Hope and Wander

Olympic National Park has everything you could want – dramatic mountain peaks, ocean, and rainforest all merging into one. This massive park encompasses nearly 1 million acres of the Olympic peninsula. It’s best to experience the most this area has to offer by driving a loop around the park – which takes about 6 hours of drive time total. This is a destination you’ll want to make a few days for, so you have ample time at each location around the park.

There is so much diversity here, not only in the landscape, but the plant and animal life as well. I had one very important critter, endemic to the Pacific Northwest region, that I was crossing my fingers I’d happen across…the banana slug! My dream came true and I saw the infamous slug, as well as harbor seals, jellyfish, starfish, elk, and many species of bird.

Day 1 – Sequim

• From Seattle (or wherever you’re headed from), drive to Sequim Bay State Park campground (about a 2-3 hour drive from Seattle)
• Finnriver Farm & Cidery

We were a bit tired from our flight to Seattle and drive to the peninsula, so we napped upon arrival to our campsite. We had sat in traffic for a while due to wildfires on the side of the road. Once we felt recharged and ready for food, we headed over to Finnriver Farm & Cidery. We indulged in some appetizers and delicious ciders – I tried the Black Currant and Julian had the Habanero. The atmosphere was wonderful. There was live music, games, and chairs spread out across the lawn to admire the sunset over the garden.

Sequim is also known as the lavender capitol of North America. Lavender blooms typically occur late June through early September, with peak season in July. There are many fragrant lavender farms to visit throughout the area. A few popular places are B & B Family Lavender Farm, Purple Haze Lavender Farm, and Lavender Connection.

I had read some reviews that the Sequim campground can be noisy with cars/trucks passing by at night, but we were car camping and had no issue sleeping at all. Outdoorsy has become our best friend for these kind of camping trips. We woke up early to watch the sunrise over the bay and it was incredible. I had never seen such vibrant colors in a sunrise – the pinks, oranges, and purples were mesmerizing. Harbor seals swam through the water, looking for their morning meal.

Day 2 – Hurricane Ridge/Port Angeles

• Hike Hurricane Hill via Hurricane Ridge – 3.4 mile out-and-back (826 ft elevation gain)
• Heart O’ the Forest Trail – 4.4 mile out-and-back (800 ft elevation gain)
• Explore Port Angeles – delicious burgers from The Rail and real fruit ice cream from Welly’s
• Campsite: Heart O’ the Hills campground

I know I’m skipping ahead a little bit here, but I just have to tell you about how good the ice cream is at Welly’s. It was our favorite thing we ate on this whole trip. We got the raspberry dairy-free ice cream with tajin on it. Amazing! We spoke to the owners to learn about how they started selling New Zealand style ice cream and they were so kind.

We started the day by securing a campsite at Heart O’ the Hills. This was the one site I was after that was first-come first-serve (all the rest I reserved online in advance). Getting a spot here was easy, there were plenty to choose from when we arrived. This is where I saw my first banana slug!

The Hurricane Hill trail has a decent amount of incline all the way up, but it is a paved path, so it makes it fairly easy. It is exposed, so bring a hat and sunscreen. The 360 views from the top are beautiful. There are miles of snowcapped mountains stretching into the distance. You can see Canada as well. Arrive early, so you don’t have to struggle to get a parking spot!

Heart O’ the Forest Trail is accessible right from the campground. We just walked a few hundred feet from our campsite to reach the trailhead. It’s a peaceful walk through old-growth forest. The trail doesn’t lead to anything outstanding, but it is a great leisurely stroll to see huge uprooted trees, fungi, and greenery. Second half of the trail is relatively overgrown, so long pants are recommended.

Day 3 – Lake Crescent/Mora

• The Coffee Box and Sasquatch Bakery Donuts for breakfast goodies
• Hike Mount Storm King – 4.1 mile out-and-back (2,106 ft elevation gain)
• Marymere Falls – 1.7 mile out-and-back (298 ft elevation gain) or Moments in Time Trail – 0.7 mile loop (9ft elevation gain)
• Explore La Push Beach
• Hike Second Beach – 2.1 mile out-and-back (278 ft elevation gain)
• Campsite: Mora campground

If we had an extra day, I would have added Devil’s Punchbowl via Spruce Railroad Trail (beautiful place to swim) and Sol Duc Falls (iconic waterfall). The drive to both of these were just a bit too far off the road we were traveling to the coast. If you have time or want to swap these out for one of the other hikes, then I would recommend that because they look like great hikes as well!

