Nknows

Hello! My husband and I (late 30s/early 40s- active) are planning a 4 night/5 day stay in Seattle in September. We prefer nature to city sights. Top on our priority list are: Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park and visiting the tide pools on the coast.

We will likely head straight from the Seattle-Tacoma airport to Port Angeles and stay there at least 3 nights.

Any tips on what to add on to our short trip? Spend the majority of our time in Olympic National Park? Tack on a visit to Mt. Rainier?

Thank you in advance!

suze

Between ONP and going to the coast that will easily take up a 4 night trip. You don't really have enough time to "add" things if you want to see those two places. ONP is HUGE.

Gardyloo

Just to note that PA isn't especially convenient if your target is the west coast - the Hoh visitor center is around two hours' drive from PA, mostly through pretty uninspiring forest. I'd suggest spending one night in PA, visiting Hurricane Ridge, then look for accommodations closer to the beaches and rain forests. Forks is convenient to both the Hoh valley and the La Push beaches; unfortunately there aren't a lot of quality accommodations around Forks - a few B&Bs and basic motels, plus the Quileute resort - http://www.quileuteoceanside.com/ - on the water near First Beach.

Farther down the coast, the Kalaloch Lodge - http://www.thekalalochlodge.com/ - is well located for both the Hoh valley and also Ruby Beach, and farther south yet there are several lodings, including the historic Lake Quinault Lodge, around Lake Quinault, from which the Quinault Rain Forest (similar to the Hoh forest) continues back up toward the high country.

If you have four nights it's certainly possible to spend three of them on the Olympic peninsula and the fourth allowing easy access to Mount Rainier. Do a loop like this - https://goo.gl/maps/r9Wx9HMu3BT2 - and note that I've added an "extra" - Deception Pass on Whidbey Island - to your route.

Timetable -

Day 1 - Seattle to Port Angeles via Deception Pass and Coupeville - Port Townsend ferry. This is a rewarding day giving you a feel for Puget Sound. North to impressive and scenic Deception Pass, the narrow gap between Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands - amazing at tide change, then south on Whidbey to picturesque Coupeville, then across on the state ferry to Victorian Port Townsend, then finally to Port Angeles for the night.

Day 2 - Port Angeles to Forks or La Push via Hurricane Ridge.

Day 3 - Day exploring the La Push beaches (First, Second, Rialto...) and Hoh valley rain forest. Overnight in Forks or La Push (or Kalaloch if there's room - usually isn't.)

Day 4 - Forks to Olympia via Ruby Beach and Lake Quinault/Quinault rain forest. Spend the night in Olympia (cute downtown area, lots of good restaurants and decent accommodations.)

Day 5 - Olympia to Seattle via Paradise on Mt. Rainier.

Nknows

Thank you suze and gardyloo for the excellent input! Finding accommodation in forks has been tricky, but we may end up camping so that we are flexible.

Appreciate your insights!

Kathie

Note that four nights is never 5 days, just three full days and a couple of hours on two other days. So Gardyloo's excellent itinerary only works if you arrive very early on Day 1 and if you leave very late on day 5.

suze

I'm no expert & I don't even get outside the city (Seattle) much, I just know how BIG it is around here and visitors often underestimate distances and actual travel times in proposed itineraries.

Gardyloo knows his stuff! Listen to him!!

Nknows

Thanks! We actually do arrive early and leave late on our last day.

It looks like we will do at least 2 days on forks to easily see the tide pools and Hoh rainforest.

My question is:

Day 1 & 2: Should we do Port angeles (via deception pass) and north part of olympic park OR skip the north part of the park and spend time elsewhere in WA (cascades, mt rainier?)

Day 3 & 4: then head to Forks to see hoh rainforest, explore coast

Day 5: spend half a day in downtown seattle or elsewhere along the way, depart in evening

Thanks!