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Get the inside scoop for your upcoming vacation —> this itinerary is the most detailed, epic, and easy-to-follow guide to the park!
1. Rialto Beach
Olympic has many fabulous beaches, but Rialto Beach is one of the best! Here you’ll find everything you need for a perfect experience on the Pacific Coast — gorgeous sea stacks, a dramatic sea arch, outstanding tide pools, and spectacular sunsets.
What You Need to Know
Our favorite family activity at Rialto Beach is to hike out to Hole-in-the-Wall. It’s an easy 3-mile roundtrip walk along the beach to a large sea arch and some fantastic tide pools. You need to arrive at the sea arch within half an hour of low tide to safely access the tide pools, so plan accordingly!
Even if you don’t want to hike, this beach is a great place to relax and enjoy the phenomenal ocean views!
Getting Here
Rialto Beach is located along the Olympic Coastline. From the town of Forks, drive west on Highway 110/La Push Road for 7.8 miles. Turn right onto Mora Road (just after the sign that says “No Vampires Allowed Beyond This Point”) and drive for 5 miles to the end of the road. There are two parking areas here, and you can park in either.
To get to Hole-in-the-Wall, walk down to the beach and turn right. Walk along the water until you reach the sea arch.
2. Hurricane Hill Trail
Travel above the clouds and into the outstanding mountains of Olympic National Park! This gorgeous hike offers expansive views, wildlife sightings, and exposure to a lovely alpine wonderland.
What You Need to Know
The Hurricane Ridge section of Olympic is an extremely popular place to be, and the Hurricane Hill Trail is the premier hiking trail in the area! This hike is 3.2 miles roundtrip and gains about 700 feet of elevation.
From up here, you can see everything! Enjoy views of the park’s namesake, Mount Olympus, other mountains and glaciers in the Bailey Range, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island in Canada.
Pets are not permitted on this trail.
Getting Here
Hurricane Hill is located in the Hurricane Ridge section of the park. To get here from Port Angeles, travel south on Race Street. After passing the Olympic National Park Visitor Center on your right, take a slight right onto Hurricane Ridge Road. After driving for 18 miles on this curvy mountain road, you’ll reach the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center. Continue driving past the Visitor Center for another 1.3 miles (RVs and trailers not allowed) to reach the Hurricane Hill Trailhead.
3. Lake Crescent
Spend a day soaking in the sun and playing in the sparkling blue water of Lake Crescent. This beautiful glacially-carved lake is known for its striking clear, blue water and its depth — 624 feet!
What You Need to Know
This lake is where family memories are made year after year. The Lake Crescent Lodge is a hub of activity with a restaurant, canoe/kayak/SUP rentals, hiking trails, a swimming beach, and a dock you can jump off into the water!
If you’re looking for a quieter experience on Lake Crescent, consider heading to the East Beach Picnic Area, the North Shore Picnic Area, the Fairholme Campground, or the Log Cabin Resort.
Getting Here
From Port Angeles, travel west on Highway 101 for approximately 18 miles until you see the turn for the Lake Crescent Lodge on your right.
4. Ruby Beach
Often named as one of Washington’s most beautiful beaches, Ruby Beach encompasses all that is magical about the Olympic coastline. Get your camera ready as you explore the driftwood, sea stacks, and tide pools of this jaw-dropping beach!
What You Need to Know
A short walk is required to reach the beach from the parking area. When you reach the sand, the adventure begins! Explore the tide pools (check for low tide), photograph the sea stacks and driftwood, or spread out a blanket and watch the sunset.
Getting Here
Ruby Beach is located in the Kalaloch area of the park. From the Kalaloch Lodge, drive 7.4 miles north on Highway 101. Look for the Ruby Beach sign, turn left, and park here to find the trail down to the water.
5. Madison Falls
Time spent next to a peaceful waterfall is always time well spent! Revel in the vibrant moss-covered cliffs that flow with sparkling mountain water — all it takes is a short stroll to discover the beauty hidden just beyond the trees.
What You Need to Know
You only need to walk 0.1 miles along this flat, paved, handicapped-accessible trail to reach the waterfall. While you’re in the area, be sure to walk across the road to the Elwha River. The spectacular blue-green water is captivating!
Getting Here
From Port Angeles, drive 6.5 miles west on Highway 101. As you come down the hill, look for the sign that points to the Elwha Valley section of Olympic National Park. This is the Olympic Hot Springs Road, and you’ll want to turn left here. Continue driving for 2 miles down this road until you reach the parking area next to where the road is closed to vehicle traffic. This is the trailhead for Madison Falls.
Click NEXT to see sights 6-10 (including one of the most spectacular rainforests in the world!)
I really enjoy your videos. I will be driving up front NorCal and.my sister will either be with me already or fly into Seattle. We plan on June, but I now wonder if July would be better. we have about 3 weeks total in Wa.