Mount Storm King was a workout. Steep incline most of the way up. The really fun part was getting to the ropes section. There will be a pile of donated gloves at the beginning for you to use to grip the ropes going up. The ropes felt sturdy and though it was steep, you aren’t walking right next to a cliff edge, so I didn’t feel in danger of going off. I saw a couple people turn around once they saw the rope section, but if you take your time with your footing, it’s not bad. In my opinion, this hike is only worth it if you go all the way to the top because the view is obscured by the tree line unless you’re at the peak.

We were pretty exhausted after this hike. Talking an easy walk afterwards can help aid your post-hike recovery – Marymere Falls or Moments in Time are both near the base of this trail and are great options to cool down. Marymere Falls actually shares the start of the trail with Mount Storm King. Just make a left when the trails meet back together and it’s not much further down the trail. Moments in Time is lovely too because you can dip your feet in Lake Crescent and there are educational placards along the trail. It’s a flat, easy walk.

The last part of the day was spent driving over to our campsite on the coast and hiking down to Second Beach for sunset. You park in a small lot off the side of the road and hike down a muddy trail through the woods to access the beach. Once you emerge through the trees at the bottom, you’re welcomed by huge rock features on the horizon, outlined by an orange sky. The waves are crashing against the sand and people are meandering about, checking out the tide pools and driftwood. There’s even an adorable makeshift swing hanging from the end of a large driftwood tree.

Day 4 – Hoh Rainforest/Kalaloch

• Hike Hole-in-the-Wall from Rialto Beach – 3.3 miles out-and-back (108 ft elevation gain)
• Hike Spruce Nature Trail and Hall of Mosses – 2.1 mile loop (95 ft elevation)
• Ruby Beach – 1 mile out-and-back (49 ft elevation gain)
• Campsite: Kalaloch campground

Exploring the tide pools at Hole-in-the-Wall was my absolute favorite part of the park. I could have easily spent hours exploring this area. There were dozens of orange and purple starfish, bright green sea anemones, urchins, and crabs. Make sure you visit during low tide and wear good shoes because the exposed rocks can be slippery.

Be prepared to wait in line for a while to get through the entrance to the Hoh Rainforest if you arrive in the afternoon. They have signs along the way to let you know your approximate wait time. It’s a beautiful drive in! There were a few large tour groups and lots of families on this trail, so it could be crowded at times, but there were also sections I had all to myself. It feels like you’re on another planet – huge trees, ferns, and everything covered in moss. Good potential to see elk and deer here. This area is nice, but not the end of the world if you miss it. It was rather short and there are other hikes in the park that are similar to this. Maybe if I had done the Hoh River Trail to Mineral Creek Falls, I would have felt I had got more out of it, but Julian had a hurt foot and was waiting in the car for me, so I didn’t want to take too long!

Ruby Beach was unfortunately closed when we were visiting, but it looks like a stunning beach and I’ll definitely be stopping there on my next trip! Kalaloch campground has an incredible location right along the beach. Our campsite was in a nice shady, wooded area and just a 2 minute walk over to the staircase that leads you down to the beach. There are some campsites available that sit right near the edge and have an unobscured view of the ocean. Book early to snag one!

Day 5 – Kalaloch

• Walk down the beach to the right (at Kalaloch campground) to visit Tree of Life
• Kalaloch 4th Beach Trail – 1.1 mile out-and-back (104 ft elevation gain)

The Tree of Life is just a short walk down the beach from the Kalaloch campground. Its roots are suspended and it looks like it’s a miracle that it’s able to hold itself upright…or that it’s still alive for that matter. Definitely worth checking out! Kalaloch 4^th Beach Trail is another fantastic spot to go tide pooling. There’s an insane amount of boldly colored starfish, anemones, and sea cucumbers. You may also sea otters, seals, bald eagles, or porpoise here.

Do you prefer forest, mountain, or beach hikes? Luckily here, you get to experience all three! Usually, I am a mountain girlie because I enjoy a big reward at the end of my hike, but I really loved the beach exploration at this park. Each season has different benefits to visiting as well. Next time I visit will be slightly earlier than September, so the wildflowers will be in bloom and there’s a better chance to spot whales.

Happy exploring!