Which Park - Acadia or Olympia
 

If you've been to both, which would you choose? I haven't been to either but am trying to decide. <BR> <BR>Depending on where we decide to go, we'd fly into Seattle or Boston and drive from there. Would stay a couple of nights somewhere near the park, interested in hiking and seeing the sights. Then drive back to spend a day or two in the city we flew into. Any recommendations on places to stay near the park? Places to eat? Things not to miss? Thanks. <BR> <BR>

I meant Olympic !!

Having seen both parks, I am indifferent. Neither has that much appeal to me. If I were flying into Seattle I would take in Mt. Ranier, Mt. St. Helens, and a day of the Oregon Coast. The area around Yachats is scenic, with waves pounding rocky headlands and capes that rise 1,000 feet right out of the ocean. <BR>Assuming you would fly into Boston if you selected Acadia, there are many locations in Boston that are of significant historic interest. That might tip the scales in favor of Acadia. <BR> <BR>If I had to select based on the park itself, I suppose I would take Olympia. <BR>We stayed at Lake Crescent Lodge in Olympia; it was ok, but not anything all that memorable. <BR> <BR>If you select the Olympic peninsula, do not count on being able to take the ferry over to Victoria in the summer. The waiting time is sometimes measured in days rather than hours. <BR>

Bob -- thanks for the info. Maybe neither is a good choice. We just did Bryce and Zion and had even considered going back to Utah and going to Arhces, Canyonlands, etc.... we'd be going the first week in October. Any suggestions? I want beauty more than anything. Thanks.

I've been to both, and would happily go back. We live on the east coast, so have been to Acadia a few times. I think the main difference is people and development. There are just more in Acadia. The Olympic pennisula is more isolated. Acadia is more compact, so most hiking trails have great ocean views. I'm not sure which I'd choose if it were even.

Kim, Olympic NP is enormous, with mountains, rain forest, wild coastline, abundant wildlife, and a wilderness center maintained as such and only available to dedicated hikers and mountaineers. The variety of conditions in the park and the fact that circumnavigating it requires over a day on the road, means a couple of days will only allow you to experience one or two of the various environments. If you drive to the Pacific side of the Olympic Peninsula it takes upwards of 4 or 5 hours from Seattle, but when you're there the rocky coastline and the amazing rain forest valleys (like the Hoh Valley) are things you can't see anywhere else. But it's not a trip to take on lightly, because the distances are great and the accommodations relatively scarce.

I have not been to Olympic NP, but I have been to Acadia and loved it. My husband and I camped for a week on Mount Desert Island, off the coast of northern Maine where Acadia National Park is located. I have great memories of the park and the beautiful scenery. I would love to go back there. From what other posters have stated, it seems like Olympic may be a bit too much to cover in just a few days. Acadia would be just right in that time frame. It is not that large, but offers either hiking trails, bicycling trails, or you can drive through the park and stop at various points and just take a few short hikes. I recall that we purchased (or rented) an audio tape for our car as we toured the park initially, and later came back to areas that we wanted to spend more time. We also spent a day driving around Mr. Desert island. There was a really neat fishing/lobstering village that we stopped in and another site where there was a lighthouse that was very scenic. If you go to Acadia I would recommend staying in the town of Bar Harbor which is a very quaint town. There are many inns and lodges to pick from in the town. We also went on a sailing excursion out of Bar Harbor that was alot of fun. However, depending on when you go, Bar Harbor can get a bit crowded. Also, depending on how much time you have to make the drive through Maine up to Acadia, you may want to opt to drive the road up the coast that goes through various towns rather than the highway ... however this would probably take the whole day if you give yourself time to stop here and there. Hope this helps.

Kim: <BR> <BR>I disagree with Bob's reply concerning Olympic NP. I haven't been to Acadia, but I have been to both Rainier and Olympic several times, and of the two I BY FAR prefer Olympic. Washington is a beautiful and diverse state, but Olympic NP stands above the other parks and natural regions in this state. Granted, it doesn't have the singular stand-out attraction of a park like Rainier or St. Helens (no single dominating peak providing breathtaking views), so you'll need to get out of the car to fully appreciate how special this place is. If you can get off the road and onto a trail, whether it's on the beach, in the rainforest, or along a high ridge, Olympic will not disappoint. <BR>If that doesn't sound like what you want to do, then definitely there are better parks to visit. I just came back from a visit to NYC/Connecticut, and found New England to be a very scenic area with lots of opportunities for exploring by car (unfortunately, I can't write about Boston or Acadia NP --I've never been to either). One place that I can recommend, however, is Sedona, Arizona -- a spectacularly scenic destination with numerous hiking opportunities and several interesting historic points within driving distance to explore.

I've been to both, and if the ONLY choice is between the two, I'd choose Olympic. It has wider variety of scenery -- mountains, beaches, and RAIN FORESTS(!!) -- and is larger and more isolated. But I can't ignore the fact that Acadia is near some very wonderful quaint towns, as well as a lot of history. Boston beats Seattle by a country mile as far as a city to fly into, so I can't ignore that. <BR> <BR>I notice that you're traveling in early October. That might be near the fall foliage season in New England, when every road is jammed and all lodging triples their rates. It could also mean the possibility some nasty weather in the mountains of Washington. Check the typical weather for that time ofthe year at both places.

Thanks to all, I appreciate all your opinions. I need to do some research, good point about the fall foliage issue on the east coast. I have a lot of things to think about. We loved the Utah parks we covered last year so much, we just may end up back there doing Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, etc...and Sedona has always been an option. Thanks again.

I've been to both and they are totally different experiences. We flew into Boston and drove up to Maine--great New England villages, fall festivals, the leaves, blueberries. We walked the old carriage trails in Acadia (easy). It was pretty, "quaint", with character. Then the city of Boston offers great food, a great historical walk, etc. <BR> <BR>Olympic is more wild, dramatic with large, snow covered peaks. Our favorite part of that park is the rain forest trail with the banana slugs and staying on a typical west coast beach with pounding waves and driftwood. As for mountain scenery and hikes, I agree with Bob that I prefer Ranier over Olympic in the Seattle area. It's picture perfect and has lots of trails.

I agree with Gary. I live in Seattle and if I were given a choice between spending a few days on the Peninsula and a few days at Mt. Rainier, I'd choose the Peninsula in a *heartbeat*, hands down. Nowhere I've ever been can touch it for the diversity of scenery and ecosystems within a reasonably short distance, and the hiking choices are superb, ranging from long rainforest valley hikes where you can go for miles and miles (don't ignore the river valleys on the east side of the mountains along Hood Canal if you enjoy this type of hike) to alpine meadows and vistas at Hurricane Ridge to spectacular Pacific beaches you can only reach by hiking (the nine mile triangular Lake Ozette hike is unforgettable). <BR> <BR>My favorite place to stay out there is a tiny three-room B&B called Eagle Point Inn, on the banks of the Sol Duc river near Forks.

As a Northwesterner I'm reluctant to say that if it were me I'd probably think hard about the Southwest, too. There's no guarantee that the Olympic Peninsula wouldn't be a rain and wind festival in October, and if the competition was the red rock country in NM or Arizona, well... <BR>Have you been to Monument Valley or Canyon de Chelly? If not, I'm compelled to say that Mt. Rainier can't compete unless you want glaciers instead of ancient history, magnificent vistas, an eerie spiritual setting, and temperatures 20 degrees warmer. Guess I should turn in my umbrella and accept banishment. <BR>(If you want autumn color and aren't afraid of crummy weather, have you thought about Yellowstone or Banff?)