Seattle/ONP
 

Well its official! We will be in Seattle 7/28-8/6 visiting some friends who live in Everett. We are renting a cabin in La Push for 3 nights during 8/1-8/4.

Is that enough time to see the Hoh Rainforest, the beaches around La Push and Ruby Beach? We arent intesested in a lot of hiking (little hikes are good just not major ones, my friend has a toddler)just photography.

We love waterfalls. Are there any around we could drive to? Any other must see in that general area? What small hikes in the Hoh besides the Hall of Moses should we not miss?


Should we detour to Hurricane Ridge coming or going and how far off 101 is it? Cant decide the best ferry route to take either. Mulkiteo and Bremmerton are near Everett. Which route would be the best?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Is it possile to visit Hurricane Ridge and Sol Duc Falls while driving in the 1st day or the last day? Thanks!

Oh and we were in Seattle for a week last September and didnt make it to Mt. Ranier. We did Mt. Baker instead. If we do a day trip to Mt. Ranier, what are the must see's for photo's?

Trying to figure out whether or not to see Snoqualmie Falls again, (I've seen it, others have not)what other must see is in that area as well? How long a drive approx. from Everett to the Snoqualmie area?

Sorry for so many questions! Thanks in advance!

ttt

Which ferry crossing would you take?

Mukilteo-Clinton then Keystone-Port Townsend

or

Edmonds-Kingston?

You'll take the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry. 3 nights should be fine since you are just doing shorter walks and taking pictures. I can't think of any waterfalls you can drive to in ONP but at Rainier there are some either at roadside of after a very short walk-for example, Narada Falls. Here is a list:

http://www.waterfallswest.com/region_wa_southpuget.html


Hurricane Ridge is beautiful, and if the weather is clear, it is definitely worth the detour.

If you do Rainier, you can circumnavigate the mountain, stopping at both the Paradise and Sunrise visitors centers (lots of walks and photo opportunities at both). There are plenty of scenic pullouts for taking pictures as you drive around the park.

Everett to Snoqualmie: If you leave after 9 am and return by 3 pm, avoiding rush hour, it should take about an hour or so.

Thank you for the link! I will check it out. Also appreciate the info for Mt. Rainier.

Yes, you have sufficient time to see the highlights.

Our favorite waterfall hike is through a rain forest to Marymere Falls from Crescent Lake Lodge.

You can easily visit Hurricane Ridge and Sol Duc Falls in one day.

Mt. Rainier has many photo ops, including an easy-access waterfall!

Snoqualmie Falls is an okay option; the water flow is not terribly great at the time so they're not as spectacular as in the spring/fall, but okay. You can take a scenic route from Everett by taking US 2 to Monroe, then SR 203/202 through the Snoqualmie Valley (Duvall, Carnation) to the falls. Figure 90 min. plus stops at any U-pick raspberry fields en route. Returning by I-90/I-405/I-5 will take an hour. Agree with Happytrails - the waterfalls etc. at Mt. Rainier, (or the various streams etc. along the N. slope of the Olympics) may offer somewhat better water-flowing experience.

Thanks for the info! The scenic route to the falls sounds wonderful. We really enjoyed Chuckanut drive heading up to Mt. Baker on the last trip.