Olympic National Park Guide

Taking up most of the Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park is an enormous national park in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a majestic world of rugged coastlines, fantastical temperate rainforests, subalpine meadows covered in summer wildflowers, and magical lowland forests. 

You can hike amid aging giant trees, discover colorful anemones in tide pools, walk along driftwood-strewn beaches, hike to hidden waterfalls and splash in beautiful lakes. 

The national park is divided into roughly four different areas – Hurricane Hill and Crescent Lake, Hoh Rainforest, the Pacific beaches, and the Quinault Rainforest and Lake Quinault. 

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Olympic National Park at a Glance

⭐ State: Washington
⭐ Main attractions: Rainforests, beaches, tidepools, lakes, waterfalls, mountains

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Itineraries for Olympic National Park

*** Available for purchase ***

These are not your average blogger itineraries, which tend to be short summaries of things that they did on their one visit there. These itineraries are all about YOU and helping you have the best time.

They will take away the overwhelm that often accompanies planning a trip to Olympic National Park. They’re a combination detailed hour-by-hour itinerary (with options for different activity levels), guidebook, hiking guide, driving directions, travel tips, and more. You’ll need nothing else to plan your trip – it’s all done for you (but you still have choices).

One-day, two-day, three-day, and four-day detailed itineraries for Olympic National Park available for purchase:

EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT WITH OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK ITINERARIES

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Olympic National Park Travel Guide

Planning a trip to Olympic National Park can be overwhelming – but it doesn’t have to be.  Use this Olympic National Park guide for all your trip planning.  Click on the links below to go to detailed guides and answers to your questions.

How to Plan a Trip to Olympic National Park

Some helpful Olympic National Park trip planning information:

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Entrance Fee for Olympic National Park 

There is an entrance fee for the park.  Find the latest fees on the NPS website.    

To avoid long lines and save money, if you are planning to visit more than just Olympic National Park this year, it can be great value to purchase an America The Beautiful pass.   

The one-year pass includes standard entrance at all sites managed by the National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and Army Corps of Engineers. The pass covers the entrance fee for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle or up to 4 adults at sites that charge per person.

Get an America The Beautiful pass here

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Olympic National Park Entrances

The park is spread out over a large part of Olympic Peninsula and has several sections (e.g. the beaches) that aren’t joined to the main part of the park. There are several distinct sections and you can’t travel inside the national park between them. You need to go back to Highway 101, which rings the peninsula, to get to each section.

Not all sections of the park have entrance stations. There are entrance stations here:

🎟️ Heart O’ the Hills Entrance Station gives access to Hurricane Ridge. The main Visitor Center is nearby (outside the national Park in Port Angeles).

🎟️ Hoh Rain Forest Entrance Station gives access to the Hoh Rainforest, where there is a Visitor Center.

There is no park entrance or visitor center at Lake Crescent (where there is a ranger station), Sol Duc, Quinault (where there is a small ranger station with information), or any of the beaches.

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Best Tours of Olympic National Park

🎧 Get a self-guided audio tour of Olympic National Park

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Things to Do in Olympic National Park

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Hikes in Olympic National Park

There are a LOT of amazing hikes in Olympic National Park.

Because there are so many hikes in Olympic National Park, I’ve broken them down by area in the park.

🥾 Hurricane Ridge 🥾

🥾 Sol Duc Valley 🥾

🥾 Lake Crescent 🥾

🥾 Hoh Rain Forest 🥾

🥾 The Pacific Beaches 🥾

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🥾 Quinault Rain Forest 🥾

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Where to Stay In and Near Olympic National Park

There are several lodges and campgrounds in the national park.

Lodges inside Olympic National Park

🛏️ Kalaloch Lodge is near the Kalaloch beaches. There are campsites, cabins, and lodge rooms. It’s generally open year-round.
🛏️ Lake Crescent Lodge is on the southern shores of Lake Crescent. There are cottages, cabins, and lodge rooms. It’s generally open late April to the end of the year.
🛏️ Log Cabin Resort is on the northern shores of Lake Crescent. There are chalets, cabins, and lodge rooms. It’s generally open mid-May to late September.
🛏️ Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort is in the Sol Duc Valley. There are cabins, and suites. It’s generally open late March to early November.

⛺ There are 14 Campgrounds inside Olympic National Park

There are plenty of accommodation options nearby. The two main gateway towns are Port Angeles and Forks.

➡️ Find a hotel in Port Angeles on Expedia.
➡️ Find a vacation rental in or near Port Angeles on VRBO.

➡️ Find a hotel in Forks on Expedia.
➡️ Find a vacation rental in or near Forks on VRBO.

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How to Get To Olympic National Park

🚗 If you need a rental car, find one on RentalsCars.com 

✈️ If you’re looking for a flight, find a good deal on Skyscanner 

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The Airports for Olympic National Park 

✈️ If you’re looking for flights, use Skyscanner to scan the Internet for the cheapest deals.  

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How to Get Around Olympic National Park 

There aren’t any shuttles in the park. You’ll need your own vehicle – and don’t underestimate the driving distances between the different sections of the park.

🚗 If you need a rental car, find one on RentalsCars.com 

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When to Visit Olympic National Park

The park is open all year, but the Hurricane Ridge area has special winter opening hours/ days. Most facilities and amenities close over winter, which is cold and wet.

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How Long to Spend in Olympic National Park 

How many days you should go to Olympic National Park for depends on when you have time off, how much time you have, your budget, and your interests.  I recommend at least four days to see all the main areas of the park, do some hikes and experience other don’t-miss activities.

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Travel Insurance for Olympic National Park 

In addition to working out the logistics of your trip using this travel guide, Olympic National Park planning should also include travel insurance.  Protect yourself against trip cancellation, loss or theft of your property, or any medical emergencies.   

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: 

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Packing for Olympic National Park

With so many different climates and unpredictable weather, packing for Olympic National Park can be challenging.  

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Prepare for your Olympic National Park vacation

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