Olympic National Park
Visiting the Pacific Northwest has always been a dream of mine, and I was thrilled to finally be able to check it off my bucket list! Planning our trip in July was perfect as the weather is ideal during that time of year in that region. Every Christmas break, my husband and I sit at our kitchen table and discuss where we should go next year. Choosing Olympic National Park was an easy decision since we had talked about going with another family. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the closest airport to Olympic, so we swiftly booked our flights and began the planning process.
As soon as we book a trip, I dive into planning. I dedicate time each week to researching hikes, excursions, restaurants, and accommodations that our family would enjoy. Researching our travels is something I truly love, so I savor the time it takes.
Living in the Southeastern United States meant traveling to the opposite side of the country. Since our flight was to Seattle, we decided to spend a couple of days exploring the city before heading to Olympic National Park.
Seattle was amazing! Our first stop was Pike Place Market, a vibrant market full of fantastic food spots. The highlights for me were witnessing the fish throwing and visiting the famous "Gum Wall."
After enjoying a fantastic visit to Seattle, we made our way to Olympic National Park, which has quickly become one of my favorite parks. The park's diversity is truly remarkable - in just one day, we experienced the beauty of rocky beaches at Second Beach and Rialto Beach, lush rainforests, and majestic mountains.
Our expedition began at the Hurricane Ridge area where we paused to take a photo with the National Park sign before meeting our friends from Washington State at the Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center. This spot is ideal for a pit stop, restroom break, and collecting stamps for the national park passport book. The visitors center boasts a lovely gift shop and snack area.
Excited for our hike to Hurricane Hill, we set off on the 3.2-mile round trip with breathtaking views throughout. The trail, mostly on a paved road, is moderately challenging with some steep sections. Upon reaching the summit, you are treated to panoramic 360-degree views of the Olympic Mountains!
Hurricane Hill-3.2 mile hike
The following day we started out early in the morning to HOH rainforest before it got crowded (like 6am early)! In our experience if you get to the parks early enough there are no gate attendants so you get in free…this is great if you were not able to get a ticketed entry. A lot of the National Parks are now having ticketed entry tickets that you will need to purchase months before your National park visit. They are first come, first served so they can be tough to get.
We met our friends at HOH Rainforest about 7am and we were the only people there! The Rainforest was even more spectacular than i imagined…you are in a dream land of moss covered trees like the Sitka spruce, western red cedar, Douglas fir and western hemlock.
HOH Rainforest
After visiting the HOH Rainforest, we moved on to the Port Angeles area to discover its beaches. Following a brief lunch, we made our way to Second Beach. Second Beach offered a unique experience that felt worlds away from what I was used to as a Florida native accustomed to white sandy beaches and palm trees. The captivating dark sand, distinctive sea stacks, towering rock formations emerging from the ocean or shoreline, and enchanting tide pools at Second Beach left me in awe. We were thrilled to spot numerous purple and ochre sea stars clinging to the rocks in the tide pools!
Second Beach
Next we headed to Rialto Beach to see hole in the wall (make sure to check when high tide is because it can be dangerous at high tide) It is about a 3.3 mile out and back hike…make sure to bring proper shoes because you are walking through a sandy beach to get there (I had hiking boots on and they were heavy through the sand). It was so cool to see how the hole was carved out by the relentless forces of the ocean over time. On our hike back from seeing the hole in the wall we saw what looked like whales out in the ocean!!
Hole in the wall-3.3 mile hike
The next day we got up early and headed back into Olympic…we started out at sol duc falls. It is an easy/moderate 1.6 out and back hike. When i think back on this hike i vividly remember the smell of christmas trees from the combination of trees in the area. I did not expect the beauty i would see when we reached the falls…There are 3 Separate falls that come together to make the most beautiful triple waterfall!
Sol Duc Falls-1.6 mile hike
After sol duc falls we went to lake crescent lodge to explore the lodge and grab something to eat. if we go back to olympic national park we will try and stay at this lodge…it’s beautiful and they have cabins facing the lake that you can rent (i looked up reservations and they get booked up quickly). We found the cutest little spot by the lake and ate our lunch in the middle of all of the beauty. Once we finished lunch we hiked to marymere falls. The hike is .9 miles out and back through old forest to a 90ft. waterfall that cascades down green moss.
Marymere Falls-.9 mile hike
We had the most amazing time at olympic national park and i can truly say this is one of my favorite parks we have been to…between the diversity of the park and the most amazing waterfalls (my favorite part of visiting the national parks are the waterfalls)!!! if you choose Olympic nP to visit I hope that you enjoy it as much as my family and i did.
For those curious about our Olympic National Park trip plan, check out our custom curated travel templates in PDF format. Additionally, you can collaborate with me to create a personalized itinerary exclusively tailored to your vacation.
Happy Travels!
Mandy
