Exploring Olympic National Park

Exploring Olympic National Park

Beaches, mountains and a rainforest, all in one journey!

by JULIE HANSON

Olympic National Park is an unusual gem of a place on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and a perfect place for a family trip.

It is sprawling and varied, home to mountains, a rainforest, beautiful lakes and hot springs, to name just a few attractions. There are many, many ways to explore and enjoy it.

Here is one possible itinerary. You could reverse the itinerary to avoid an extra-long first day.

Day 1: Kalaloch Lodge

Kalaloch Beach

This stunning cash-free, card-only facility, perched above the beach, is run by a national parks concessionaire and is popular for its beach access, lovely views and cabins that are well-equipped and fully self-contained but sans Wi-Fi (we got reasonably strong cell and data signals).

Pro tip: Study the lodging options carefully, and plan food accordingly. Some cabins have full kitchens; others are kitchenettes and lack ovens. The dining room is serving dinner only (as of January 2023), and there are not a lot of other restaurants (or other services) nearby. You could put together meals from what you find in the on-site camp store, but … they will be meals from a camp store.

The weather was good, so we took a side trip to the Hoh Rainforest (this could wait until Day 2). There are informational signs, some well-marked short walks and a visitor center (open daily in summer; Friday through Sunday in the off-season and closed January and February).

Day 1, alternate idea: Stay at nearby Lake Quinault Lodge.

Day 2: to Port Angeles

Heading north you’ll pass several beaches, rainforest access (see above) and the town of Forks (of “Twilight” fame), among other things. Highway 101 hugs the shores of spectacular Lake Crescent for a while. There are plenty of opportunities to pull off the highway to stretch your legs, grab a snack or photos.

A road closure meant we missed Hurricane Ridge, one of the highlights of the national park, but we got more time in Port Angeles. It has a great waterfront walking trail, a year-round farmers market and good views of ship traffic, including the Black Ball Ferry departing for Victoria, B.C. One regret:

We pulled into the Lake Crescent Lodge parking lot and explored the area a little bit but did not go the extra mile (literally, a mile!) to Marymere Falls.

Day 3: Port Townsend

It’s not a long drive from Port Angeles to Port Townsend. First order of business: Make sure everyone knows how to pronounce Sequim: It’s Skwim.

The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge is not too far off the highway and is a gem. It’s clearly a popular destination, but officials have converted some trails to one-way to help manage crowds.

We’ve long had a soft spot for Victorian Port Townsend. I swear, the shops get cuter every year! We bought books and coffee; dinner was takeout fish and chips. Our daughter got a huge kick out of the deer roaming the residential areas and also the restored old “fire bell tower.” Climb the stairs between the upper and lower parts of town before you hit one of several bakeries and ice cream shops.

The journey home

We made lots of detours and stops. We could not resist driving down Egg & I Road (its real name), an homage to the classic Northwest tale by Betty MacDonald. You can’t tell where the author lived, but you can get a bit of a feel for her life.

Finn River Farm & Cidery is a fun stop right outside of town. They have a short but varied menu (serving Thursday through Sunday as of January 2023) plus food trucks on weekends, and you can walk through parts of the orchard.

We opted to drive through Port Gamble to Kingston and catch the ferry to Edmonds to conclude our Olympic National Park family trip. Bainbridge to Seattle is also a fine option.

The regions’ other national parks

After a grand tour of Olympic National Park, you’ll be primed for visiting Washington’s other two national parks. But take note: Mount Rainier National Park is so popular that it can be difficult to enter on weekend mornings, especially in the summer and fall. The Nisqually entrance can see traffic backups of an hour or more. Try mid-week.

North Cascades National Park is best suited for visitors seeking challenging hikes. And what a payoff: sweeping vistas of the Cascade Mountains, Washington’s natural beauty at its best.