Weekend in Olympic National Park (WA)
- The Wandering Warmacks
- Apr 6, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 27, 2024
Olympic was the second of Washington's National Parks that we visited in Fall 2023. One of the special features of this park is getting to experience a multitude of diverse landscapes. For this reason, I'm sure that's why it ended up as the 10th most visited U.S. National Park last year. At nearly a million acres, you'll find yourself in the rainforest one minute, the Pacific coast the next, all to end at the Olympic mountain range. You can truly see it all here!
CAMPING
‣ Hoh Rainforest Campground - we stayed here on Friday night since we wanted to start off Saturday in the rainforest area. This was the closest drive from Oregon. Both of the trailheads for the hikes below were in very close walking proximity! Developed campground with restroom.
‣ Heart 'O Hills Campground - this was the perfect choice for Saturday night. We wanted to wake up early on Sunday to make it to Hurricane Ridge since NPS limited the number of vehicles in 2023 (this may have changed). This was the closest campground and was a 30 minute drive. We had no problem doing a first-come-first-serve reservation when we arrived. Sites were wooded & private, and had a restroom building.
HIKES & SIGHTS
As with all of our 2023 adventures, we tried to cram as much as we could into a two-day weekend. We wanted to get a well-rounded taste of the park, so we chose short hikes in each of the distinct geographic areas. This park definitely had the most amount of driving we've experienced so far. Everything is pretty spread out, and woven among different small towns.
HOH RAINFOREST
‣ Hall of Mosses (1 mile) - this trail appeared many times on the recommended lists for Olympic National Park. Walking through all the lush trees draped in moss and ferns was truly unique, and a great hike for all abilities. A beautiful spot for photo ops!
‣ Spruce Nature Trail (1.4 miles) - this was pretty similar to the Hall of Mosses trail, just a tad bit longer. Another trail with flourishing greenery, old trees, and a straightforward path
RIALTO BEACH
‣ Hole-in-the-Wall (3.3 miles) - This long beach walk was full of sand, rocks, and driftwood. The water was beautiful, but the footing was tricky and even dangerous at times due to all the obstacles. Since we unfortunately went during high tide, we weren't able to make it all the way to the "Hole in the Wall," but were able to view it from a distance (no photos). We'd recommend researching when the low tide is during your visit - this would make the hike safer and more enjoyable.
LAKE CRESCENT
‣ Marymere Falls (1.7 miles) - this was a very well maintained and short trail that included bridges and stairs. A viewing deck allowed for an up-close and personal look at a lovely waterfall. Driving by Lake Crescent on the way here was mesmerizing.
HURRICANE RIDGE
‣ Sunrise Viewpoint (0.9 miles) -this quick hikes leads to some spectacular sweeping mountain views. From a distance, this trail actually intimidated me. Walking over the ridge appeared a lot narrower than it really was. I'm glad I got over the fear though; the view was captivating and trail was actually pretty easy.
‣ Hurricane Hill (3.4 miles) - this was our favorite hike in Olympic National Park. The elevation gain is pretty low, but the incline for the first half of the hike is a little steep. Luckily the trail was paved, so that made it somewhat better. The views here were absolutely stunning. You felt in the clouds up here, and it appeared as if we were towering over the mountain range. Once you reach the top, you'll finish off with panoramic views of the Olympic Peninsula and even Canada.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Whether you're interested in short weekend hikes, long backpacking trips, or checking out local communities, there are endless ways to pack your itinerary at Olympic National Park. Our absolute favorite part was hiking in Hurricane Ridge. It was crowded compared to the other areas, but we don't feel a visit would be complete without it. While the diversity was amazing, the park felt in-cohesive since it was so spread out and intertwined among many towns. For this reason, the overall experience was diminished just a bit. On the plus side, it was nice having access to modern amenities. We were able to visit two breweries around Port Angeles: Hangar 19 (permanently closed - we visited on their last day) and Angeles Brewing Supplies & Taproom (FYI, they didn't make their own beer). We didn't visit any, but it looks like there were a lot of good restaurants around there too!
TRIP BREAKDOWN
LENGTH OF STAY: 2 DAYS
📍 Port Angeles, WA
⛺ ~$20/night (x2 nights)
⛽ 🍽️ : variable
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