Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Most of the park's attractions are found either off U.S. 101 or down trails that require hikes of 15 minutes or longer. The west-coast beaches are linked to the highway by downhill tracks; the number of cars parked alongside the road at the start of the paths indicates how crowded the beach will be.
South of Forks, an 18-mile spur road links Highway 101 with this unique temperate rain forest, where spruce and hemlock trees soar to heights of more than 200 feet. Alders and big-leaf maples are so densely covered with mosses they look more like shaggy prehistoric animals than trees, and elk browse in shaded glens. Be prepared for precipitation: the region receives 140 inches or more each year.
From the Hoh Visitor Center, this rain-forest jaunt takes you into the Hoh Valley, wending its way for 17½ miles alongside the river, through moss-draped maple and alder trees and past open meadows where elk roam in winter. Families can choose to hike part of this long trail. Moderate.
The premier scenic drive in Olympic National Park is a steep ribbon of curves that climbs from thickly forested foothills and subalpine meadows into the upper stretches of pine-swathed peaks. At the top, Hurricane Ridge has some spectacular views over the heart of the peninsula and across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A mile past the parking lot, there are picnic tables in open meadows with photo-worthy views of the mountains to the east. Hurricane Ridge also has an uncommonly fine display of wildflowers in spring and summer. In winter, vehicles must carry chains, and the road is usually open Friday to Sunday only (call first to check conditions).
The northernmost and arguably the most breathtaking of Olympic National Park's Kalaloch area beaches, this wild and windswept swath of shoreline is named for the rosy fragments of garnet that color its sands. From an evergreen-shaded bluff, a short trail winds down to the wave-beaten sands where Cedar Creek meets the ocean, and you may spy sea otters along with bald eagles, oystercatchers, cormorants, and other birdlife. Driftwood separates the woods from the sand—it's a good spot to set up a picnic blanket and watch the sun fall over the pounding surf. Up and down the coast, dramatic sea stacks and rock cairns frame the beach, which is a favorite place for beachcombers, artists, and photographers. Amenities: parking; toilets. Best for: sunset; walking.
The 1½-mile gravel path off Sol Duc Road winds through thick Douglas fir forests toward the thundering, three-chute Sol Duc Falls. Just off the road, below a wooden platform over the Sol Duc River, you'll come across the 70-foot Salmon Cascades. In late summer and autumn, thousands of salmon negotiate 50 miles or more of treacherous waters to reach the cascades and the tamer pools near Sol Duc Hot Springs. The popular 6-mile Lovers Lane Loop Trail links the Sol Duc falls with the hot springs. You can continue up from the falls 5 miles to the Appleton Pass Trail, at 3,100 feet. From there you can hike on to the 8½-mile mark, where views at the High Divide are from 5,050 feet. Moderate.
