How Many Days Do You Need in Olympic?

Planning a trip to Olympic National Park almost always comes with the same question: How many days do you really need? With rain forests, rugged coastline, alpine mountains, and long driving distances between them, Olympic isn’t a park you can “see in a day” – even though many people try.

Because the park is so big that the ideal length of stay depends a lot on which ecosystems you want to prioritize. I’ll break down what you can realistically see and do in 1, 2, 3, 4 or more days, so you can plan a trip that feels expansive and unforgettable, not rushed.

How many days do you need in Olympic National Park?

Olympic National Park is big.  There are 4 major eco-systems in the park: the mountains, the beaches, the rainforests, and the lowland forests and lakes.  

Distances (and drive times) between the main attractions are longer than you’d think.  You won’t be able to see all of Olympic National Park in a day. 

Four days is the minimum I’d recommend if you want to see the highlights without rushing. But depending on your interests (beaches? mountains? waterfalls?), I’ll show you how to tailor your plan to fit.

With less time, you’ll be able to experience a couple of different environments. With more time, you’ll be able to see all four ecosystems, so the longer you stay, the more variety you’ll have in your trip.  

‼️PRO TIP: If you stay longer than 2 days, consider staying in 2 different locations to minimize drive times each day.  Forks and Port Angeles are the two main bases.

One Day in Olympic National Park

It’s possible to take a day trip to Olympic National Park from Seattle, but your day will be long. If you can’ I’d recommend staying overnight in Forks.  

You won’t be able to see all of Olympic National Park in one day, but with one day at Olympic National Park, you can visit the rainforest and a couple of the beaches.  

Depending on the tide times, start your Olympic National Park one day trip in the Hoh Rainforest. Getting there early means you can avoid the long lines to get in that form by early morning in summer.

The temperate rainforest is filled with old growth evergreen trees, huge ferns, and twisted, moss-draped Big Leaf Maple Trees.

There are several hikes in the area, including the Hall of Mosses (Read my  Hall of Mosses Trail Guide for details); the Spruce Nature Trail; and the Hoh River Trail.  Read my Guide to Hiking the Hoh River Trail for information on various turning around points on this awesome trail.  

The other thing you can do on your 1 day in Olympic National Park is to visit a couple of the La Push beaches. 

You should check the tide chart predictions before you go so that you can time your visit to the beaches around the tides.  The beaches are under water at high tides.  A good time to be there is 1.5 hours before low tide.   

Two convenient beaches are Second Beach and Rialto Beach.  Both these beaches are beautiful, wind-swept beaches with huge driftwood and dramatic off-shore sea stacks.  Rialto Beach also has Hole-in-the-Wall – a natural arch surrounded by tide pools at low tide. Exploring these tide pools for sea stars, anemones, hermit crabs, sea urchins, etc. is fun for the whole family.  

➡️ Read my guides for more detailed information: Second Beach and Rialto Beach – Hole In The Wall. 

➡️ And check out the Best Tide Pools in Olympic National Park. 

2 Days in Olympic National Park

When you visit Olympic National Park, 2 days will give you time to also see the mountains and the lowland forests. 

In addition to the places on the one-day itinerary above, your 2 day Olympic National Park itinerary can include a morning at Hurricane Ridge. This is where you’ll have spectacular mountain views and walk through alpine meadows filled with wildflowers in summer.  Read my Guide to Visiting Hurricane Ridge for all the practical information you’ll need. Try to time your visit for a clear day so you can enjoy the views.  

There are plenty of hiking trails in the area.  Here are the 10 Best Hurricane Ridge Hikes. My top picks include:  

🥾 Hurricane Hill Trail: Hurricane Hill Trail Guide
🥾 High Ridge Trail: High Ridge Trail to Sunrise Point
🥾 Cirque Rim Trail:  Cirque Rim Trail Guide
🥾 Big Meadow Trail 

In the afternoon, head to Sol Duc Valley.  Highlights include:

⭐ watching salmon jump up a waterfall in season at Salmon Cascades
⭐ hiking through breathtaking old growth forest on the Ancient Groves Nature Trail
⭐ seeing the park’s most famous waterfall at the end of the Sol Duc Falls Trail and
⭐ soaking in the Sol Duc Hot Springs.

➡️ Read my guide to the 8 Best Sol Duc Hikes for a quick summary. 

3 Days in Olympic National Park

A 3 day trip to Olympic National Park can include everything on the 2-day itinerary plus the largest lake in the park and more stunning beaches.  

