Olympic National Park Guide

Taking up most of the Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park is an enormous national park in the Pacific northwest. It is majestic world of rugged coastlines, fabled temperate rainforests, subalpine forest covered in winter snows, 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. 


Olympic National Park Travel Guide

Navigate this Olympic National Park guide by clicking on the articles below to read in-depth information about each aspect of Olympic National Park.

Olympic National Park at a glance

State: Washington
Main attractions: Rainforests, beaches, tidepools, lakes, waterfalls, mountains
Best time to go: Summer
Hotels/ Airbnbs: Lodges and vacation rentals in the park and gateway towns including Port Angeles and Forks
Campgrounds: Inside the park and nearby
Dining: Gateway towns and lodges; inside some sections of the park
Shuttle: No


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

Olympic Accommodations Guide cover with lake
Olympic Dining Guide cover with dungeness crab
Olympic Tide Guide cover with green anemones

Olympic National Park Guide

Free guides to help you plan your next trip to Olympic National Park:

Travel Planning


Inspiration


Hurricane Ridge


Sol Duc Valley


Lake Crescent


Hoh Rain Forest


The Pacific Beaches


Quinault Rain Forest


Best Tours of Olympic National Park



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Olympic National Park Guide

About the Author

James Ian Yosemite

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 most of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, comprehensive camping and hiking gear reviews and buying guides, and helpful packing lists and gift guides 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, Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.

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