We're traveling to Seattle area mid-August from the East Coast, Saturday to Saturday. We get in Saturday evening (late for time zone) and leave mid-day the following Saturday. Kids are 5 and 7 and we prefer outdoor/nature activities. Last summer, the younger hiked 2.5 miles. This summer, we could probably do a little more, but are limited by her stamina. Our other challenge is the older gets motion sickness, so we can only do so much driving at a time. Right now, our potential itinerary is 2 nights in Seattle, 1 night Port Angeles, 1 night Forks, 1 night Lake Quinault, 2 nights Mt Rainier (Paradise). I hesitate b/c it seems like a lot of moving around & driving. I'm wondering if we should do something different (cut out or change some of our sights) to have a "home base" for a little longer and focus on an area. But it's hard b/c we're really excited to explore ONP and Mt Rainier. Thoughts? Advice?

Overall that is a good start. I would not stay in PA though. Come from Seattle, explore Hurricane Ridge and do the Hurricane Hill hike and then head towards Forks and stay there for 2 nights. Stop at Marymere Falls along the way for a nice, but short, hike. While in Forks you can explore the beaches and the hoh and have that as a base for the two nights. Then head to Quinault for a night and then to Rainier. You could skip a night at Quinault, but still stop to explore. That would of course make your driving day to Rainier longer, so it just depends. If you did that, you could add a night at Rainier, which would be nice. There are loads of great hikes from the Paradise side such as Comet Falls, Narada Falls, Reflection Lake, Skyline, Panorama, etc. These last two are longer, but you can always cut them short if need be. We started our kids out hiking at young ages as well and they would have managed these just fine, but every child is different. I am sure you know, just take breaks and keep it fun for them and they will be able to do more. The end of August is great as there are loads of blueberries/huckleberries so picking those is always a highlight. Also take a look at Bench/Snow Lake. That would be a good one for berries as well as short enough.

Thanks for all of the great information! Super helpful, especially the hiking recommendations.

Glad to help We spent most of our weekends on the trails, so it is fun to share.

There are two lodging places on tribal land in LaPush: Quileute Oceanside Resort and Quillayute River Resort. Both have easy access to the ocean beaches and the Hoh Rain Forest, but more importantly, both would afford your kids an opportunity to live with Native Americans instead of moribund Forks.

mms and Bobmrg both have excellnt info and recommendations. if it was me, especially with the car sickness issue, i would focus on ONP or Rainier, not both. the drive times, constant room change, and your desire to see things isn't conducive to an enjoyable trip IMO. i think if you pick one and choose(or find an opening)the right base you can really enjoy much that it has to offer. I assume you have no reservations yet. stay availability may decide for you. need to be looking now-you probably are. if looking at Mt Rainier, try around Ashford for places to stay. if looking at ONP, try Lake Crescent Lodge or Log Cabin Resort. also, VRBO is your friend. also Homeaway and Vacasa.

I would squeeze in a day at Mt Rainier, if you are coming clear from the East Coast. Rainier is truly gorgeous and you can get great views just on the drive up to Paradise. ​​​​​I will defer to MMS on the details of your schedule and specific hikes.

As melprofit mentions, Ashford is a great area to stay for the Paradise area of Rainier. There are a number of hotels and lots of cabins, but they do book up in the summer, so I would get on that asap. The Nisqually Lodge is where I would book for a hotel for a family, or get a cabin. We always use Almost Paradise cabins, but that is just the two of us so I can't remember what they have that might fit a family. Check online if this interests you. The owner is great and the location is very close to the entrance to the park.

I just did a quick check and yes they have a cabin that would work.

https://almostparadiselodging.com/mt...dow-cabin.html