Last Updated: June 20, 2026
Olympic National Park is one of the most ecologically diverse parks in the entire national park system, encompassing four dramatically different regions: alpine, Pacific coast, temperate rain forest, and the drier east side of the Olympic Peninsula. It was designated a National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1909 and elevated to National Park status by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1938. Today it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.
Quinault Rain Forest
Our Quinault Rain Forest hike was beautiful, wet, and rainy — which is, of course, exactly right. The Quinault is one of three major temperate rain forests in Olympic National Park (along with Hoh and Queets), and it delivered on every expectation.
The Quinault Rain Forest receives approximately 150 inches of annual rainfall — making it one of the wettest places in the continental United States. The result is a landscape of extraordinary lushness: towering Sitka spruce, western red cedar, and Douglas fir draped in moss, with ferns carpeting every surface and nurse logs sprouting entire new generations of trees from their decomposing trunks.
Even though we were wearing Gore-Tex, Jake wasn’t — so he got thoroughly drenched on this hike. Not a happy dog. The enormous banana slugs were everywhere, which did nothing to improve his mood.
Lake Quinault Lodge was built in 1926 and is one of the great historic lodges of the Pacific Northwest — a rustic cedar-shingled beauty right on the lake, with a grand fireplace lobby and views across the water to the forested hillsides beyond. President Franklin Roosevelt visited in 1937, and his tour of Olympic Peninsula reportedly inspired the creation of Olympic National Park the following year.
A picturesque location overlooking Lake Quinault — glass-calm water, forested hills reflected in the surface, and the lodge a short walk away. Worth a stop even if you’re not staying the night.
We stayed at Hoquiam River RV Park — a few hours’ drive from Mt. Rainier, with full service and satellite reception, facing the water. Each morning we found fresh river otter footprints along the bank but never actually spotted one. Patience was not rewarded.
We found a beautiful stretch of beach nearby — no parking fees, no crowds. Jake had been freshly bathed the day before, so he was not permitted in the water. Sad dog.
Pacific Coast & Cape Flattery
Rialto Beach is everything a wild Pacific coast beach should be — miles of rocky and sandy shoreline strewn with enormous drift logs, sea stacks rising from the surf, and almost no development in sight. The Olympic coast is one of the longest undeveloped coastlines in the contiguous United States, and Rialto is one of its finest stretches.
Cape Flattery is the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States — the literal corner of the continent where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets the Pacific Ocean. The 1.5-mile round-trip trail on the Makah Reservation winds through old-growth forest to a series of cedar boardwalk viewpoints overlooking dramatic sea caves and sea stacks. It’s dog-friendly and breathtaking. Note that a Makah Recreation Pass is required ($10/vehicle) and must be purchased in advance in Neah Bay.
Bald Eagle sightings were frequent throughout the coastal section — the Olympic Peninsula has one of the highest concentrations of nesting Bald Eagles in the lower 48.
We stayed at Quileute Oceanside Resort in La Push — a beautiful location with full service hookups right next to First Beach. La Push sits on the Quileute Indian Reservation, adjacent to the small town of Forks, which became famous as the setting for Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight novel and film series. The sunsets over the sea stacks from the beach were extraordinary.
We loved the daily beach walks — morning light, sunset, and everything in between. The only challenge was the incessant fireworks throughout the day and night: the RV park is on the Quileute Indian Reservation, which has its own fireworks regulations. Pack earplugs if you’re a light sleeper.
Hurricane Ridge
Hurricane Ridge is the alpine heart of Olympic National Park — a 5,242-foot ridge accessible via a stunning 17-mile paved road from Port Angeles. Some roads and trails were closed during our visit, partly for improvements and partly due to a scheduled mountain goat capture and relocation program: the non-native goats that had been introduced to the peninsula were being trapped and moved to the North Cascades, where they are native, to protect the park’s fragile alpine ecosystems. We unfortunately missed the goats entirely. Bummer.
The views from Hurricane Ridge are genuinely incredible — on clear days stretching south across the full sweep of the Olympic Mountains and north across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Vancouver Island. The ridge earns its name: wind is almost always present, and can be ferocious.
Black-tailed deer with fawns were abundant in the meadows — completely unbothered by visitors and a delight to photograph.
The Obstruction Point dirt road was open — an 8-mile unpaved road reaching 6,150 feet with spectacular views into the heart of the Olympic Mountains, in and out of the clouds. Wildflowers were at their peak.
