (1.8 mile round trip), easy hike, check out Marymere Falls, which starts from Lake Crescent
  • For something much more challenging, take the same Marymere Falls trail, but soon after starting your hike, take the turnoff towards Mount Storm King for a climb with panoramic views overlooking Lake Crescent
    • Note that the Mount Storm King hike is strenuous and requires scrambling near the top – do not attempt this in poor/slick weather conditions
  • After you’ve fulfilled your nature fix, now you are only a 30 minute drive away from your home base in Port Angeles

Day 3: mountains

• If you have time for an extra day, these are our recommendations to explore the mountains of the Olympic Range
  • Hurricane Ridge – this is about 45 minutes from Port Angeles, and on a clear day, you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding mountain ranges.
    • Easy, short hikes from the Visitor Center with max mountain reward include: Big Meadow, High Ridge, and (the crowd favorite) Hurricane Hill.  For a longer (5 mile round trip) and moderate hike, try Klahhane Ridge.
    • Pro tip: to avoid the hassle of parking and driving, you can take the bus to here from Port Angeles!
  • Lake Constance – if you’re looking for a challenge, this is an extremely difficult and steep 4.4 mile hike to a gorgeous alpine lake.  It is actually labeled the most difficult hike in the Park.  This is only for experienced hikers as this will require some scrambling and route finding

Looking for something more adventurous?

• Check out our backpacking trip through the Enchanted Valley, which is in the southern part (Quinault area) of Olympic National Park – this area is not included in the above itinerary.  This is a magical old-growth forest trek to a historic chalet that we did over the course of two nights / three days, perfect for beginner backpackers or those with small children as there is minimal elevation gain throughout the hike.

• Two very popular, longer day hikes that are often used for backpacking are Royal Basin and the High Divide/Seven Lakes Basin Loop.  We haven’t done these yet, but they are on our bucket list!

Remember – all these activities take place inside the National Park, so they are not dog-friendly.  Check out our recommendations here for our favorite dog-friendly options on the Olympic Peninsula!