Olympic National Park – Road Trip

Missy
Olympic National Park Road Trip

Olympic National Park is located in the state of Washington. In 2008 we choose to explore this magical area of trees for 14 days. We stayed in cabins or hotels because the time of year we visited most of the campsites were still closed down for the winter. Here are the locations we visited. We trust this will help you when you plan your road trip to Olympic National Park.

Seattle, Washington

We took a flight into Seattle and rented a standard car. The information we gathered about the location said a standard car would be good. No 4×4 trucks were needed. We found a local grocery store and headed off to our first destination.

Quinault Lake

Quinault Lake Logde Olympic National Park, Forever Sabbatical

Approximately 147 miles from the airport is Quinault Lake. We stayed at the Quinault Lodge. There are multiple short hikes that we enjoyed. Remember to bring your camera and water. There were so many beautiful waterfalls on our trip that we made a calendar for our families.

Kalaloch Beach

Kalaloch BeachOlympic National Park, Forever Sabbatical

Next, we visited Kalaloch Beach. It is ~32 miles from Quinault. We took a nice hike on the Kalaloch path through huge green trees to reach the beach. The beach was very windy that day we were there. It was a flat beach with a view of the water. We choose to sit on the logs but beware the logs can roll and crush you.

Hoh Rainforest

Our next stop was at Hoh Rainforest. Approximately 40 miles away from Kalaloch. This place had moss hikes and moss growing on everything. The moss gave the forest a different feel from the last forest hike. I liked it.

hike HoH rainforest Olympic National Park, Forever Sabbatical

La Push Beach

La Push Beach Olympic National Park, Forever Sabbatical

Approximately 47 miles was La Push Beach. This beach reminded me of the movie ”The Goonies” with the cliffs and huge rock structures on the beach.

Sol Duc Waterfalls

Sol Duc Waterfalls Olympic National Park, Forever Sabbatical

Looking for more hikes? Sol Duc Waterfall was ~54 miles from La Push. Since we were early in the season, we were able to park right next to the trailhead. There was still snow on the ground. This area also has hot springs. If you are a fan, check them out.

Crescent Lake

Crescent Lake Olympic National Park, Forever Sabbatical

Last stop was Crescent Lake ~30 miles from Sol Duc. This hike was very steep. We took many rests to stop on the way up. The view from the top was amazing. We were above many rainbows. The hike down was very fast. Watch your knees. We completed the circle back to Seattle airport ~104 miles.

Olympic National Park – Road Trip

For more information about Olympic National Park visit https://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm

Have you visited Olympic National Park?

32 thoughts on “Olympic National Park – Road Trip”

  1. I really liked the waterfalls. The off season appeared to be a great time to visit. Great pictures. Tks

  2. There is some amazing scenery there. I loved all the moss and the names on the SoleDuck Trail.

  7. What a beautiful National Park! The pictures are fabulous and really makes me want to visit!

  8. I love all of these hikes! Olympic National Park is on my bucket list, and your post will help me narrow it down a bit.

  9. What a gorgeous part of the country. I would love to explore the coast. It is simply stunning.

  11. I actually hiked this part one side to the other with an ascent up Mt Seattle in the middle. It’s a beautiful place full of stories. Thank you for the trip down memory lane!

  13. Great post, looks so beautiful. Crescent Lake looks wonderful.

  15. I would love to explore this area! So beautiful. The waterfalls are stunning, too. I think I’d like to stay in a cabin.

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