Planning a trip to Olympic National Park and looking for the best places to add to your itinerary?
If we tell you that Olympic National Park is one of the most diverse parks we’ve ever visited, we seriously mean it. Rugged beaches, mountains, waterfalls, mossy forests… This park has it all and it’s the perfect spot to experience the beauty of Pacific Northwest. The two of us road tripped Washington’s Olympic NP alongside with Oregon this April, and all we can say is that it was one of the best trips we’ve ever done!
Now one thing we want to mention right from the start is that Olympic NP is HUGE. Lot of people don’t realize this and is surpised by the amount of driving they have to do if they book one hotel for the entire time in the park. For these reasons, we decided to stay in different places along the route to minimize the amount of driving and make the most of the time we had for this beautiful park. We drove from Seattle and stayed 2 nights in Lake Crescent area, 1 night near Forks to be close to the beaches and 1 night in Kalaloch area before we continued down to Oregon coast. Therefore, we’ve decided to divide this blog post into these 3 areas to make it easy for you to plan your own Olympic National Park itinerary.
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PLANNING A TRIP TO OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK?
Checkout these helpful links to plan your trip from start to finish:
- Getting There: For this trip, we decided to take our car and drive from Banff, but for those who need to fly, Seattle’s Tacoma Airport is the best starting point for a trip to Olympic NP. For getting the best possible rate, we recommend browsing and comparing the prices on multiple flight aggregator websites like Expedia or Kiwi. We personally also subscribe to Thrifty Traveler Premium that delivers amazing flight deals from our home airport right into our inbox.
- Getting Around: Altought there are some public transportation options in Olympic NP, the whole park spans nearly 1 million acres, so the best way to get around is by car and you’ll want to rent one in Seattle if you want to get the best rates. Check out RentalCars.com to find great deals and compare providers.
- Accommodation: By far the most affordable way to visit Olympic NP is to camp. There is plenty of beautiful NP service campgrounds, though they can get full during the peak season. If that’s the case, make sure to check out HipCamp as we found some beautiful sites in Olympic NP! For those who prefer to stay in a hotel, Port Angeles or Forks are the best hubs for affordable stays. Lastly, there are some beautiful resorts right in the park – Lake Crescent Lodge, Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort or Kalaloch Lodge are all beautiful bucket list resorts for those who are ready to splurge.
- Travel Insurance & eSIM: Travelling to the States from abroad? Check travel insurance from Heymondo and get 5% off through our link and make sure to set up an eSIM from Airalo to stay connected.
- Park Pass: Don’t forget to purchase Olympic NP Pass or America the Beautiful Pass! National Park Service has a great guide on their website to help you decide which pass is the best one for you.
- Best Time to Visit: Olympic National Park is beautiful year round, but we’d say it’s even more stunning in the rainy season which goes from November to April. This is when the rainforests truly come to live, plus the park is less busy.
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK ITINERARY: LAKE CRESCENT AREA
Lake Crescent is a glacier-carved lake that’s not only beautiful itself, but it also offers some amazing hiking trails in the area, therefore we decided to stay in this cute HipCamp for 2 nights to have a bit more time to explore.
The lake has pristine blue water and is surrounded by Olympic mountains, so the views are scenic everywhere you look around. We can only imagine it must be perfect for kayaking or canoeing in the summer.
Lake Crescent Viewpoints
You’ll get some epic roadside views of Lake Crescent just from driving the Olympic Hwy 101, but there are multiple viewpoints where you can stop to soak it all in. We really enjoyed this pier close to Marymere Falls parking lot and this short loop called Moments in Time that starts right from there too. If you have more time, we’d recommend checking out the short trail to Devil’s Punchbowl on the other side of the lake!
Marymere Falls
This easy 1.7 mile (2.7 km) round-trip hike goes through a beautiful lush forest and eventually takes you to two viewpoints over the stunning 90-foot (27 meters) high Marymere Falls. This was the very first trail we did on our Washington & Oregon road trip and we immediately thought: Wow, this what’s the PNW hype about! Definitely a must add-on to your Olympic National Park itinerary.
Mount Storm King
Mount Storm King offers the most stunning views of the Lake Crescent from above and it was on our bucket list for so long. We originally planned to hike up for sunset, but since we got a slighty rainy day, we decided to do it earlier in a day when we got a no rain window for safety reasons. The moody conditions were pretty magical!
Now, this is not a trail for the faint of heart. While it’s only 4.1 miles (6.6 km) out and back, there is some serious elevation to be gained. 642 meters to be exact. The final part of the trail involves a steep rocky sections with a series of ropes, so make sure to do more research to know what you’re going into.
Storm King Ranger Station
With its rustic architecture and forest in the backgroud, Storm King Ranger Station is one of those places that give you those Twilight vibes, especially when it’s raining. Lots of photographers like to stop here to get some moody shots, but it is an ranger station after all, so you might as well stop for some information or ranger programs.
Sol Duc Falls
Sol Duc Falls is another quick and easy waterfall hike that we highly recommend adding to your Olympic National Park itinerary. It is a bit of a drive from the main highway, but the road goes through a beautiful old-growth forest, so we found it to be worth it. And you might as well stop at the Sol Duc Hot Springs that are close to the trailhead.
