Olympic National Park, washington
Attractions Guide

Olympic National Park is located along the massive Olympic Peninsula of Washington, centered around massive breathtaking mountains and forests. Most of the attractions around the park are spread far apart around the peninsula, and at least two days are recommended to full enjoy the area.

The coastal Highway 101 wraps around the outer edge of the Olympic Peninsula and is the main road from which all of the attractions are accessed.

On the southwestern side of the Olympic Mountains you'll find one of the two popular rainforest ecosystems, the Quinault Rainforest. Here you'll find the stunning 0.9 mile (1.4 km) round-trip Quainault Rainforest Nature Trail which traverses a vivid green and lush environment of mossy trees alongside a river.

Just beyond the Quinault Rainforest you might like to stop to admire the marvelous Merriman Falls, which is located just off the road.

The Olympic Peninsula's other famous rainforest trail is located on the western side of the mountains, however it tends to be much more crowded and requires driving in-and-back up a long road to access. This is the 1 mile (1.6 km) round-trip Hoh Rainforest Hall of Mosses Trail, which traverse through a very similar lush green landscape of dense moss-covered forests.

There's also the option of combining the Hoh Rainforest Trail with the adjacent 1.4 mile (2.3 km) round-trip Spruce Nature Trail, or even hiking amongst other trails in this remote rainforest area.

Between the two rainforests you'll find the Olympic Peninsula's most popular beach, the beautiful Ruby Beach. This beach is an excellent place to explore, as it hosts many striking natural features such as small ponds, rocky islands, fallen logs, and more.

Further up the coast from Ruby Beach are two more similar beaches, Rialto Beach and the nearby Second Beach, with Rialto Beach being the more popular and easily accessible of the two.

Cape Flattery

At the very northwestern tip of the peninsula is a highly recommended but very significant detour, Cape Flattery. This cape is absolutely gorgeous, featuring rugged coastal cliffs covered in thick forests alongside stunning rock formations. You can reach Cape Flattery with a 1.2 mile (1.9 km) round-trip walk, with the option of increasing your hike to 2.2 miles (3.5 km) round-trip to see all the viewpoints the cape has to offer.

From the northwestern side of the peninsula and mountains you can access another popular easy hike, the 1.6 mile (2.6 km) round-trip Sol Duc Falls Nature Trail. This trail ventures through the thick vibrant green forests alongside the Sol Duc River, before arriving at the striking Sol Duc Falls.

Lake Crescent & Marymere Falls

Along Highway 101 near the detour to Sol Duc Falls you can stop to admire massive Lake Crescent. Adjacent to this beautiful lake is the easy 1.7 mile (2.7 km) round-trip Marymere Falls Trail, which travels through yet another mossy forest before concluding at a stunning waterfall.

On the northern side of the Olympic Mountains near the city of Port Angeles is the park's most highly recommended moderate hike, the 3.1 mile (5 km) round-trip Hurricane Hill Trail. This trail traverses alongside lush meadows and abundant wildlife, while offers majestic views of the mountains. From the top of the trail you can see the ocean, and on a clear day you can see out to Vancouver Island, which is part of Canada.

The drive up to the Hurricane Hill trailhead is very scenic as well, with plenty of picturesque viewpoints of the heavenly landscape to enjoy along the way up.

On the southeastern side of the Olympic Mountains is the park's most popular challenging hike, the 5.3 mile (8.5 km) round-trip Mount Ellinor Trail. This trail offers magnificent far-reaching views over the surrounding vast wilderness of forests and lakes, as well as a high chance of encountering wildlife.

This trail has nearly 3,300 feet (1,000 m) in elevation gain, passing through multiple ecosystems including forests, meadows, and alpine as you make your way up to the top of Mount Ellinor.