Olympic National Park spans over 1,440 square miles in Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula and sees over three million visitors each year. The park sprawls across various ecosystems from old growth forests where the saga series “Twilight” was filmed, to glacier-capped mountain peaks and sandy beaches with rugged rock formations that appear to be straight out of a sci-fi movie. And the best part? It’s only a three-hour jaunt from Seattle, and part of the journey includes a ferry across Puget Sound; a must-do for any Washington visitor or local.

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In this post you will find some of the best things to see and do in the Olympic Peninsula including where to hike near Olympic National Park, and the best eateries in Port Angeles and Sequim, the two closest towns to Olympic National Park where you can find accommodation if you prefer a real bed and a kitchen over a sleeping pad and a tent.

Read related: Hiking in Mount Baker

Best Hikes and Things To Do in the Olympic Peninsula

1) Hoh Rainforest
2) Hurricane Ridge Visitor’s Center (many hikes begin from here)
3) Klahhane Ridge Trail
4) Sequim Lavender Fields
5) Tubal Cain Mine Trail
6) Cape Alava (Ozette Triangle Loop)
7) Hike Mount Angeles
8) Hike Mount Storm King
9) Swim in Lake Crescent
10) Rialto Beach
11) Ruby Beach
12) Blue Mountain
13) Dungeness Spit
14) Visit Port Angeles

Nearly all of the above things to do on the Olympic Peninsula are seasonal, so please be sure to do your research before you visit, as sometimes as early as October or November, many hikes will be inaccessible due to snow, so you must have the proper gear. As always, please be sure to pack your trash and leave no trace. This is a sacred place for locals and visitors alike, so please respect it kindly. ❤️

Hoh Rainforest

There’s the Amazon rainforest, Hawaii’s tropical rainforest, and then there’s the Hoh (pronounced “ho” as in “Merry Christmas”) Rainforest. Covered in dense shades of neon greens, trees extend up to the skies as far as the eye can follow. Mossy-covered branches drape over walkways blanketed with thick ferns in every hue of green, their verdant leaves curling and crawling their way through moist earth.

The photo of the mossy grass below is a stream…a stream! Look at how clear that water is!

Hurricane Ridge

Hurricane Ridge Panorama

Hurricane Ridge Visitor’s Center

Hurricane Ridge sits at 5,242′ elevation, just around the same altitude as Boulder, Colorado. It is not uncommon to see deer and their babies roaming free, seemingly unbothered by the droves of people snapping photos of them and referring to them as “Bambi”. In fact, they seem to relish in the spotlight. Below a mamma offers milk to her fawn with a beautiful mountain backdrop.

We also saw a marmot! (Having spent a decent part of my life in Hawaii where the closest thing we have to a marmot is probably a mongoose, this was a very cool animal for me to see up close.) It even got on its hind legs and smiled for us!

Klahhane Ridge Trail

Length: 7.6 miles (when you start from Hurricane Ridge Visitor’s Center car park)
Elevation Gain: 1,800′ / 600 meters
Views: Strait of Juan De Fuca, Victoria, Canada, and Mt. Baker

Sequim Lavender Fields

For many years now, I’ve been wanting to visit Provence, France just to see the lavender fields, when all along they were just a three-hour drive from my home! Sequim (pronounced “SKWIM”) is located in a rain shadow, which means that it receives five times more sunny days than Seattle between the months of November – January! Every time I see the word “Sequim” spelled out, I think of a shiny sequin, like a mermaid’s tail.

Tubal Cain Mine Trail

This hike is also an old copper mining site with remnants of the miners’ headquarters. We ended the hike with lunch in a giant boulder field.

Where To Eat in Sequim

1. Rain Shadow Cafe (great for breakfast and takeaway items for hiking)
2. Blondie’s Plate – dinner & cocktails
3. The Oak Table (this is run by a local couple whose kids own The Birch Door Cafe in Bellingham – another of our favorites!)

Cape Alava (Ozette Triangle Loop Trail)

TRAIL INFORMATION
Length: 9.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 100′
Highest Point: 350′
Pass Required: National Park Pass

This hike begins on a wooden plank walkway for three miles through the forest and leads out to the beach, where you walk for another three miles, then head back into a drier section of the forest through another wooden plank walkway for the last three miles, making a 9-mile triangular loop. I loved this hike because it provided such diverse views and something interesting around every corner. It wasn’t difficult because the trail is virtually flat the entire time, and walking along the beach was really fun.

After three miles of forest, you emerge right in front of the Pacific Ocean and are immediately met with the fresh smells of ocean spray and seaweed.

We saw a very sad sight; a sea lion carcass. 🙁

There are a few sections along the trail that go up and over large boulders, providing ropes to help guide the way. Therefore, in order to complete this entire loop trail, you’ll need to be in good physical shape and able to climb with the assistance of a rope. You’ll want to keep an eye out for a large circular sign with red and black diamonds. These are the trail markers and how you know you’re on the right path.

Once we arrived to the beach, it felt as though we were on an Indiana Jones mission to align ourselves to find the treasure (or in our case, the trail back to our car.) We had a hiking pocket book that we borrowed from our Airbnb, which proved to be very helpful. I recommend downloading MapsMe or offline Google maps of the area prior to your hike, as the three miles along the beach felt like forever and we kept second-guessing ourselves if we were in the right place, looking for clues to make sure we hadn’t gone too far.

You’ll find lots of fallen trees with huge roots as well as driftwood, which makes for great benches or scenic backdrops for dancers pose with your sister-in-law. 🙂

The seaweed is really smelly (like sulfur) but looks so neat with their natural patterns. There are also little black crabs everywhere.

