5 days around Olympic National Park

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   MiddayWalk as far as you like

   Dungeness Spit

   The longest natural sand spit in the United States, jutting about five miles into the strait, inside a wildlife refuge. Walk as far as you like along the sand and turn back when the tide says so. Check the tide and the rules.

   Go when Midday on a falling tide, so you can walk out and back with room to spare.

   Local tip Check the tide table, because the walk narrows at high tide, and read the refuge’s rules for dogs and for the nesting season. Carry water and a hat, since there is no shade.

   

   About 41 min by car17.8 mi
2. 2
   AfternoonA seaport stroll

   Port Townsend

   A seaport of Victorian buildings at the northeast tip of the peninsula, known for boatbuilding and a lively main street. It lies in the rain shadow of the mountains, so it is often sunnier than the west coast.

   Go when Afternoon, when the shops are open and the light is on the water.

   Local tip Walk Water Street first, then climb to the bluff above for a view of the roofs. Check the ferry timetable before you leave the town.

   

3. Lunch

   Dungeness crab

   The crab is named for the village on this very spit. A crab roll, a crab salad or a plate of cracked crab is the right lunch after a walk on the sand.

   Local tip Ask for it fresh, and expect to use your hands.

   About 10 min by car or transit1.6 mi
4. 3
   AfternoonWorth the time

   Fort Worden

   A former army fort on a bluff above the strait in Port Townsend, now a state park with beaches, old gun batteries, a lighthouse and wide lawns. A good place to walk off the afternoon.

   Go when Late afternoon, when the light is on the old gun batteries.

   Local tip A former army fort on a bluff above the strait, now a park with beaches, lawns and old buildings. Walk the bluff path and look for the lighthouse.

   

   About 56 min by car30.9 mi
5. 4
   EveningWorth a short drive

   Ediz Hook

   A three-mile sand spit that curls out from Port Angeles to shelter its harbor, with views back to the mountains and out to the strait. A quiet place to end a day.

   Go when Late afternoon, with the sun low across the harbor.

   Local tip A long sand spit that shelters the harbor in Port Angeles. A good place to look back at the mountains and for ships going by.

   

6. Dinner

   A harbor dinner in Port Angeles

   Port Angeles has plenty of kitchens near the harbor, with crab, salmon and burgers. Choose a table with a view of the water and the mountains beyond.

   Local tip Book ahead in July and August, and try to eat before the ferry crowds arrive.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Travel from Ediz HookAbout 34 min by car or transit12.2 mi

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. 1
   MorningWorth the time, check ahead

   Hurricane Ridge

   A mountain ridge about 18 miles by road from Port Angeles, with views across the Olympic Mountains. In summer it is a place for easy walks. The road can close in bad weather and in winter, so check ahead with the park.

   Go when Morning, before cloud builds on the ridge.

   Local tip Check the road and the weather with the park before you drive up, because the road can close in cloud or snow. Bring a warm layer, since it is cold at 5,000 feet even in summer.

   

   About 37 min by car or transit14.7 mi
3. 2
   MorningWorth the time

   Sol Duc Falls

   A waterfall that splits into channels and tumbles into a gorge, at the end of a short walk through old forest. The trail is easy, and the sound of the water grows as you near it. Go early, before the car park fills.

   Go when Early morning, when the forest is quiet and the falls are loud.

   Local tip The path is short and mostly flat, with a wooden bridge above the gorge. Keep behind the rails, because the rock is wet and slippery.

4. Lunch

   A soak and a sandwich

   Hot springs make you hungry. Bring a sandwich and fruit and eat in the sun after a soak,.

   Local tip Drink plenty of water after the hot pools.

   About 31 min by car or transit9.9 mi
5. 3
   MorningWorth an easy walk

   Spruce Railroad Trail

   A flat, easy former rail line along the northern shore of Lake Crescent, with a short tunnel and wide views of the clear blue water. A calm walk for any weather that is not stormy.

   Go when Morning or evening, when the light is low and the water is calm.

   Local tip A flat former rail line along Lake Crescent, with a tunnel and a view of the water. Check ahead for the status of the trail.

   

   About 14 min by car or transit3.1 mi
6. 4
   EveningWorth a short walk

   Marymere Falls

   A waterfall of about 90 feet at the end of an easy forest trail of under a mile from the lake. The path is dirt with two wooden bridges, and soft in the light of late afternoon.

   Go when Late afternoon, when the day-trippers have left.

   Local tip The trail starts near the lake’s ranger station and is under a mile each way. Cross the two bridges slowly, and keep to the path.

   

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Drive from Marymere FallsAbout 1 h 8 min by car40.3 mi

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. 1
   MorningWorth a short stop

   Lake Quinault

   A glacier-carved lake ringed by forest, with a historic lodge on its south shore. Walk a short stretch of the lakeshore or look across the water on arrival. It is a gentle place to arrive after the long drive from Seattle.

   Go when Morning, on arrival, when the water is still and the forest is hushed.

   Local tip Walk a short piece of the shoreline before you go on. The lodge on the water is a historic building, so look in the lobby if you pass, but check ahead for what is open to visitors.

   

   About 14 min by car or transit2.9 mi
3. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   Quinault Rain Forest

   A temperate rain forest in the valley above the lake, known for record-size trees, and wet for most of the year. Walk a short loop under the cedars and spruces, where moss hangs from every branch.

   Go when Midday, when the mist has lifted and the light drops through the canopy.

   Local tip Choose one short loop trail and walk it slowly. Keep to the path to protect the moss and roots, and carry a rain jacket, because showers come through even on bright days.

   

4. Lunch

   A picnic by the lake

   Food stops are few on the south side of the loop. Buy bread, cheese, fruit and drinks in a town on the way and eat at a picnic table with the forest around you.

