By Mariah Cannon

Heading out to Olympic National Park? Here’s my 3 day itinerary with all of the best hikes, stops, sights, and places to camp!

The Olympic Peninsula is one of the most diverse sceneries in Washington – with beaches, huge rock formations, lakes, mountains, and waterfalls; this park makes the perfect destination for any traveler and offers something amazing for everyone.

During my three days in the park, I squeezed a lot in, but I felt like I really got to see the park. If you’re limited on time, would like to see things at a slower pace, or want to spend more time in certain areas – I would recommend cutting a thing or two out of the itinerary. Olympic National Park is spread out and can sometimes take quite a while to get from point A to B.

When Should I visit Olympic National Park?

I have visited Olympic National Park in both Spring and Winter and has amazing weather both times. Winter was obviously a bit colder and in the Hurricane Ridge area there was a lot of snow, but on the more Western part of the park it was just rainy and the temps were bearable. During my Spring visit, all it did was poor rain. I got one good day of sun and the rest was rainy. Which for me, is ideal, because I love the rain. If you’re someone who doesn’t like the rain that much, I suggest going in the summer months!

Getting Around Olympic National Park

As I stated earlier, Olympic National Park is a very large and spread out park, therefore a car is essential to explore the park and really see everything!

If you’re flying into Seattle (SEATAC) – your best option is to rent a car directly from the airport services and continue on upwards.

Where to Stay in and Around the Park

There is so many epic places to stay near the park.

If you want to camp, you’ll want to stay on the West side of the park. A few campgrounds are Rialto Beach, Mora Campground, and Second Beach.

• Second and Rialto Beach both require permits.
• Mora Campground requires Reservations June-September. I went in March and campsites were partially first come first serve, but there was no service so we had to scope out which ones were available and then pay for it online and go back and put our name in the little billboard thing to show that we had reserved. Make sure you’re prepared.

Day 1

1. Grab some morning fuel from Espresso Vivace Brix after arriving in Seattle and picking up your rental car.
2. Make the 3-ish hour drive to Olympic National Park. For myself, I came up from Central Oregon and I hit the Lake Crescent area first so my itinerary will be based off of that, but you can flip flop the days and/or activities for flying in.
3. Take a quick hike to Marymere Falls an epic 1.7 mile round-trip trail to see lush green forests and a gorgeous 90 foot waterfall.
4. If you’re feeling up to it, instead of going back to the car; take on Mount Storm King One of the most popular and also strenuous trails in the park. This trail is not for the faint of heart, it is steep, slippery, and has a part towards the top where you have to use a rope to pull yourself up the slick rock. Always remember to pack your 10 essentials and have plenty of water and fuel for this hike!
5. If you find it in you to have another hike, stop by Sol Duc Falls for a quick 1.6 mile hike. This trail is a must! It is so stunning and lush, this is a must see waterfall!
6. Finish your day by checking into your campground, hotel, or Air BnB. As mentioned before, I stayed at the Mora campground just outside of Forks. I highly recommend staying here. It is pure magic and so close to Rialto Beach, Forks, Hoh rainforest , and many of the other beaches.

Day 2

1. Start your morning by checking out Rialto Beach. Make sure to check low tides for hiking to the Hole In the Wall. I enjoyed some hot cocoa and watched the sunrise since low tide for me was later in the afternoon.
2. Head over to Second Beach and enjoy an easier Two mile walk through an incredible lush forest with huge trees, slugs, mushrooms, and Skunk Cabbage (a fun looking plant somewhat of a fairytale). This is a trail I chose last minute to wait for Low tide, but any of the beaches (First Beach, Second, Third, or Fourth) all have amazing things to wander about.
3. Now, to make a stop at one of the most famous parts of Olympic National Park… The Hoh Rainforest! Who knew the upper left had a lush rainforest?! There’s a visitor center here that is open daily in the Summer, on weekends Spring and Fall, and closed January-March. Lots of fun information here and some junior ranger goodies for the kiddos. My favorite trail here is Hall of Mosses and if you only have time for one, let it be this one! It is also the most accessible, meaning the most busy, so be prepared for some crowds; especially during peak Summer season.
4. Grab some lunch at The Hard Rain Cafe or Sully’s Drive-In – I didn’t get to eat at either of these, but I hear they’re delicious for quick and cheap bites!
5. Now it’s time to head to Rialto Beach for low tide and hike through the sand and flattened rock to Hole in the Wall from Rialto Beach. This was on my PNW bucket list for so long and it was just as amazing as I’d hoped. I would do this trail over and over again, I liked it so much. Although, fair warning, the rock (if you had bad hips like I do) will absolutely start to mess with you towards the end of the trail.

Day 3

1. Grab some coffee at Mocha Motion or A shot in the Dark (owned by the same people, with different names)!
2. Visit Ruby Beach, known for its jagged coastline and sometimes red in color sand and if you go at the right time, tide-pooling is epic here!
3. Stop and see the famous Tree of Life; When walking down from the parking lot, go to the right and it will be just a couple hundred feet along the shore.
4. Make your way towards Seattle and stop at Valhalla Sandwiches for some of the best sandwiches you’ll ever taste in your life, they’re that good.
5. Head back to SEATAC and look back at all the photos and memories made from and epic PNW National Park trip!

If You Have Additional Time

• Hurricane Ridge Area has some awesome hiking, views, and wildlife encounters during all seasons. Be sure to check the NPS to avoid any closures/delays.
• Madison Falls Trail is a quarter of mile walk to see this falls. The area often receives heavy rainfall and roads close, so be sure to check ahead of time!
• Check out Port Angeles for some awesome port views, good eats, and hotels. During the winter, this is typically the town I’ll stay in when visiting the park.

Pin this guide to help plan future travels!

Let’s Get Adventuring!

Mariah