Best Easy Day Hikes Olympic National Park

Best Easy Day Hikes Olympic National Park – Please feel free to practice Leave No Trace. Learn more about using the Leave No Trace principle for your travels abroad here.

Figuring out how to see most of Olympic National Park can be difficult for first-time visitors. With nearly a million acres of parkland to explore and surrounded by four beautiful and diverse ecosystems, there’s plenty to see. Although many people choose to trek to the more remote parts of the park (with the proper permits), there are plenty of good days of easy or moderate climbing that showcase what the Olympic hopeful is one of the world’s gems. Pacific Northwest.

Table of Contents

Here are 10 tours not to be missed. Some are short enough to combine with others for a great day of exploring. And most of them can, if desired, be extended to overnight backpacking trips or full-day hikes in the area.

Hiking In The Olympic National Park

Located in the coastal and central part of Olympic National Park, this loop takes you through the beach and the lush rainforest that surrounds it. Cape Alava is rich in petroglyphs and artifacts of the indigenous people who lived in the area for over 2,000 years. There is plenty of wildlife as well as gardens.

Looking for a great daypack? Check out our roundup of the 5 best Women’s Day packages of 2018. Enchanted Valley Trail to Pony Bridge – 5 miles round trip

Walk through the coastal forest between old trees and many waterfalls. The trail is wet and muddy all year round, but it puts you at your best. The Quinault Forest receives about 150 inches of rain per year. Hikers can continue deeper into the Enchanted Valley to descend the East Fork of the Quineau River.

Hiking up Hurricane Hill is one of the most popular trails in Olympic National Park, but don’t let that put you off. The views are breathtaking, across the Olympic Mountains, the Elwha River Valley and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Blooming summer wildflowers and wandering mountain goats are an added bonus.

The Perfect One Day In Olympic National Park — Nichole The Nomad

Mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) on Hurricane Hill. Photo by Tyson Gillard. Clahhane Ridge + Sunrise Trail – 9.6 miles round trip

Although this trail is almost as popular as Hurricane Hill and starts near the Hurricane Ridge visitor area, it uses a different trail than Hurricane Hill. This hike offers more freedom than other hikes and a great view from Sunrise Point. The hill is open and sunny, so bring sunscreen if you happen to visit on a sunny day, especially for the endless views.

These two short trails can be combined into one hike, and if you’re visiting a wet, mossy area near the Hoh Rainforest, this trail will take you to the overlook. In the old growth forest, you’ll find large western buttercup, Sitka spruce, and big leaf maples covered in a deep layer of moss. Don’t forget to bring rain boots and waterproof clothing.

The Cedar Loop Trail is located outside Olympic National Park in a special area of the Quinault National Forest. The trail runs along Lake Quineau and deep into the surrounding old growth forest. Another way to make dirt your friend is to prepare to get wet and miss the beauty around you.

Your Guide To A Perfect Day On The Olympic Peninsula — Chelsea Peyton

If you’re visiting Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, you’d be crazy to skip the short trip to Sol Duc Falls. It descends 50 feet into a narrow canyon, and the results are spectacular. The observation deck and bridge over the falls are great photo opportunities. And from here the hike back to the High Divide Trail continues.

The long exposure gives Sol Duc Falls a soft look. Photo by Daniel Sherman. Skokomish River, Leather Rapids Trail – 2.2 mile loop

To the east, or Hood Canal, part of Olympic National Park, the Leather Ranger Station is the starting point for a short scenic drive along the Skokomish River. It’s drier here than on the west side of the peninsula, but that doesn’t mean the trails aren’t muddy. Cross the suspension bridge and ride the Staircase Rapids, where you have plenty of room to move around to enjoy the view of the river.

The climb up to Lake Lena is a little steep, but not too difficult and well worth the effort. Lake Lena is located in the Olympic National Forest, just outside the national park. However, the forest still has ancient and interesting features. Many hikers go to Lake Lena during the summer, and there are options to continue deeper into the forest and the nearby Wilderness of the Brothers.

Best Easy Day Hiking Guide And Trail Map Bundle: Olympic National Park

Of the more challenging day hikes included on this list, the climb to Royal Falls requires an elevation gain of 2,650 feet. It is also necessary to obtain a visit permit. But with that, you’ll have some time to see Olympic National Park at its best. After exploring the beautiful waterfalls around Royal Lake, if you have them, continue climbing about 500 feet in elevation to the Upper Royal Basin for a truly incredible, almost primeval view into the heart of the Olympic Games. Washington Olympic National Park. The state is one of the most magical places on earth, packed with snow-capped mountains, rainforests and beautiful beaches – all in one park. However, with so much beauty, it’s hard to narrow down the best hikes in Olympic National Park, with the park offering more than 600 miles of trails.

But the good news – I’m lucky enough to live two hours from the park and have spent many weekends exploring the amazing trails. So here are the 8 best hikes in Olympic National Park that will take you from the peaks of the Olympic Mountains to the shores of the Pacific Ocean—and offer plenty of amazing views along the way.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may receive a small commission, so we appreciate it, at no extra cost to you.

Psssst.. to the Olympic Peninsula? Makes me jealous – it’s one of my favorite places in the world! If you want to extend your visit, check out our other articles about the park:

Day Hikes Of Olympic National Park Map Guide

Olympic Park is located in the northwest corner of Washington State on the Olympic Peninsula. To enter the park, you must pay an entry fee of $30 per vehicle (good for one week) or present an annual pass to an agency such as America the Beautiful.

The park itself is huge – 1,442 square miles to be exact! – so to get around you’ll need a car, even if you use your own or rent one. car (unlike some national parks, there is no parking system here).

And while there are plenty of small towns scattered throughout the park, the area itself is pretty remote—so download some maps on your Google Maps app before you head here, put on your favorite tracks, and prepare to drive for a while between trails.

So, aside from stocking up on your favorite travel snacks, what else do you need to know before visiting the park?

Best Easy Day Hikes Gt

And with all the inevitable analysis/”being nice people” aside, let’s talk raises! Most of the routes listed in this article are suitable for all levels and, since most of them are on the difficult side, I have listed other routes, which are a good starting point to try.

Because the park is spread out, I’ll list the trail distance from the city of Port Angeles, Washington, which many visitors use as a home base while exploring the Olympics. Let’s go inside!

Description: Most national parks have mountains and beaches, but what sets Olympic apart is that it is home to several rainforests, including Hoch (although American Samoa National Park has many rainforests, Olympic is easily the only national park. And Hoch is no ordinary rainforest – it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve and is mentioned as a filming location for Endor, home of the Ewoks, in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (that’s my plan.nerd ?).

The Hall of Mosses Trail takes you through a stunning section of the Hoch Rainforest, passing towering trees dripping with Jurassic Park-style moss and ferns (although some ferns are taller than me!). And if you’re visiting the Pacific Northwest with kids, this is one of the best family hikes you can do outside of the enchanted forest scenery, the trail offers interpretive signs that provide interesting facts about the forest, its ecology and wildlife. .