   Local tip Keep your food in the car or in a closed bag, since the raccoons and the ravens know what a picnic is.

   About 58 min by car32.2 mi
5. 3
   MiddayA warm pause, check ahead

   Sol Duc Hot Springs

   A resort in the valley with soaking pools heated naturally by hot springs. Check ahead for how the pools run and whether you need to book. A warm soak is a welcome pause on a cool day.

   Go when Midday or late afternoon, after the walk.

   Local tip The pools are part of a resort, so check ahead for how they run and whether you need to book. Bring a towel and a swimsuit, and shower before you soak if asked.

   About 24 min by car or transit6.4 mi
6. 4
   AfternoonWorth the time

   Lake Crescent

   A deep blue lake, one of the clearest in the state, with mountains on its shores. Walk a lakeshore trail or look across the water. The lake is cold and very deep, so be careful if you swim.

   Go when Afternoon, when the water is a deeper blue and the light is warm.

   Local tip The water is very cold even in summer, so enter slowly if you swim. The Spruce Railroad Trail on the northern shore is a flat, easy walk beside the water.

   

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Travel from Lake CrescentAbout 37 min by car or transit14.6 mi

   Where Day 3 ended.
2. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Hoh Rain Forest

   One of the largest temperate rain forests in the country, where maples and spruces are draped in moss and ferns. Walk the Hall of Mosses trail early, before the car park fills, and keep to the path.

   Go when Early morning, before the car park fills and the mist is still in the trees.

   Local tip The short Hall of Mosses trail is the one most visitors walk, and a longer trail leads along the river. Keep to the paths, and check ahead for the road and for how busy the car park is.

   

   About 1 h 15 min by car46.6 mi
3. 2
   MiddayWorth the time, check ahead

   Makah Museum

   A museum in Neah Bay that shows objects from an ancient Makah village buried by a mudslide, told from the Makah point of view. A good indoor stop on the way to the cape.

   Go when Midday, as an indoor pause on the way to the cape.

   Local tip The museum shows objects from a village buried by a mudslide centuries ago, told from the Makah point of view. Check ahead for its times.

   

   About 1 h 24 min by car53.8 mi
4. 3
   AfternoonWorth the time

   Kalaloch

   A stretch of wide Pacific beach below a bluff, with driftwood, tide pools and sea fog. Walk to the old spruce known as the Tree of Life, rooted in a gully above the sand. Check the tides first and keep off the logs.

   Go when Afternoon at low tide, when the sand is wide and the tide pools are open.

   Local tip Check the tide table first. The Tree of Life hangs over a gully above the beach and its roots are fragile, so look from a distance and do not climb on it. Never turn your back on the surf.

   

   About 28 min by car or transit7.6 mi
5. 4
   EveningWorth the time

   Ruby Beach

   A beach of sea stacks and driftwood, named for the ruby-like crystals in its sand, with Destruction Island and its lighthouse far offshore. Go for the last light, and climb down the short trail with care.

   Go when Evening, around sunset (about 8:27 PM), when the sea stacks go dark against the sky.

   Local tip Stay off the driftwood logs, which can roll or be moved by a wave without warning, and watch the tide line. Check the weather, because fog often hides the horizon.

   

6. Dinner

   Salmon or fish and chips

   The coast is close, so fresh salmon, halibut or Dungeness crab is the dish of the region. A plain supper after a long day is the right ending.

   Local tip Ask what came in that day, and book ahead in summer, because the towns on this coast are small.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Drive from Ruby BeachAbout 1 h 18 min by car48.8 mi

   Where Day 4 ended.
2. 1
   MorningWorth the time, check ahead

   Cape Flattery

   The northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States, on the land of the Makah Nation, reached by a short boardwalk trail through the forest to cliffs and sea caves. A recreation pass is needed, so check ahead.

   Go when Morning, in clear weather, when the sea is calm and the light is on the cliffs.

   Local tip The land belongs to the Makah people and a recreation pass is needed, so check ahead for how to get one. The boardwalk trail is short but muddy, and the cliffs are steep, so keep behind the rails.

   

   About 38 min by car15.2 mi
3. 2
   MorningA full day, check the tide

   Cape Alava

   Often named as the westernmost point of the contiguous United States, at the end of a three-mile boardwalk through the forest to a wild beach. It is part of a loop trail along the shore, and the tide decides what you can walk.

   Go when Morning, with a tide table in your hand.

   Local tip A boardwalk trail through the forest leads to a wild beach. The way along the shore depends on the tide, so check it first, and carry a rain jacket and water.

   

   About 41 min by car18.3 mi
4. 3
   MiddayCheck the tide first

   Rialto Beach

   A rugged beach of driftwood and sea stacks near La Push. At low tide a beach walk north of the car park leads to Hole-in-the-Wall, a rock arch that you can pass through. Check the tide table before you go.

   Go when Midday at low tide, when the walk to Hole-in-the-Wall is open and the sand is wide.

   Local tip Read the tide table before you set out, because the arch can be cut off at high tide. Stay off the logs, keep a long way from the surf and turn back when the water rises.

   

   About 9 min by car or transit1.4 mi
5. 4
   EveningWorth the time

   Second Beach

   A beach reached by a short forest trail near La Push, with sea stacks rising out of the surf. Go for the sunset{sunset}, and keep off the big logs, which can roll in the waves. The land belongs to the Quileute people.

   Go when Evening, around sunset (about 8:27 PM), when the sea stacks are black against the sky.

   Local tip The trail through the forest is short and can be muddy. The land belongs to the Quileute people, so keep to the beach and the path, and watch the logs and the tide.