As many of you already know, we took a family vacation to the pacific northwest last month. It was an incredible 10-day getaway – and one where I decided to unplug from social media (and the blog) to really relax and recharge…and soak up loads of quality time with my family. We had such a wonderful time exploring together and creating a multitude of memories. Now that we’ve settled back into our normal routine, and I’ve had a chance to go through a myriad of vacation photos, we wanted to share Our Olympic National Park Adventure with all of you!
Our trip actually started in Seattle, where we spent a few days visiting friends and family. We took a ride on Seattle’s Great Wheel, explored all the wonders at the Pacific Science Center, and played at Marymoor Park! We made sure to stop for an incredibly scrumptious breakfast at the Rusty Pelican Cafe, in Edmonds, before boarding our ferry to Kingston.
The ferry ride was short (and a bit windy on the outdoor decks) but it was a brand new experience for our little nugget. She thought it was super cool that we were able to drive our car right onto the “boat” alongside a hundred other vehicles. From Kingston, we made our way up to Port Angeles, where we stayed in the cute and cozy Seashell CottageΒ (Side Note: The flowers in Port Angeles were AMAZING)! It was the perfect home-base for our first few days exploring the northern regions of Olympic National Park.
Our Olympic National Park Adventure
Lake CrescentΒ β’ Sol Duc FallsΒ β’ Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort
We thoroughly enjoyed our drive along Highway 101 on our first morning in the park. The increased precipitation in the pacific northwest keeps everything a vibrant green…though we were delighted to find the occasional patch of fall-colored trees. As we approached Lake Crescent it started to rain, and a rainbow magically appeared over the lake! It was beautiful. We obviously had to pull over to snap a few photos…and let our little nugget marvel at one of her favorite things! Once we had stated all the colors of the rainbow (a few times over) we made our way up Sol Duc Hot Springs Road, to the Sol Duc Falls trailhead.
With our four-year-old in tow (and no hiking backpack to carry her in when she grew tired) we made sure to select shorter hiking excursions. The hike to Sol Duc Falls is an easy 1.6 miles, round-trip. The trail winds its way through incredibly tall trees and lush vegetation…but the stunning falls are by far the main attraction! I’ve always loved the sound of cascading water…it’s incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating. I could have stayed there all day.
Luckily, we had another relaxing activity planned…a soak and swim at the Sol Duc Hot Springs! I failed to snap any photos of the actual hot springs…since I dared not take my camera out by the water. π The resort boasts three mineral hot spring soaking pools and one freshwater pool, all surrounded by lush forest. We soaked in the hot water and even took the occasional, but oh so chilly, plunge into the 66Β° freshwater pool. Brrrr!
After our soak/swim we planned to head back to Lake Crescent to do another short hike to Marymere Falls (a hike that was highly recommended by tons of former Seashell Cottage guests). Unfortunately, our plans were derailed by a gigantic tree that had fallen across the road…the only road in or out of the Sol Duc area. People gathered to gawk at the downed tree, and to take bets on how long it would be before the road was cleared. Luckily, we were right by another point of interest…the Salmon Cascades (and luckier still was the fact that there was a bathroom at this location). We took it upon ourselves to take the extra time to explore, and even though it was too early in the season for the salmon to be swimming up river, it was still an incredibly beautiful area. We wandered around for awhile, but when the light drizzle of rain turned into a heavy downpour, we hopped back into our rental car and waited…and waited…and waited.
Three hours (three chainsaws, and one front-end loader) later, we were finally free! Needless to say, we did not make it to Marymere Falls that afternoon. By the time we got back to Highway 101, it was past our dinnertime. We ordered a pizza to pickup back in Port Angeles, and called it a day.
Hurricane Ridge
The next morning we made our way up to Hurricane Ridge, where we were treated to incredible panoramic views of the Olympic Mountains! It was much chillier…but we bundled up in our winter hats and set off along the Cirque Rim trail, where we gazed down at Port Angeles, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Victoria, British Columbia. From the Cirque Rim trail, we connected to the High Ridge trail (and also popped up to Sunrise Point, for more stunning views). We rounded out our hike with a stroll along the Big Meadow trail, which led us back to the warmth of the visitor center.
