As a kid, I loved to visit National Parks with my family. Some of my best memories are of the 5 of us on the road or on the trails, experiencing some of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes that the United States has to offer. As an adult, I visited more with respective partners. Oddly enough, my husband of more than 10 years and I have never been to a National Park together! Oops.
Now, with our two daughters at an age where there are fewer complaints about walking and they seem awed by the majestic and amazing beauty of environments around the world, we thought it was time to visit our first National Park as a family of 4! We live in Portland, OR, so why not start in the Pacific Northwest Region—Olympic National Park.
Off we went on a 9-day adventure, visiting coastal landscapes and alpine meadows high up in the mountains, as well as temperate rainforests and clear, turquoise rivers.
Portland > Port Angeles
We left Portland early on a Saturday morning and made the 4-hour drive to Port Angeles. Our kids happily listened to their MP3 players while chattering about all the fun things we were going to do.
I spent the previous few weeks planning for this trip—it was no joke, but it was well worth it. I knew that we wanted maximum flexibility around activities, food, etc. (More on how I planned in a future guide!). I was excited to see if the many hours were going to pay off (spoiler alert: they did!).
Once we got to Port Angeles, we had a quick lunch, then headed to a Game Preserve that we could drive through. We all had a great time feeding llamas, elk, yaks, and so much more. We saw bears (no, you cannot feed them), tigers, lynxes, and various other big game. It was a fun way to pass a couple of hours.
From there, we headed to the Olympic National Park Visitor Center. We got our Junior Ranger materials, walked through the informative exhibits about the Park, and stamped our National Park Passports.
From there, we headed to our AirBnb that would be our base for the next 4 nights. It was on a lovely farm just outside Port Angeles.
Over the next four+ days, we explored the northern and northwestern part of the Park. We visited Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, Sol Duc Valley, Rialto Beach, and more. There are popular areas of the Park, and we were there Fourth of July week—so crowds! To ensure we found parking and had a more pleasant experience, we opted to get up extra early on some days. Plus, we wanted to explore the tidepools at Rialto Beach and specifically at Hole in the Wall!
But first...
Hurricane Ridge!
A couple of months ago, the Visitor Lodge at Hurricane Ridge burned down. As a result, this part of the park was closed until a couple of days before we arrived. We were delighted to hear it had reopened . . . with a catch. They were letting in a small number of cars each day, and you'd have to wait in a queue. Even though we got there early (7:55 am), we waited for just over an hour until we flashed our Park pass at the Ranger. From there, it was still a drive up.
It was a beautiful drive to climb the mountains and at Hurricane Ridge the view was stunning! We did all the hikes but one that originate from the Visitor Center. We saw across the Strait to Victoria, encountered some deer, and observed tons of flowers and plants.
We ate a lovely lunch down the road (and had some birds and deer join us). Then, we headed off to the Lake Crescent area!
Next stop, Marymere Falls.
Marymere Falls near Lake Crescent was lovely—though it was crowded!
While we enjoyed the hike, it was one of my least favorite in the entire Park because it was so busy. Still, there were plenty of logs lining the path that my kids enjoyed climbing on and they loved crossing the two bridges.
After the hike, we walked through the woods to the Lodge on the Lake, then walked along the water and back onto another hike. The water in the lake was so clear and a shocking turquoise color.
We also did part of the long hike on the lake that used to be a railroad (Spruce Railroad Trail) in the late afternoon. Lots of people. We only ended up doing a part of it because the kids got tired. We did see a bald eagle pluck a fish from the water, then sit on a branch and eat it close to us!
We had a lovely first day, but we were excited for day 2.
Day 2: Sol Duc Valley!
We loved Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent so much, but the Sol Duc Valley was one of my favorite places to visit. (Side note: the hot springs there are popular; we avoided them due to large crowds.)
We headed to the trailhead for Sol Duc Falls in the morning and we had much of the trail to ourselves. It was a gorgeous forest walk, with bird song and occasional running water.
Then, we made it to the rush of water at the Falls! We got to stand on a bridge and feel the mist from the Falls. It was invigorating, and the kids loved it. The 1.6 mile hike was easy, there and back.
One of my favorite spots was Sol Duc Falls, which offered a nice hike to a gorgeous waterfall. Tip: Go early to get parking and to beat the crowds. It was so lovely to have the waterfall mostly to ourselves.
We also did the Ancient Groves trail further back on the road (highly recommend!) and the Salmon Cascades Overlook.
Day 3: Rialto Beach!
Our third day was another early start to make sure we got to Rialto Beach in time to see the tidepools. (Tip: If you plan on tidepooling, make sure to check the tide charts!).