You’ll want to time your 3 day Olympic National Park itinerary around the low tides again. You’ll be able to see the Kalaloch Beaches.  There are 3 beaches to visit:

✅ the beautiful Ruby Beach (sea stacks, pinkish sand and tide pools)
✅ Kalaloch Beach 4 (the best tide pools in the park, IMO)
✅ Kalaloch Beach.  The beach isn’t the most beautiful, but it does feature the The Tree Of Life – a Sitka Spruce tree hanging on for dear life (see it before it collapses!). 

You’ll also have time for Lake Crescent.  Visit Lake Crescent Lodge, where you can rent kayaks, paddle boards, etc. The water is cold, but refreshing on a hot summer’s day.  There are great hikes in the area (see the 5 Best Hikes Near Lake Crescent). 

The highlight is Marymere Falls – a lovely waterfall that drops straight down into a small pool of water, surrounded by forest.  Reach my Marymere Falls Trail Guide for all the information you need for your visit there.  

4 Days in Olympic National Park

With another day in the park, you’ll be able to visit the Quinault area of the park. It’s nicknamed the Valley of the Giants because it’s home to several of the largest trees of their species in the world, including the World’s Largest Spruce Tree. You’ll see this tree as one stop on the 31-mile scenic Lake Quinault Loop Drive.   

➡️ Read my guide to the 5 Best Lake Quinault Hikes, but my top picks are the Maple Glade Rainforest Trail and Kestner Homestead Trail.  They are short, easy and connected, so you can see a spectacular grove of Big Leaf Maple Trees and a historic homestead (complete with a bathtub randomly in the middle of a field) on the same hike. 

5 Days in Olympic National Park

If you’re lucky enough to have five days available, you can see more northern beaches.

➡️ Check out my list of The 10 Best Olympic National Park Beaches for inspiration.   

My top pick is Third Beach (read my guide to Third Beach here). You can just hike to the beach and spend some time there or use it as the starting point of a longer hike south through coastal forest to more remote beaches (you need to climb some ropes along the way, so it’s only suitable for people with great mobility and good fitness). 

Other beaches you can visit include Shi Shi Beach (it’s a long hike to get there, so this is an all-day trip), Cape Alava Trail (located at Lake Ozette), and Dungeness Spit in the nearby Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. 

The other thing you can do is camp overnight on the beach.  Beach camping is a really fun way to experience the beaches. Wilderness Camping Permits are required for overnight camping on the beaches in Olympic National Park. If you do this, check out:

➡️ Beach Camping Packing List
➡️ The Best Tents for Beach Camping

6 or 7 Days in Olympic National Park

If you have time for a longer Olympic National Park itinerary, 7 days will give you time to slow down, experience even more parts of the park, and do more activities. 

One option is to explore more beaches.

➡️ You can visit all The 10 Best Olympic National Park Beaches. 

You can also do more hikes.

➡️ Check out my list if the 20 Best Hikes in Olympic National Park. These include doing some even longer hikes. There are several long trails (you can overnight in the backcountry) in Sol Duc Valley and/ or you can hike the Hoh River Trail all the way to Blue Glacier (this is a multi-day trip). 

Another option is to chase waterfalls around the Olympic Peninsula.

➡️ See the 10 Best Waterfalls in Olympic National Park | Forest for a full list to find. 

There are plenty of other things to do.

➡️ Check out the 21 Best Things to Do in Olympic National Park and make sure you see all the 10 Best Views In Olympic National Park: A Guide to the Top Scenic Spots. 

Travel Insurance

In addition to deciding how many days to visit Olympic National Park, you’ll also need get travel insurance for your trip.  Whether it’s for unexpected trip cancelation, emergency repatriation or medical help, or to replace something lost or stolen, having travel insurance will give you piece of mind and help you when you need it.

➡️ A great insurance option is Travelex.  It has coverage for all you’ll need. You can compare Travel Insurance plans here or get a quote right now:

Enjoy Olympic National Park!

More Planning Resources for Olympic National Park

As you’re planning a trip to Olympic National Park, you might also want to read:

Did you decide how many days?  Olympic National Park has so much to offer, I’d love to hear.  Join my private Facebook group National Parks Collectors and comment and let me know (you can also pick up extra planning tips, share your photos and stories with other national park lovers and more). 

About the Author

James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.

He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and most of the national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks.

Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for many of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, and other resources will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.

As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including USA Today, Newsweek, Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.

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