The highlights were definitely the amazing views of the park’s mountainous region (glaciers included), the hot chocolate at the visitor center, and the rare opportunity to witness the relocation of mountain goats via helicopter! Our little nugget’s favorite part…hiking in the clouds (which she called dragon’s breath) and driving through the various tunnels leading to and from Hurricane Ridge. π
Rialto BeachΒ β’ Second BeachΒ β’ Ruby BeachΒ β’ Kalaloch
We departed Port Angeles early the next morning and headed west to the beaches of Olympic National Park. Our day began at Rialto Beach, at the end of Mora Road. We were immediately greeted by layer upon layer of driftwood, which we carefully navigated, until we set foot on the amazing array of pebbles that line the upper stretch of beach. We happened to arrive right at low tide, hoping for some excellent tide pool activity…but there were zero tide pools along Rialto Beach. After marveling at the beautiful views, waves, and seastacks, we decided to head over to Second Beach with the hopes of discovering some abundant tide pool activity.
Second Beach did not disappoint. We found numerous sea anemones, a couple of starfish, a moon jellyfish, thousands of mussels and clams, and plenty of empty crab shells. Second beach was much sandier than Rialto Beach, though they were both equally inundated with driftwood.
After our morning of hiking and exploring, we decided to stop for a picnic lunch by the harbor in La Push. And with our bodies refueled, we were ready for our next beach adventure…at Ruby Beach! If I had to pick my favorite beach in Olympic National Park, it would most definitely be Ruby Beach. It was just so incredibly beautiful and picturesque. We spent a large chunk of our afternoon exploring and relaxing at this popular spot. We skipped stones, stacked stones, sat on the driftwood and watched the waves roll in, and marveled at a lone surfer. Our little nugget even stripped down to splash around in one of the shallow sandy pools.
After saying our goodbyes to Ruby Beach, we headed south to Kalaloch. We took a short stroll down to the beach (from the Kalaloch campground) to admire the Tree of Life (aka the Tree Root Cave). We had never seen a living, thriving tree with all of its roots completely exposed…let alone one hanging in mid-air! It’s a sight worth seeing. The sandy beach is also pretty amazing. We found plenty more crab shells, as well as another moon jellyfish.
We had debated sticking around the Kalaloch area to witness an ocean sunset, but after our full day of beach exploration, we were all completely exhausted. We decided to head further south to the Quinault River Inn, in Amanda Park, where we stayed for two nights.
Quinault Rain Forest β’ Lake Quinault β’ Lake Quinault Lodge
When we were planning our trip, the very first thing on our list of must-do’s was to see the rain forests…and hunt for banana slugs. We knew in advance that the entire Hoh Rain Forest area would be closed during our visit..a pre-scheduled park closure. So, we decided to spend our last full day exploring the wonders of the Quinault Rain Forest, in the southern region of the park.
Hiking around the beautiful, lush rain forest that surrounds Lake Quinault was definitely a highlight of our trip. There were banana slugs everywhere we looked…each one completely different than the last. There was every shape and color of mushroom imaginable. Ferns and clovers covered the entire forest floor, and moss dangled from every tree branch.
We began our adventure hiking the easy 1/2 mile loop of the Quinault Rain Forest Nature Trail, on the south side of Lake Quinault. From there we headed to the south-shore ranger station, where we set off on the 1-1/2 mile Falls Creek Loop trail. The trail ends right across the street from the incredibly quaint and picturesque Lake Quinault Lodge. We enjoyed lunch at the lodge restaurant…after warming up by the large crackling fire in the lobby. After lunch, we roamed around the lodge’s beautiful grounds, and down to the lake, before heading back to the ranger station.
Since our little nugget was getting a bit sleepy, we decided to take the scenic loop drive around the lake. We made a pit-stop at the gorgeous Merriman Falls, and then continued on toward the north shore. We were informed that lots of Roosevelt Elk inhabit the area, though we never came across any. We did see a few grazing deer though. We ended our day hiking the short 1/2 mile Maple Glade Rain Forest Trail, before heading back to the inn for the night.
Our final Olympic National Park adventure consisted of a visit to the world’s largest Sitka Spruce tree, located on the south shore of Lake Quinault. The massive tree stands 191 feet tall, is 17 feet in diameter, and an enormous 55 feet in circumference! After standing in awe for several minutes, we strolled back to our car and began our drive back to Seattle.
We had such a great time exploring the wonders of Olympic National Park. It truly is a remarkable place…nearly a million acres housing vastly different ecosystems – from glacier-capped mountains, to temperate rain forests, to thriving coastline – it’s a place where you can go and see it all! And we’re already itching to go back!