It took us about 90 minutes from our place in Port Angeles to get there,
We were there earlier enough that parking was not yet an issue, but be warned: parking IS a common challenge. Then, once you arrive, you still need to walk a way on the beach to get to the tidepools and Hole in the Wall. Walking in the sand was slower than we expected, especially with kids.
Still, we got to the tidepools with enough time to see purple and orange starfish, bright green anemones, kelp in all sorts of colors, sculpin, and so much more! We were even treated to seeing some seals!
Walking along the beach to Hole in the Wall was just lovely—and the bleached driftwood (er, drift trees!) lining the beach provided endless fun for the kids.
We also did Third Beach, which required us to drive back near La Push (of Twilight fame!), and walk another 1.4 miles through forest until you end up a beautiful beach. There is a short descent from the forest to the beach that is steep in parts, so be aware! My kids loved this walk and beach so much that they didn't want to leave. They dubbed the forest "Fairylandia."
Port Angeles > Lake Quinault
We decided that it would be fun to get to know the southern and southwestern part of the Park on the second half of the trip, so we packed up and moved to Lake Quinault. From there, we visited Ruby Beach/Kalaloch, the Hoh Rainforest, and the area around Lake Quinault.
Day 4: Madison Falls and Ruby Beach
Heading from Port Angeles to Lake Quinault, we stopped at Madison Falls and Ruby Beach. Madison Falls was an easy and wheelchair accessible hike to a lovely waterfall.
Then we headed off to Ruby. We enjoyed it, but we were not there at an ideal time. It was very crowded and the tide was high!
Still, my kids loved more driftwood and that there was a river ending near the ocean in which they could wade and throw rocks.
Day 5: Quinault Rainforest!
We walked among old growth forests, saw an old homestead, then drove one half of the loop drive so we could hike to Irely Lake. It wasn't busy at all!
Elk appeared for us (I will stick to this claim!) even. The hikes at the Quinault Forest Visitor Center were all easy and flat, and scenic. The loop drive was deserted but for us--perhaps because the bridge at the top of the loop is closed. We loved this drive, mostly on a dirt road.
The hike to Irely Lake was gorgeous, and we never saw another person. The trail is not exceptionally well-maintained, but still walkable. We saw frogs and toads, among other things. And the lake at the end was lovely. It is steep in parts though, and there is a log bridge that my kids loved to cross.
Day 6: Hoh Rainforest!
Buckle up, everyone. You are in for a treat, but you will need to get up early. We got up before 5 am (yes!) to quickly dress, then wake the kids and get to driving the 90+ minute drive to the Hoh entry point. We had made breakfast and coffee (and lunch) the night before). Why, you ask, would we dare wake a 5 and 7 year old at 5 am? Well, we didn't want to wait in the 2-4 hour line (you read that correctly). Over the weekend, one ranger said it was 5 hours! There was no way we were going to wait that long, so we opted for early. We'd also heard that walking the famed Hall of Mosses trail could feel like you belonged to a herd.
We got there just before 7, and guess what? No line! Woohoo! From there, a drive to the visitor station. The parking wasn't that busy, but other early folks like ourselves were there, ready to beat the crowds. We headed to the Hall of Mosses, and several elk greeted us just off the trail. It was glorious! They are huge! And the trail wasn't so bad either ;) Actually, it was amazing, and I can see why it is so famous. Old growth forest, abundant moss dripping off trees, gorgeous shades of greens, browns, and deep reds.
We wanted more, so we did the other trials—Spruce Nature Trail and about 1-mile out of the Hoh River Trail (you can go for multiple days on it). We had a full day by about 1:30 pm, and it was an early night for all of us. Totally worth the early call time.
Day 8: The other side of Lake Quinault
Our final full day was a blast! We did the other half of the loop drive, saw the world's largest Sitka Spruce (about 1,000 years old), hiked a gorgeous waterfall, and ate at the historic lodge. We also just chilled more at the lake with some stand up paddle boarding. Lake Quinault is scenic and serene, and it suited us well to stay there for 4 nights.
Should you visit Olympic NP?
YES!
It was one of my favorite National Parks so far, and spending time beyond 2–3 days was well worth it. We got to experience most of what the Park has to offer, and do it slowly enough that we could see all the different flora and fauna in a more nuanced way. Plus, we didn't have to spend so much time in the car, driving between places. Olympic NP is BIG. And yet, even with all that time there, we are excited to return some day and see the places we weren't able to visit or do some longer hikes when the kiddos are older.
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