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Mt. Rainier and Olympic NP Itinerary - Input please!!
We have a short window of time in NW Washington in late September where we would like to visit Mt. Rainier and Olympic NP. I've drafted an itinerary below and would appreciate any comments. We are outdoor, active people.
Monday afternoon - fly into Seattle, drive to the Paradise area (Mt. Rainier). (Any suggestions on lodging?) Tuesday - spend the day at Mt. Rainier Wednesday - leave early to drive to Olympic NP - Port Angeles area. Book lodging for two nights around Port Angeles. Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday morning - Spend time in the park, hiking, Hurricane Ridge, Crescent Lake area etc., visit Tongue Point and maybe Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. Would love to add some unusual, outdoor adventure as a surprise for my adult "kids". Any suggestions? Friday - mid day - drive to Bainbridge Island (there for a wedding weekend). Anything of interest to see on the drive from Port Angeles to Bainbridge Island? I know that we will be missing the Hoh rain forest and the coast attractions, but I think adding those would be too much driving and not enough time enjoying where we are. Thoughts on this? Thanks for any input you can send along! |
I would add a full day/night to Rainier. Hiking there in late September is stunning!!! If you can get a room atParadiseLodge do that. Otherwise try Longmire and after that try something in Ashford. We like cabins in this area and for more than one night that works well. For ONP do not cut out the Hoh. It is a must see. The river trail there is wonderful. Most people don’t not go out to 5 mile Island and back but you can go much further or shorter, but if you can I highly recommend going to st least 5 mile Island. Ozette is a great hike but it is more remote snd and takes a full day but it is worth it. It is just over 9 miles and you have to time it with the tides. It is a triangle hike that takes you to Sand Point and Cape Alava. There are petroglyphs along the way on the beach portion. |
Also, I would only stay inPA for one night not two. Use that other night for Rainier. As for things to see between PA and Bainbridge, you could stop in Port Townsend and check out Fort Worden and the town. Or stop in Port Gamble, but that takes about 20 minutes as it is tiny. You are too late for the lavender fields but Sequim has quite a few lavender stores open year round. |
MMS' suggestions are spot on, but just as a thought experiment you might think about doing a clockwise loop around the peninsula, starting by going from Mt. Rainier to Lake Quinault, maybe for a late lunch at the Lake Quinault Lodge. Since it's a Wednesday, see if you could book into Kalaloch Lodge for the night (shouldn't be impossible) which would let you explore the Quinault Valley rain forest, and maybe watch the sun set from Ruby Beach, just up the road from Kalaloch. Then on Thursday drive up to the Hoh Valley and do your walkies, at least the Hall of Mosses trail, or up the river trail if you have the energy and time. Then drive into PA before dark. Friday morning, head up to Hurricane Ridge, then make your way to Bainbridge.
As for stops between PA and Bainbridge, I'd look at Poulsbo, a pretty waterfront town very proud of its Norwegian heritage, or maybe stop at Chief Seattle's grave in the Native American village of Suquamish. It's quite moving. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/prtnKZWqJeS2 |
Both of the places gardyloo mentioned, Lake Quinault Lodge and Kalaloch, are great! We have stayed at both a number of times. They are not that far from each other, so just stay at one (kalaloch makes the most sense since it is further north) but definitely check out both areas. Especially if you do not stay at LQL, definitely take some time to check out the lodge, inside and out, as it is really interesting.
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Thank you MMS and Gardyloo for your input. I'm surprised that you both recommend more time at Mt. Rainier and less at ONP, given that ONP is much more diverse. Great input and I'll dial it all into my planning. MMS: are there any particular cabins you like in the Mt. Rainier area? I checked out the Paradise Lodge, seems rather expensive for a teeny room!!!! Thanks!
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12kelsy--We love Almost Paradise cabins. They are rustic, but well maintained and very close to the park entrance. The owner is great! I have heard very good things about Storm King cabins as well and Copper Creek Inn, so you might check all of these out. One of the reasons I recommend more time at Rainier in September is that the foliage is absolutely stunning and you don't get that at ONP.
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