Olympic National Park<\/a><\/strong> and peninsula has over a million acres to explore full of rain forests, mossy, tall trees, beautiful beaches, glacier-capped mountains, and awesome hiking! It could get overwhelming trying to make a plan of what to see but I\u2019ve got the 11 top things at Olympic NPS and peninsula that you can\u2019t miss!<\/p>\n Olympic National Park<\/a><\/strong> has many sections and entrances across the peninsula. There\u2019s no right way to visit and you certainly couldn\u2019t see everything in one day.\u00a0\u00a0Plan to spend a few days in each area or visit multiple times to experience all the top things at Olympic NPS.\u00a0\u00a0There are four\u00a0Visitor Centers<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0where you can get maps, information on trails, and other activities in the area.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Olympic National Park has a $30 entrance fee which is valid for 7 days and can be purchased at the gate or online\u00a0HERE<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n If you plan to go to more than one national park or monument in a year, then you may want to get the\u00a0National Park Pass<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0This pass has an annual fee that can be different depending on which pass you qualify for.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n If you want to stay in the park, you have a variety of options such as cabins, hotel rooms, or historic stays.\u00a0\u00a0Click\u00a0HERE<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for more lodging information inside the park.\u00a0<\/p>\n You can also find many hotels, motels, and more in the surrounding towns and as long as you book early, you should be fine.<\/p>\n If camping or RVing is more your style, then you can check out the campgrounds located in the park\u00a0HERE<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0There are also RV parks located all over the peninsula so you should not have any difficulty finding a place that suits your needs!<\/p>\n Get there early!\u00a0\u00a0If you want to see the top things at Olympic NPS, you need to beat the crowds which means arriving around 8:00 a.m. or earlier!<\/strong><\/p>\n One of our favorite things to do at Olympic NPS & peninsula is Hurricane Ridge<\/a><\/strong>! It is located about 17 miles from Port Angeles and it\u2019s absolutely worth the drive.\u00a0\u00a0The Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center<\/a><\/strong> is a great place to start and figure out what to do.\u00a0\u00a0There are many different trails for all hiking types.\u00a0\u00a0We chose the Hurricane Hill trail which is a 1.6-mile out-and-back trail that leads up to the most spectacular views we\u2019ve ever seen.\u00a0\u00a0You are so high that you can see the tops of all the surrounding Olympic mountains, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and even Canada!\u00a0\u00a0Absolutely worth doing this hike but make sure you bring plenty of water and snacks<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n The Hoh Rain Forest<\/a><\/strong> is another of our top things at Olympic NPS and it is absolutely beautiful! It\u2019s a very popular place with limited parking and you could wait a long time to get in if you choose to go later in the day.\u00a0\u00a0Even though we arrived early, the parking lot was quite full.\u00a0\u00a0When we left, there was a line of cars waiting at the entrance to get in!<\/p>\n The Hoh Rain Forest<\/a><\/strong> has three main trails.\u00a0\u00a0The Hall of Mosses and Spruce Nature Trails are two shorter loops that take you through the old and new rain forest growth.\u00a0\u00a0They are quite amazing and are reminiscent of what the land was like in the time of the dinosaurs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Hoh River Trail<\/a><\/strong> is an 18.5-mile out-and-back trail that goes along the river all the way to the Blue Glacier moraine where you can view Mt. Olympus.\u00a0\u00a0You can make this a day trip or hike as far as you want to go because there are many places to camp overnight.\u00a0\u00a0This trail is beautiful with thick vegetation, towering trees, and lots of Roosevelt elk and other animals.<\/p>\n Sol Duc Valley<\/a><\/strong> is known for its Hot Springs, waterfalls, Salmon Cascades, and hiking trails. The hot springs are located at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and you don\u2019t have to get a hotel room to go in them.\u00a0\u00a0Pay the small fee, change, and go enjoy the soothing, warm waters!<\/p>\n Salmon Cascades is popular due to the salmon jumping up the water to find their way home again.\u00a0\u00a0Sol Duc Falls has just a short hike to the overlook and it\u2019s absolutely worth it!\u00a0\u00a0Such an amazing sight!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Hole in the Wall<\/a><\/strong> at Rialto Beach is quite magnificent and a must-do at Olympic NPS<\/a><\/strong> but you have to plan if you want to visit it.\u00a0\u00a0There is a 1.5-mile hike along the beach to get to it and you need to do it before low tide otherwise the trail will be underwater on your way back.\u00a0\u00a0Once you arrive at the Hole in the Wall, you climb along the rocks to the arch in the rock wall and if the tide is right, you can walk through the arch.\u00a0\u00a0This area has many tide pools so you can see a variety of sea life.\u00a0\u00a0We saw many different types of starfish, snails, sea anemones, and we spied a raccoon fishing.\u00a0<\/p>\n Quinault Valley<\/a><\/strong> is a truly beautiful area and a great place to spy Roosevelt elk and immense, green trees.