Rain isn’t a problem here—it’s the reason this moss-draped area exists. On the western edge of the park, the Hoh Rainforest receives about 140 inches of rain a year—over 11 feet—and it wears every drop proudly. Towering Sitka spruces, western red cedars, and coast Douglas firs line trails like the Hall of Mosses, while banana slugs, bobcats, and Olympic black bears call the forest home.
Providing visitors with hot springs, rivers, and waterfalls, the Sol Duc Valley is one of the most picturesque parts of Olympic National Park. Offering a variety of short and long hikes, you can enjoy the best of all three without extensive hiking experience. This trail is an easy 1.1-mile (1.77 km) loop trail that circles around the Hoh Rainforest with an abundance of ferns, green moss, and spectacular trees.
For the most part, it is a flat, easy hike, but it is a rather monotonous walk through the trees. For the best experience, walk to Hole-in-the-Wall, a 3.5 mile round trip stroll where the beach is the hiking trail. You can also walk 10 miles round trip on the spit to visit the Dungeness Spit Lighthouse. Sol Duc Falls is a waterfall that is located in the temperate rainforest of Olympic National Park. The road dead-ends at a large parking lot and the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.
The temperate rainforest is located in the western side of the national park, but inland from the coastal region. Hoh Rainforest and Quinault Rainforest account pin up casino promo code for this region and collectively get about 150 inches (380 cm) of rain a year. Views of the Olympic National Park can be seen from the Hurricane Ridge viewpoint. The road leading west from the Hurricane Ridge visitor center has several picnic areas and trailheads. A paved trail called the Hurricane Hill trail is about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long each way, with an elevation gain of about 700 feet (210 m).
With almost a million acres of wilderness, Olympic offers many backpacking options. Explore Olympic’s diverse ecosystems and history with a ranger during scheduled programs.
The park offers visitors three unique ecosystems through four distinct regions of the national park. The park features the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, temperate rainforest, and drier forests. In one national park, you can walk through old growth temperate rainforests, climb peaks as high as 8,000 feet, and stroll along beaches littered with driftwood and enormous sea stacks. One of the few temperate rainforests in North America, you can experience some exceptional hiking along the three nature trails.
Olympic National Park is known for its epic mountain treks and glacial journeys, and you’ll have plenty of time to do either that you choose. However, for a mellow, yet equally rewarding trek, add the Ozette Loop Hike to your itinerary. The first section heads down towards the beach, the second section up along the coast, and then the third cuts back inland.
Her goal is to make your travel planning process easier and to inspire you to visit new places. When visiting this part of the park, the best place to stay is Olympia or Skokomish. When visiting this part of the park, the best place to stay is in the Quinault Valley, the Kalaloch Lodge, Forks, or Aberdeen. The La Push Beaches are a group of three beaches that are located near the community of La Push.
Dungeness Spit Wildlife Refuge
The Spruce Nature Trail is a 1.2 mile loop which features more views of the rainforest and the Hoh River. When you walk through the Hoh Rainforest you feel like you are journeying back in time, when dinosaurs ruled the planet. Moss drips from trees that are over 250 feet tall and hundreds of years old. The understory is filled with fallen trees, saplings, and ferns. Keep an eye for deer, the northern spotted owl, elk, raccoon, and black bear.
Hiking Mount Storm King in Olympic National Park
Hoh and Quinault Rainforests are different from the traditional rainforest comprised of coniferous trees. These trees include Coast Douglas-fir, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, and Western redcedar. You can volunteer your time, purchase a national park license plate, donate to support priority park projects — the options are practically endless!
- The smaller coastal portion of the park is separated from the larger, inland portion.
- Your reward is panoramic views over the Olympic Peninsula and out to Mount Rainier and Mount Baker.
- These trees include Coast Douglas-fir, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, and Western redcedar.
- When visiting this part of the park, the best place to stay is Olympia or Skokomish.
- The La Push Beaches are a group of three beaches that are located near the community of La Push.
- For some, this is the main reason for visiting Olympic National Park.
For something more casual, enjoy a comparatively simple walk to Marymere Falls. In the middle of the Olympic Peninsula Loop Drive, Crescent Lake combines the awe-inspiring mountain sights with a slower-paced lakeside experience. After some time spent chasing hair-raising experiences in the high alpine, Crescent Lake provides the chance to relax.
This hike is 6.2 miles round trip with 3,300 feet of elevation gain. Your reward is panoramic views over the Olympic Peninsula and out to Mount Rainier and Mount Baker. To visit Ruby Beach, park in the large parking area and then it is a downhill walk to the beach. You can either explore this stretch of coastline or hike north to the Hoh River (6 miles round trip). There are several roads in the park, but none penetrate far into the interior. The park features a network of hiking trails, although the size and remoteness mean that it will usually take more than a weekend to get to the high country in the interior.
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Hoh Glacier measuring 3.06 miles (4.93 km) is the largest of several glaciers atop Mount Olympus. The range away from the coastal side experiences less rain and becomes drier and displays rugged ridges. Mount Deception at 7,788 feet (2,374 m) is the highest peak in this part of the mountains. If you want panoramic views of the Olympic mountain range with very little effort, this is the place to go. The views from Hurricane Ridge, where you will look out over snow-capped mountains, forests of evergreen trees, and Mount Olympus, is one of the best experiences in Olympic National Park.
Whatever strikes your fancy — camping, hiking, fishing, biking, sight seeing, animal viewing, and more — you’ll find it here. An unusual feature of ONP is the opportunity for backpacking along the beach. The length of the coastline in the park is sufficient for multi-day trips, with the entire day spent walking along the beach. Several promontories must be struggled over, using a combination of muddy steep trails and fixed ropes.
- Hoh Glacier measuring 3.06 miles (4.93 km) is the largest of several glaciers atop Mount Olympus.
- Olympic National Park is one of the larger US National Parks, with an area just under 1 million acres.
- Hurricane Ridge is usually open, making this part of the park a great place to visit if you like cross country skiing, tubing, or snow shoeing.
- Wind, flooding, snow, and construction can affect park roads and facilities.
- These old growth forests are home to trees that are over 700 years old.
The shorter Spruce Nature and Hall of Mosses trails are family-friendly and educational, while providing a closeup view of some of the most unique landscapes in the United States. Olympic National Park has at least 175 different trails that allow visitors to hike and explore the rainforest, the mountains, and the varied ecosystems in the park. The trails range from short to long and from easy to difficult providing something for everyone. The most popular trail in the valley is the 1.6 mile return hike to Sol Duc Falls. Arguably the best waterfall in the national park, visitors will be rewarded with dazzling views among old-growth forests.
The Hoh is one of the best-preserved temperate rainforests in the world. And if you’re chasing waterfalls, Sol Duc Falls delivers—three streams plunging into a narrow, mossy gorge. Olympic is a solid reminder that the best hikes don’t always come with clear skies. Olympic National Park, with its mountain ranges, temperate rainforests, and rugged coastline, is one of the most diverse national parks in the United States. In this post, we share with you interesting facts, important planning tips, and the best things to do in Olympic National Park.