I thought of doing in this order Olympic peninsula, Mt. Rainier, San Juan Island for the orcas, North Cascades. should we move the orcas up or even do that first in June? Should we move everything to July so we have to worry less about snow around Mt Rainier and N Cascades? We will stay at hotels, day hikes only no camping.
Thank you, we would very much value your input.
June is too early for hiking in Rainier and North Cascades. If you don’t plan on doing much hiking and don’t mind the snow, then June is ok. But otherwise, I wouldn’t go any earlier than mid-July. Have fun!
I am SO glad I stumbled upon your website! SO helpful! We are doing an Alaskan cruise out of Seattle next late June/early July. We would like to explore either Olympic National Park or Mt Rainier before or after our cruise. Any recommendations as to which would be best? Maybe some scenery we won’t see on our Alaskan cruise? Can’t decide if we should purchase your Olympia or Mt Rainier itenerary! We’ll probably only have 2 days so maybe Mt Rainier would be best?
Rainier will still be really snowy that time of year, so I’d go to Olympic if you want to do something other than driving through the park :)
I found your itineraries to be EXCEPTIONAL!! No stone was left unturned relative to detail. Additionally it was extremely well presented and laid out. I look forward to using your itineraries for future trips. Thank you for your efforts in putting together an invaluable resource.
Well thank you Bruce! I really appreciate that, and am so grateful for your kindness and support. I look forward to hearing about your future national park adventures!
I just purchased the Olympic itinerary. We are fortunate in that we’ll have over 4 days in June. However, planning when to be in certain areas was overwhelming. When I found your website our trip planning became much easier. The itinerary is well worth the money! We want to be adventurers – not sitting in traffic, I listened to your podcast where you mentioned that your first trip to Olympic was “underwhelming”. I believe that with the itinerary in hand, we’ll avoid that.
Thanks so much Lisa! And yes, your trip shouldn’t be underwhelming if you have the itinerary in hand and if you’ve listened to the podcast episodes. That’s all the stuff we wish we would have known before we visited for the first time. Enjoy Olympic!!
Hi Ash!
I purchased your itinerary for Olympic and have been studying it for our trip in July 2024. My question – you recommend staying in Port Angeles and Forks, but are those more convenient than staying IN the park? We traditionally stay in the parks (and book a year ahead) to save on driving time and have more character/historic lodging. But all I noticed is your tip to stay at the Lake Crescent Lodge if we want to split the difference. We plan on doing your 3-day itinerary just as you advise and staying 3 nights.
Thanks for your advice!
Amber
Hey Amber, please contact me here so that I can better answer your questions!
Hi, We will be visiting our son with 3 days and 2 nights to spend on the Olympia peninsula Dec 28-30 2021. Please advise us on an itinerary and where to stay. I was going to purchase you travel plan but found no way to specify the mid week winter trip. Thanks so much
Hey Alison! My itineraries don’t work during the winter when things close down, but I hope you have an amazing time in the park!
My Wife and I are planning to visit Olympic, Mt. Rainier, and maybe Northern Cascades the last week of May (weather permitting, won’t know till we get there what the snow is like).
Do you think one day is enough time in each park or should we plan some extra time?
Mt. Rainier and North Cascades will be a challenge at that time of year — some of the most popular trails in Rainier don’t melt out until mid-July! Olympic should be mostly accessible, so I’d put more time there. That park is huge and takes a long time to drive between activities. Have a great time!
I am a senior citizen who used your itinerary in Yellowstone and loved it. My son now lives in Seattle and I can’t wait to go back for a visit. I am hoping to convince him and his girlfriend to join me as they are hikers too. I just want to know the best month for me weather wise. I hate the cold but have the layers to endure if I must. But over 80 degrees and my hot flashes and body temp go crazy😆😆 so when should I go.
Haha I’m not a fan of hiking in the heat either :) Temperatures in Olympic don’t usually get hotter than 75 or 80 degrees during the summer, but if you’re worried about that, I’d say aim for June or July. Summer is the dry season in that area, so if you go in Spring, Fall, or Winter, there’s a good chance of getting a lot of precipitation. The beaches usually get really foggy in August. Hope that helps!
Hi! I really enjoy reading your material! My husband and I are thinking of making a trip to Olympic National Park in November (middle 10th-13th). If we pack rain gear, could we still hike at that time?
Many areas of Olympic are accessible year-round, so you should be fine. Hurricane Ridge will be iffy, but the beaches and rainforest should be okay!
Hi Ash! I wonder is middle of May a good time to visit Olympic NP? Thank you!
Yeah it can be great! Just be aware that the higher elevations (like Hurricane Ridge) will likely still be very snowy. And it will probably be too cold to swim in Lake Crescent :) But the rainforests and beaches should be wonderful!
Another great set of suggestions with clear information about each site. We will be there in just a few weeks. Our time is extremely limited, but we will make the most of it, thanks to your guidance.
Thanks Karin! Have fun!