\u00a0\u00a0There are two shorter trails that begin at the ranger station.\u00a0\u00a0The Kestner Homestead trail gives you a brief history of the homestead.\u00a0\u00a0The Maple Glade Trail leads through a mossy, bigleaf maple tree grove.\u00a0\u00a0This is another reminder of how densely forested this whole area was during the time of the dinosaurs.\u00a0\u00a0On your drive out to Quinault Valley, you can stop at the World\u2019s Largest Sitka Spruce Tree which stands at 191-feet tall and 1,000 years old!<\/p>\n Sequim, Washington is on the northeastern side of the peninsula, just a couple of hours from Seattle.\u00a0\u00a0You can easily access the northern parts of Olympic National Park but also many other sights.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge<\/a><\/strong> is located in Sequim and has a lot of hiking opportunities. We hiked out on the Dungeness Spit which is an approximately 5-miles long sand spit in the Dungeness Bay.\u00a0\u00a0It is the longest spit in the United States and continues to grow every year.\u00a0\u00a0You must pay attention to the tides for this hike as it will likely be underwater if you don\u2019t!<\/p>\n One of the best animal parks we\u2019ve been to so far was the Olympic Game Farm<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0Add this to your must-dos on the Olympic peninsula! This is a drive-thru animal park with a small restaurant.\u00a0\u00a0You purchase loaves of homemade bread and drive through the park feeding bison, elk, deer, bears, and more.\u00a0\u00a0The animals LOVE the bread (so do the people!) and practically get into your vehicle for it!!\u00a0\u00a0It was a super crazy experience that we ended with Huckleberry ice cream.<\/p>\n Kalaloch and Ruby Beach<\/a><\/strong> are located on the west side of the park and are quite popular in the summer months.\u00a0\u00a0The beaches are known for bird watching and tide pools as well as lots of shells found in the sand.\u00a0\u00a0The trails lead right off the main road so access is pretty easy but parking may not be.\u00a0\u00a0All trails lead to the beach and you can explore the beach for miles.\u00a0\u00a0We especially enjoyed the Ruby Beach Overlook trail and found dozens of sand dollars!\u00a0<\/p>\n Forks, Washington<\/a><\/strong> is located on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula and is a convenient place to stay to experience some of Olympic National Park\u2019s must-dos.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The town is also well-known for its vampires and werewolves.\u00a0\u00a0The Twilight book and movie series was set in this area and is featured in the movies.\u00a0\u00a0You can visit Twilight museums and shops, take your picture with the characters, or dare to step into vampire or werewolf territories.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n You can find John\u2019s Beachcombing Museum<\/a><\/strong> in Forks as well.\u00a0\u00a0This museum is dedicated to finding items that wash up on the beaches of the peninsula from cargo ships, trash, or even from tsunamis from as far away as Japan!\u00a0\u00a0They have collected over one million items! It\u2019s very a moving experience.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Elwha Valley<\/a><\/strong> is the largest watershed in the Olympic Peninsula.\u00a0\u00a0There are many great trails here that lead to a variety of sights such as hot springs, waterfalls, lakes, and dams.\u00a0\u00a0The trails are long and you have to hike out to the trailheads due to a road washout at the Madison Falls.\u00a0\u00a0Plan to spend a full day hiking and be prepared with food and water.<\/p>\n Looking for a group tour? Check out Wildland Trekking<\/a><\/strong> for backpacking trips and other hiking tours.<\/p>\n Experience Olympic<\/a><\/strong> offers a variety of different tours focused on tide pools, hiking, bird watching, or nature viewing. Book your tour today!<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\n
Visitor Centers<\/h2>\n
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Entrance Fees<\/h2>\n
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Where to Stay<\/h2>\n
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RV\/Camping<\/h3>\n
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Must-Dos at Olympic NPS & Peninsula<\/h2>\n
1. Hike Hurricane Ridge<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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2. Explore Hoh Rain Forest<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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3. Soak in Sol Duc Valley<\/strong> Hot Springs<\/h3>\n
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4. Hole-in-the Wall at Rialto Beach<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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5. Walk Through Quinault Valley<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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6. Hike the Spit<\/h3>\n
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7. Feed the Animals<\/h3>\n
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8. Tide Pools at Kalaloch<\/strong> & Ruby Beach<\/h3>\n
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9. See Vampires & Werewolves in Forks<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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10. Experience John\u2019s Beachcombing Museum<\/h3>\n
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11. Go to Elwha Valley<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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BONUS: Check Out These Companies for Awesome Tours<\/h2>\n
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