Seattle to West Coast of Olympic National Park
 

Hi,<BR><BR>Just wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction. I'm driving from Seattle and would like to get around to the west side of Olympic National Park and hook up with the 101 for a drive down the coast. But I'm not sure the best way to cross Puget Sound. Can I take a car on a ferry or do I have to head south to Tacoma and then back north on the highway?<BR><BR>thanks for any responses.<BR><BR>Ryan

Ferry to Bainbridge Island and drive from there, if I recall.

You can either take a ferry from Seattle to Bremerton or Bainbridge Island (pretty close to one another, then drive toward Port Townsend/Port Angeles, or drive south to Tacome, over the Narrows Bridge toward Bremerton, or drive an hour south to Olympia and take the Highway 101 exit and go around the south end to the park. The ferry is definitely the prettiest way to go, as well as Port Townsend.

US 101 forms a loop around the peninsula. Take the Bainbridge ferry and continue north across the Hood Canal bridge to the junction of US 101 northbound which at Port Angeles becomes US 101 southbound. Figure around 3 1/2 hours before you see open ocean on the Olympic NP coastal strip.<BR><BR>The all-land route via Olympia and Hoquiam avoids ferry tolls ($15 to $20 depending on no. of passengers) but is less scenic and takes around the same amount of time, plus you'd be retracing your steps southbound.<BR><BR>If time permits, detour at Port Angeles up to Hurricane Ridge, immediately south of PA. Marvelous view of the Olympic Mountains, probably some critters, nice short walks available.

It' fun to drive over the T acoma Narrows Bridge and then remember that the previous bridge fell apart during a windstorm!<BR><BR>If you drivwe thru Forks, visit the small museum just outside town for an interesting view of the life of a lumberjack

For ANY attempts to take a car westbound across the ferries in the summer, avoid peak commute hours (3:30pm - 6:30pm) and Fridays -- unless you don't mind waiting through at least one departure before there's room for your vehicle. If you have a car, consider taking the Edmonds - Kingston ferry to get to the Olympic Peninsula. Although it departs from a location about 30 minutes north of downtown Seattle, it arrives a little closer to your intended route (SR 104 to US 101). For schedules and fares, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov