Olympic National Park Guide 2025

Olympic National Park Transportation and Accommodation

Olympic National Park is located on the west side of Seattle . It covers a huge area and consists of three completely different ecosystems :
alpine forest + temperate rainforest + Pacific coast. It is also very unique
in the United States ! It is recommended to arrange a 3-day and 2-night visit. English name : Olympic National Park Tickets : 30 US dollars/car/7 days. Recommended US National Park Annual Pass Travel season : Spring to autumn are suitable for visiting, and the best experience is from June to September. Current road conditions : Please see here. Pre-trip equipment : offline map, rain gear/jacket, waterproof hiking shoes, please refer to " Recommended hiking equipment for beginners " Sunset time : around 8 o'clock in summer/around 5 o'clock in winter, see here for details by Anurag Jain | Joshua Earle | Nathan Dumlao

Transportation in Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is located in Washington State. The park is very large and is suitable for a 3-day, 2-night tour .
Most students start at the Olympic Game Farm
and then go around in a counterclockwise direction. The last stop is Kalaloch Beach, and then return to Seattle or go to Mount Rainier National Park.
If you don't drive, you can also join a group for a day trip to see the scenery at Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent


. Note: From Seattle, you can drive to Tacoma and cross the bridge to Olympic National Park, which takes 2.5 hours. You can also drive on the Washington State Ferries Ferry and choose the Seattle - Bainbridge route. The overall travel time is the same as the road ( but more interesting ). The car and driver cost $18.65, and other passengers cost $10.25. See the video here for reference

Olympic National Park accommodation

If you go there in summer, be sure to book a hotel as early as possible!!!


Day1 : It is recommended to stay in the town of Port Angeles next to the park . There are many supermarkets/restaurants and the hotels are cost-effective:
Olympic Lodge ★★★★ 9.2 points 780 reviews + Red
Lion Hotel Port Angeles Harbor ★★★ 7.6 points 1148 reviews + Angeles Motel ★★ 8.6 points 1064 reviews + Aircrest Motel ★★ 7.9 points 1066 reviews + If you can't book a hotel/the room rate is too high, you can also consider the slightly farther town of Sequium, such as Red Lion Inn & Suites Sequim Day2 : It is recommended to stay in the town of Forks in the middle of the park , where the movie "Twilight" was set Pacific Inn Motel ★★★ 8.5 points 844 reviews + Dew Drop Inn 8.1 points 549 reviews + Woodland Inns holiday cabins 9.3 points 362 reviews +

Olympic National Park Map & How to Play

Most students will visit the park in a counterclockwise direction . Here is a sample itinerary:

Day1 Depart from Seattle > Drive for 2.5 hours > 1. Feed the animals at Olympic Game Farm> Drive for 30 minutes > Lunch at Port Angeles Town > Drive for 40 minutes > 2. Hurricane Ridge to see the mountain view & hike> Return to Port Angeles Town for overnight


stayDay2 Port Angeles Town> Drive for 30 minutes > 3. Lake Crescent to enjoy the lake view/play in the water/hike> Drive for 1 hour > 4. Sol Duc Falls to see the waterfall> Drive for 1.5 hours > 5. Rialto Beach to see the dark beach/sunset> Drive for 20 minutes > Stay overnight at 6. Forks TownDay3


Forks Town> Drive for 50 minutes > 7. Hoh Rain Forest to hike in the rainforest> Drive for 1 hour > 8. Kalaloch Beach to see the internet-famous tree> Drive for 3.5 hours > Return to Seattle or go to Mount Rainier National ParkNote


: If the travel time is tight, you can also compress Day2 and Day3 into one day, for example:
Day2 Port Angeles Town> Drive for 30 minutes > 3. Lake Crescent Lake view/Water play/Hiking> Drive for 1.5 hours > 7. Hoh Rain Forest Rainforest hiking> Drive for 1 hour > 8. Kalaloch Beach See the Internet-famous trees> Drive for 3.5 hours > Return to Seattle; However, this plan takes a long time to drive, and you are always in a hurry, and there is a high probability of traffic jams in the afternoon when going to Hoh Rain Forest ( traffic jams often last about 1 hour during peak season ), so it is not recommended.

1. Zoo Olympic Game Farm Drive through the zoo, which can be arranged for 45 minutes-1 hour
2. Mountain view Hurricane Ridge is the most popular mountain view, which takes 15-30 minutes to view and 2-3 hours to hike
3. Crescent Lake Lake Crescent is a clear and calm lake, which can be arranged for 30 minutes-1 hour
4. Waterfall Sol Duc Falls   is a lush waterfall trail, which can be arranged for 1 hour
5. Beach Rialto Beach is a dark and depressing beach, which can be arranged for 30 minutes-2 hours
6. Forks The town is the setting of "Twilight", there is a very small museum and accommodation.
7. Hoh Rain Forest is a temperate rain forest with moss landscape, which can be arranged for 30-40 minutes.
8. Kalaloch Beach is the Internet celebrity tree Tree of Life. It can be arranged for 15-30 minutes.

Attractions in Olympic Park

1. Olympic Game Farm Zoo  

A drive-through type zoo, not a national park, but many students will visit it on the way Opening

hours : 9am - 4pm
Tickets : US$25 for adults, US$20 for children ( cash or credit card, mobile payment not supported )
How long to play : 45 minutes - 1 hour
How to play : Spend US$5 to buy bread ( for the health of the animals, you cannot bring your own food ), you cannot get out of the car after entering the park, roll down the window to feed the animals ( deer/alpacas/cows, etc. ), there are fences for wild animals, but you can throw bread in
Note : The official website says that the animals here are cared for by professionals/veterinarians, and they will be supplemented with vegetables/meat outside of business hours to adjust their nutrition
Official website : See here
Address : 1423 Ward Rd, Sequim, WA 98382
Recommended video : BiliBili in Seattle Nearby lavender farm : If you visit in July or August, you can also go to see lavender nearby, such as Purple Haze Lavender Farm Recommended video: Lavender Farms of Sequim, Washington









2. Hurricane Ridge 

Features : The most famous scenic spot in the park, with wild flowers/deer in summer and snow-capped mountains/sea of clouds in winter
How long to play : 30 minutes - 3 hours
How to play :Take a walk/viewing near
the visitor center ( which has been burned down and only has a temporary toilet
) ‣ Continue driving/walking 1 mile to Hurricane Hill Trailhead for hiking. The trail is 3.4 miles/5.5 kilometers round trip, with an altitude gain of 252 meters. It takes about 2-3 hours to complete the walk. The latest information is here
Address : Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center 3002 Mt Angeles Rd, Port Angeles

Transportation : There are many tourists in the summer and parking is difficult ( June to September ). You can considertaking a bus from the Gateway Transit Center in Port Angeles Town ( free parking near the bus stop ). The ticket is US$1. For more information, see here ; it is only open on weekends in winter, and anti-skid chains may be required


Photography works - near the visitor center :


by Zhifei Zhou | Anurag Jain

Recommended video - Hurricane Hill Trail : HURRICANE HILL Trail, Olympic Peninsula Winter : If the weather and road conditions permit ( Hurricane Ridge is about 1,598 meters above sea level, named for its strong winter winds and common snowstorms ), you can come here to see the snow scenery Recommended video: Olympic Park Snow Mountain News









3. Lake Crescent 

Features : The most praised lake in the park. When the weather is fine, the lake water is clear and the colors are layered.
How long to play : 30 minutes - 1 hour
How to play :
‣ Enjoy the scenery, picnic and boating near Lake Crescent Lodge ( late May-late October, 45 US dollars/4 hours )
‣ Hike Marymere Falls Trail to see the waterfall ( smaller than Sol Duc Falls ), 1.7 miles/2.7 kilometers round trip,91 meters in elevation, about 1 hour ‣ There is a small bridge at the end of the Devil's Punchbowl

hike( some people jump into the water in summer ), 2.4 miles/3.9 kilometers round trip, 42 meters in elevation, about 1 hour Address : Lake Crescent Lodge 416 Lake Crescent Rd, Port Angeles Recommended video-Lake Crescent Lodge : Quiet as a crescent moon, moving like a jade dragon Olympic Forest Park (BiliBili) Recommended video-Marymere Falls : Day 5 I Lake Crescent, Marymere & Sol-duc Falls Recommended Video - Devil's Punchbowl : Spruce Railroad Trail & Devil's Punch Bowl















4. Sol Duc Falls Waterfall 

Features : The waterfall is not big, but the way there is lush and green, with forests, streams and birdsong.
How long to play : 1 hour
How to play :
‣ The trail is 1.6 miles/2.6 kilometers round trip. The latest information can be found here . The water volume is the highest and the scenery is the greenest in May and June
‣ The nearby Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort has a hot spring pool, open from late March to early November, US$18/1.5 hours, please bring your own swimsuit/towel, etc.
Address : Sol Duc Trailhead Sol Duc Rd, Port Angeles


Photography :

by Shakti Rajpurohit | Shakti Rajpurohit

Recommended Video - Trail : How to Get to Sol Duc Falls, the Most Beautiful Waterfall in Olympic National Park (Youtube) Recommended Video - Hot Spring : Soaking time at Sol Duc Hot spring







5. Rialto Beach Beach  

features : a depressing black sand beach surrounded by mist and dead trees.

PS It is also called Werewolf Beach on the Internet, probably because some students mistakenly thought that "Twilight" was filmed here.
How long to play : 30 minutes - 2 hours
How to play :
‣ Think about life and watch the sunset - see here at sunset
‣ Walk north for about 40 minutes, there are large rocks that are photogenic, and the sea erosion arch Hole-in-the-Wall
Note : The dead trees on the beach are naturally formed. When heavy rains/floods occur in the surrounding area, naturally aged trees will fall down and drift into the sea with the river, and finally be washed back to the coastline by the waves.
Address : Rialto Beach Mora Rd, Forks, WA 98350


Photography - Dark :


by Nathan Dumlao | Joshua Earle

Recommended video : A walk to the "Hole-in-the-Wall" @ Rialto Beach

6. Forks Town   

Features : This town is the setting of the story of "Twilight"
The English name of "Twilight" is Twilight, which tells the story of a vampire and a werewolf falling in love with a human girl at the same time. The heroine lives in Forks, and the vampire lives in the nearby Hoh Rainforest. Forks is the setting of the story, not the filming location of the movie . The real filming location can be found here . The author chose Forks because it is the town with the most rainy days in the United States, which is convenient for vampires to fall in love at school... By the way, the permanent population here is less than 3,500, and it is mainly engaged in forestry and tourism.
How long to play : 15 minutes - overnight
How to play :
‣ Forks is very small, there is nothing fun, but its location is suitable for accommodation, there are not many hotels, so I decided to start as soon as possible. The hotel list is here‣
Check in the "Truck" and museum in "Twilight". Students who want to have an in-depth pilgrimage can refer to this article
address : Forks Chamber of Commerce ( where the truck and museum are located )


Recommended video : Exploring Forks, WA: A Twilight Fan's Dream Tour



7. Hoh Rain Forest  

Features : Famous temperate rain forest with magical moss landscapes
How long to play : 30-40 minutes

Note :
The road to this area was damaged by floods in December 2024.
It is expected that the repair work will start in April 2025 and be completed in May... For the latest information, please see here ( information section about Upper Hoh Road )

How to play :
‣ The most popular trail is the Hall of Mosses Trail,   which is 0.8 miles/1.2 kilometers in a loop and takes 30 minutes.
‣ There are many tourists in summer, so it is recommended to go there in the early morning or evening ( you may have to queue for 1 hour during the peak season )
‣ You can visit here all year round, with more rain in winter and relatively dry in summer
. ‣ This attraction is a little controversial. Some people say it is fairy-like and the Wizard of Oz; some people say it is a photo-deception, similar to the small forest at the doorstep; it depends on the weather/psychological expectations, so just go there with a normal mind.
Address : Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center 18113 Upper Hoh Rd, Forks


Photography :

by Georg Eiermann | Eric Muhr | Georg Eiermann

recommends the video : Hoh Rainforest: Hall Of Mosses Trail

8. Kalaloch BeachReturn   to the

mapFeatures : The beach is very long, with few tourists. The sand is full of gray-white dead trees, and flocks of seagulls fly in from time to time.How
long to play : 15 - 30 minutesHow
to play :
‣ Check in at Tree of Life ( a large tree with its roots exposed to the air )
‣ Take a walk - the beach here is more delicate than Rialto Beach, watch the sunset ( see here for sunset )
Address : Kalaloch


CampgroundPhotography :


by Sonny Mauricio | Hope FrockRecommended

video - Sunset : Time-lapse Sunset of Kalaloch Beach (Youtube)

Traveling safely in the Olympic Park

US Travel Insurance
The medical costs in the US are extremely high. If you are coming to the US from other countries, you must purchase travel insurance
before departure. For details, please see " US Travel Insurance Recommendations "

Wildlife
0. There are bears in the park, but there has been no case of bears injuring people in history . The park officials do not even recommend bringing bear spray
1. When observing animals, the park stipulates that you should keep at least 45 meters away. If an animal approaches you, you should also step back and continue to keep 45 meters ( there are deer everywhere in the park. This animal looks docile, but its behavior is unpredictable, so be careful! )
2. Do not feed animals, from small birds/squirrels to larger deer. On the one hand, human food may be harmful to their health, and on the other hand, it will change their living habits and develop a bad habit of begging for food from humans. In addition, be sure to put away plastic bags, etc. If swallowed by animals, they will die miserably
3. Do not touch/hug small animals, as this will cause them to have human odors on them, and then cause them to be abandoned by their parents
4. Keep children in your sight at
all times 5. Avoid animals in special periods such as nesting/mating, which is very dangerous, and never stand between an animal baby and its mother
6. Do not camp near obvious animal paths or animal drinking areas.
7. There are many mosquitoes in summer, so wear long pants if you are afraid of being bitten.
8. There are snakes in the park, but they are not venomous.
9. If you go to Hurricane Ridge in winter, you need to check Avalanche Forecasts

in advance . ~ End ~
Thank you for reading, and I wish you all a happy time!
*⸜( •ᴗ• )⸝*