Once you locate the path leading back into the forest, you’ll be relieved to empty the sand out of your shoes before getting back on the planks, but then a new threat arises; there were signs posted at the trailhead that said “beware: you are entering bear and cougar areas.” That’s one bummer about hiking in the PNW: you have to constantly be aware of your surroundings with some paranoia thinking about worst-case scenarios. I recommend doing this hike with a buddy, or even better, a small group as you’re less likely to be attacked. Also, no animals are allowed on this trail. Families, keep your children close by at all times, and do not go off the trail.

Mount Angeles

TRAIL INFORMATION
Length: 6.25 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,254′
Highest Point: 6,454′
Pass Required: National Park Pass

This hike begins at Hurricane Ridge and culminates with a pretty dodgy scramble up the side of a huge rock face. The views once you reach the top are worth it, as you’ll look out to the Straight of Juan De Fuca and Victoria, Canada.

Scramble at the end to the summit

Awesome looking mushroom

At the top! Over 6,000′ high!

Mount Storm King and Lake Crescent

TRAIL INFORMATION
Length: 4 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,065′
Highest Point: 2,600′
Pass Required: None (free)

This is one of the most rewarding hikes in the area if you don’t mind a steep incline for the entire trail, and a serious thigh-burner. The views from the top overlook the sapphire Lake Crescent, one of the deepest lakes in the State of Washington. On a hot day, your motivation can be a refreshing swim in the lake once you’re back down.

There is a sign where the hike officially ends, but if you’re brave enough and not afraid of heights, you can continue to the top where the panoramic views of the lake will take your breath away.

Rialto Beach

This is part of a 13-mile trail with the option to explore a single portion rather than doing the entire hike. This is also a popular camping spot if you’re looking for beach camping.

Blue Mountain at Deer Park

HIKES AT DEER PARK:

1. Rain Shadow Loop Trail (easy, .5 mile loop, 130′ elevation gain)
2. Deer Ridge Trail (moderate to strenuous, 4.8 miles one way, 2,820′ elevation gain)
3. Three Forks Trail (strenuous, 4.3 miles one way, 3,260′ elevation gain)
4. Grand Ridge Trail (strenuous, 7.5 miles one way with lots of ups and downs)

A little over a one-hour drive from Port Angeles is Blue Mountain, elevation 6,000′ (2,000 meters) and usually above the clouds. On a clear day the views are supposedly fantastic. We hiked on a foggy day, which made it even more interesting! Deer Park is also an excellent camping site with very few people and no facilities, only “faciliTREES”. 🙂 Actually there is one toilet up on the summit.

August is the season for wildflowers where the vibrant colors light up the mountainside in pinks, purples and yellows.

I highly recommend having an SUV or off-roading vehicle, as there is a pretty sketchy dirt road which you’ll be on for about half an hour. The drive up there itself is worth the trip, but it’s not for the faint of heart or a nervous driver!

Dungeness Spit

A spit is a narrow point of land formed by sediment deposits that create a calm bay. Dungeness Spit is one of the largest natural spits in the world, extending over five miles into the Strait of Juan De Fuca. The spit continues to grow by 13 feet (4 meters) each year. The trail starts in a flat forest and after about 20 minutes of walking, you’ll reach the beach, and the rest of the walk is on sand. In the photo below, you’ll see a chart of how long it takes items to decompose – a sobering reminder to always pack your trash, and to reduce your plastic consumption. And if you’re wondering, yes, the name Dungeness crab does indeed come from the name of this spit!

It’s also an excellent spot to watch the sunset!

Ruby Beach

This mystical beach is often in a fog, making you feel like you’re in a fairytale. During the summer the beach can get extremely crowded, so I recommend going in the early morning or for sunset.

Doesn’t this piece of driftwood look like a monkey skull!?

Port Angeles

Port Angeles is the most populated town near Olympic National Park where the mountains meet the sea.

Where to Eat in Port Angeles

– Country Aire Natural Foods (natural grocery store; they also have a hot and cold bar, and smoothies and sandwiches for takeaway, which is perfect for a pit stop before a long day of hiking)

– First Street Haven (breakfast – they have the best cinnamon rolls in town, but get ’em while they’re hot because they sell out!)

– Easy Street Coffee & Tea House (excellent selection of London Fog drinks, mom and pop-owned)

– Kokopelli Grill (great views on the water – seafood)

– Next Door Gastropub (American cuisine – this is the only place open until 11PM; most eateries in this area close by 9 or 10PM)

– New Day Eatery (impressive list of smoothies & coffees)

– Sergio’s Hacienda (Mexican)

If you’re returning back to Seattle, the route that most people take is through Port Gamble, where you catch the Kingston ferry (20 minutes) to Edmonds. While driving through the cute town of Port Gamble, I highly recommend stopping at Butcher and Baker Provisions, where you’ll find amazing sandwiches, home-cooked stews, comfort food and some of the best home-baked chocolate cake you’ll find in the state.

Once you reach the Kingston ferry terminal, visit J’aime Les Crepes, located at the end of the road right before you queue your car to board the ferry. This small creperie was started by two girls who were inspired by their first trip to Paris in their 20’s and decided to bring the Parisian favorite back to the Pacific Northwest . They certainly chose the right location as there is always a line out the door during any season!

There is no shortage of incredible hiking and exploring to do on this beautiful coast of Washington State, and it’s easy to find your own little slice of peace among the tall pines, lush green canopies, sparkling lakes, and glistening rock-jutting beaches of Olympic National Park.

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