Olympic National Park is a huge playground of different ecosystems, amazing views, challenging terrain and fun local activities. Depending on where you are traveling to within the park it can range from a 2 – 5 hour drive from Seattle. Because of the sheer size of ONP we found that a three day itinerary works best if you break it down to day hikes in different areas of the park.
Through Every Kid Outdoors, 4th graders can get free admission to National Parks for themselves and their family members. Just print the pass ahead of time and bring it to the park entrance. Olympic National Park has a Junior Ranger Program for the park as well as two special Junior Ranger Programs – one for Ocean Stewards and one for World Heritage Sites. All of the books are available online and at the visitor’s centers.
Day 1
Our itinerary starts in the Staircase part of the park which you can easily drive to early in the morning from Seattle, complete a hike or two and drive up to Sequim or Port Angeles afterwards for the night. There are many different hikes to choose in the Staircase area. The Staircase Rapids Loop hike is an easy 2-mile hike with only a 2000-ft elevation gain. The hike offers solitude and many wooded trails with dense deciduous trees that have some the largest Maple leaves that I have ever seen. If you complete the hike you are rewarded with an outstanding view.
After hiking it is about another hour’s drive to Sequim, (pronounced squim) which is centrally located to everything in the area. Sequim is a beautiful rural town with amazing views of sunrises to the east, sealife in the San Juan de fuca Straight and the smell of salty air. The town offers plenty of dining and grocery options and I found plenty of farm stands as well. While in Sequim, it’s easy to crave seafood since the ocean is at your doorstep and if you’re in the mood for some awesome mussels and crab head over to Salty Girls Seafood Co.
Day 2
It was a short drive to park’s entrance and visitor center at Hurricane Ridge from our Airbnb through pretty farmland. Once inside the park, enjoy views from any of the stop off points along the winding road that leads to the visitor center at hurricane ridge.
Once you arrive at the visitor center you can head out on an easy 1 mile loop hike along Hurricane Ridge called the High Ridge Trail. A little down the road is a trailhead for a more challenging hike that eventually intersects with the High Ridge Trail called the Klahhane Trail. I would recommend that families with smaller children take the High Ridge Trail and those with more endurance choose the Klahhane Trail.
Each trail will lead to a fantastic ridgeline where you may run into Mountain Goats, Black Tailed Deer, plenty of birdlife, and maybe even a Black Bear. However, the most impressive part of the hike is knife edge ridgeline that when looking North oversees the Puget Sound and Victoria Island in Canada or Southern views that are dominated by the perennially snow capped Mt. Olympus. This hike is a must if you are going to Olympic National Park.
Day 3
There are lots of options for your third day. If you want to see a completely different ecosysytem, with lots of wildlife, consider the Ozette Loop Trail. Located about 2 hours west of Sequim, this 9.2 mile triangle of a trail winds through an old growth forest, wetlands and a gnarly obstacle riddled beach. It is no walk on the beach, but gives an amazing view of the Wedding Rocks and gives you a chance to hike in solitude, as this trail is seldom busy. Be sure to check the tides if you’re hiking the Ozette Loop, so you don’t get stranded on the beach, and bring extra food and water along. Read more about my hike here.
If another day of hiking isn’t your thing, I highly recommend a whale watching tour. There are several companies that take off from Port Townsend, which is about 45 minutes north east of Sequim, but I think Puget Sound Express is the best. They are a small, family owned business and they have spent years following the J-pod of Orcas, so they know exactly where to go for the best viewing. Read more about my day whale watching here.
Traveling Tips for Olympic National Park and Sequim
Make sure to see the sunrise in Sequim.
Pack snacks and lots of water for your hikes in Olympic National Park – especially if you do one of the longer hikes, like the Ozette Loop Trail or Klahhane Trail.
If you can schedule it, plan to arrive early morning so you can hike on day one and leave late in the day on the last day so you can use the morning for a whale watch or other hike.
If you’re heading to Redmond or somewhere on the California coast just before sunset, you will be treated to stunning sun lit views of Mt. Rainer and Mt. Hood. Sit on the left side of the plane for the best views.