Sol Duc Hot Springs
Soaking up in a hot spring in the middle of a rainforest? Sounds pretty epic to us! Sadly we didn’t have time to stop at Sol Duc Hot Springs on this trip, but it looks like a great experience. The admission fee is $18 per 1.5 hour session.
Hurricane Ridge
This is another spot we didn’t visit, because there was still lots of snow in April and to be fair, we’ve had quite enough of it after the long winter in Banff :), so we decided to leave it for our next visit.
Olympic National Park Itinerary Bonus: Cape Flattery
Altough technically not a part of Olympic National Park, we have to mention this place as we stopped by on our way from Lake Crescent to Forks area. Cape Flattery is the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States and offers amazing views over the rugged Pacific coast from multiple walking trails, so we highly recommend adding this to your itinerary.
It is a bit of a detour from the Highway 101 (count an extra 2 hours of driving), but it’s a beautiful remote drive and the views from Cape Flattery trail are well worth it. You’ll easily spot Vancouver Island too!
Since Cape Flattery is located on the Makah Reservation, you’ll need to pay for the annual Makah Recreation Permit which is $20 per vehicle.
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK ITINERARY: FORKS AREA
Forks is a cute little town that’s known to be the rainiest town in the contiguous United States as well as the fictional setting for Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series. While the movies weren’t actually filmed here, there’s lots to see for the Twilight fans.
Its location also makes it a great base for exploring the Pacific coast beaches and rainforests in western Olympic National Park, and while we personally camped at this RV park/resort between the town and the beaches, there is lots of affordable places to stay in Forks.
Forks Downtown
With plenty of restaurants and coffee shops, Forks is a great place to refuel in between your Olympic National Park adventures. And of course, there’s lots to see for the Twilight fans! You can stop by the chamber to get a picture with Bella’s trucks and the town sign or at the Rainforest Arts Center to see the collection of costumes and props used in the movies.
Rialto Beach
If we had to choose to revisit only one beach in Olympic National Park, it would be Rialto. It is one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve ever seen in our lifes and catching a sunset here made for such a core memory. Make sure to visit at a low tide, so you can take a walk to the Hole-in-the-Wall and see the impressive rock formations from closer distance. You can check the tide times here.
La Push
La Push is a small community within the Quileute Indian Reservation and another place to find beautiful rugged beaches in Olympic National Park, particularly First Beach, Second Beach, and Third Beach. We only had time to explore the first beach (and took this picture together), but it was still a great stop in our itinerary since it’s so interesting to visit a tribal land and learn something about their culture. We made sure to stop for some traditional fry bread too which was so delicious!
If the name La Push sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because of its mention in the Twilight series where it was depicted as the home of the Quileute tribe and the setting for some scenes near the fictional town of Forks. In fact, these scenes were shot at Indian Beach in Ecola State Park, Oregon!
Hoh Rainforest
Hoh Rainforest was honestly one of the main reasons why we started planning a trip to visit Olympic (at that point we didn’t even know there is so much more diversity to see) as it’s one of the most enchanting and well-preserved temperate rainforests in the world. There are multiple trails in the area, but the Hall of Mosses is a must do. It’s an easy, short trail that will take you around some impressive old-growth trees. An absolute bucket list place you need to add to your Olympic National Park itinerary!
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK ITINERARY: KALALOCH AREA
The last Olympic NP area we decided to check before heading south to Oregon coast was the Kalaloch which is once again known for the dramatic coastline and lush temperate rainforests. Kalaloch Campground was a great base as it was right next to the beach and close to the spots we wanted to check. Some of the sites even have an ocean view, but we arrived later in the day so they were all taken.
One thing we want to mention is that there isn’t many services around in this area, so if you plan to stay for more days, make sure to stock up in Forks. The only hotel/dining option in the area is the Kalaloch Lodge which is definitely on a pricier side, but it must be such a dreamy stay.
Kalaloch Beach & Tree of Life
Kalaloch offers not one, but seven beautiful sandy beaches that stretch over 15 miles (24 kilometers) along the western coastline of Olympic National Park and there are multiple parking lots along the Highway 101 with access to different parts of Kalaloch beaches.
Since we camped at the Kalaloch Campground, we accessed the beach right from the camp and stopped by the Tree of Life, which is a highlight of the area. It is a Sitka spruce with roots growing out over a cliff, making it look like it’s clinging to the edge. It’s famous for its dramatic and precarious position and symbolizes nature’s resilience.
Ruby Beach
Although a lot smaller than the other beaches in Olympic, Ruby is another beautiful rugged beach that’s worth a stop, especially if you can make it for sunset (which is what we did and it was stunning)! It’s an easy walk from the parking lot, so we’d recommend grabbing a blanket and some snacks to have a memorable evening.
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK ITINERARY: FINAL THOUGHTS
And there you have it, friends!
Olympic National Park is one of the most diverse parks you can see in the USA and a place that truly captures the essence of the Pacific Northwest vibes. For us, it was definitely one of the higlights of 2024 and we can’t wait to come back one day. We hope this list of places helps you to plan the perfect itinerary for your very own trip.
Until next time!
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Edyth
Thanks so much for sharing all of these, so helpful!
Jana & Matej
Glad to hear, cheers!