Advance Planning
Campsites and hotels need to be booked in advance for Olympic National Park. During peak seasons many non-camping accommodations require two-night-or-more minimum stays.Take your rain gear! You may have sunshine, but plenty of storms funnel through.
Pack a cooler. If you are flying into the region, purchase a collapsable cooler and some Ziploc bags for ice along the way. The food choices are minimal in and near Olympic National Park and it's helpful to have some picnic lunches when hiking.
A small daypack as well is great to have for hikes in Olympic National Park.
Days 1-2 in Seattle
Seattle is very straight-forward to navigate on foot, so no need to get a rental car while you are in the city. Highlights to visit:
- Seattle Space Needle: Go before 9:30 for reduced ticket prices and, more importantly, reduced lines even on a clear day.
- Pike Place: While locals will stay away when multiple cruise ships are in port, it's still a great place to wander with plenty of places to buy snacks along the way.
- Underground Seattle officially Bill Speidel's Underground Tour: A colorful, and likely somewhat accurate, tour beneath the streets of Seattle. Just enough walking to keep kids interested without getting too tired.
Days 3-5 in Olympic National Park
Drive from Seattle to Olympic National Park. Taking the Bainbridge Island Ferry is the most direct route. Stop at Sunny Farms in Sequim where there are plenty of healthful snacks, sandwiches, drinks and prepared foods to store in your cooler for the next 3 days. .
Read about Olympic National Park in advance. There are many great places to explore and options to camp in and near the park, some moderate-cost options outside of the park and two pricey, though very nice lodges, Lake Crescent Lodge and Lake Quinalt Lodge. If you want to stay at either lodge, call and book directly as there are fees associated with booking online and you can also reserve a dinner reservation at a table by the window in either lodge.
Here is a sample itinerary for in the park:
- Drive up to Hurricane Ridge and take a moderate and very rewarding hike up Hurricane Hill.
- Spend the night in or near the park.
- On the next full day check out Second Beach if the tide is low, or Rialto Beach.
- Visit the Hoh Rain Forest and take a ranger tour.
- Stop at Ruby Beach.
- Spend the night camping near Ruby Beach or at Lake Quinalt Lodge.
- In the morning walk the 4 mile loop along Lake Quinalt and through the woods or take a shorter hike to one of the many waterfalls in the area.
You can extend your trip down to the Oregon coast and through Portland, or simply head back to Seattle.