At higher elevation we came across Olympic marmots — a species found only on the Olympic Peninsula and one of the most geographically restricted mammals in North America. Jake had a complete psychotic break over these very fat marmots. Being rodents, they triggered every instinct he possessed — and he whined incessantly all the way home.
The wildflowers at Hurricane Ridge were stunning — Broadleaf Lupine, Red Columbine, Avalanche Lily, and Alpine Forget-Me-Nots putting on a show that rivaled anything we’d seen on the trip.
The Elwha River road was open only as far as Madison Falls due to flood damage from the removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams — the largest dam removal project in U.S. history, completed in 2014. The short paved, dog-friendly trail to the falls was lovely, and the Elwha River itself is undergoing a remarkable recovery as salmon return to habitat they hadn’t accessed in over a century.
We stayed at Elwha Dam RV Park in Port Angeles — conveniently located for exploring both Hurricane Ridge and the Elwha corridor. The drive from La Push past Lake Crescent was absolutely gorgeous, though extremely curvy — take it slow in anything large.
The RV park had full hookups and was satellite-friendly, with marginal internet. After any rain, enormous slugs appeared on every surface — the Pacific Northwest’s unofficial mascot. This juvenile woodpecker was posing on a fence post as if it knew exactly what it was doing.
Harbinger Winery was only a couple of miles away — a friendly crowd, nice atmosphere, and a welcome end to several days of hiking. Port Angeles turns out to be a genuinely charming small city with excellent food and a couple of good wineries.
Visitor Information
Olympic National Park: 3002 Mt. Angeles Rd, Port Angeles, WA 98362; 360-565-3130; nps.gov/olym; $35/vehicle (valid 7 days). The park has no single entrance — different regions require separate drives from different directions. Hurricane Ridge: 17 miles from Port Angeles via a paved road; Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center typically open late May through October. Note: the road has vehicle size restrictions — RV travelers should check current limits before attempting the drive in large rigs. Lake Quinault Lodge: 345 S Shore Rd, Amanda Park, WA 98526; olympicnationalparks.com. Hoquiam River RV Park: Hoquiam, WA. Quileute Oceanside Resort (La Push): 330 Ocean Dr, La Push, WA 98350; quileuteoceanside.com; reservations essential in summer. Cape Flattery: on the Makah Reservation; requires a Makah Recreation Pass ($10/vehicle), purchased at the Makah Tribal Center in Neah Bay, WA 98357 (360-645-2201) or online at makah.com. Elwha Dam RV Park: 41 Lower Dam Rd, Port Angeles, WA 98363. Harbinger Winery: 2358 US-101, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
Practical Tips
Olympic NP requires multiple separate drives — the four regions (rain forest, coast, alpine, east side) are not connected by interior park roads. Budget at least 4–5 days to cover the main highlights and plan your routing carefully. Hurricane Ridge vehicle restrictions: the road has size limits for large vehicles — check with the park before attempting the drive in a large motorhome. Many RV travelers tow a smaller vehicle specifically for Hurricane Ridge. Gore-Tex is non-negotiable in the rain forest — the Quinault and Hoh receive 140–170 inches of rain per year, and summer is no exception. Waterproof boots and a rain jacket should be treated as essentials, not options. Cape Flattery Makah Recreation Pass must be purchased before you arrive at the trailhead — there is no on-site purchase option. Pick it up at the Makah Tribal Center in Neah Bay. La Push/Rialto Beach: pets are allowed on the beach and the Cape Flattery trail — ideal for dog owners. Best wildflower timing at Hurricane Ridge: mid-July through mid-August is peak bloom; Avalanche Lily typically blooms right at snowline in early July. Lake Crescent on US-101 is extremely curvy — add extra time and drive slowly in larger vehicles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four regions of Olympic National Park?
Olympic National Park encompasses four dramatically distinct ecological zones, all within a single park on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. The alpine zone includes Hurricane Ridge and the glaciated Olympic Mountains, with wildflower meadows, snowfields, and views to Vancouver Island and the Cascades. The Pacific coast stretches nearly 60 miles of wild, largely undeveloped shoreline — one of the longest in the contiguous U.S. — with sea stacks, drift logs, tide pools, and Bald Eagles. The temperate rain forests (Hoh, Quinault, and Queets) receive 140–170 inches of rain annually and contain some of the largest temperate rainforest trees in the world. The eastern slopes are in a rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and receive dramatically less rainfall — as little as 17 inches per year — supporting drier forest and different wildlife. Because the regions are not connected by interior roads, visiting all four requires separate drives from different sides of the peninsula.
What is Cape Flattery and why is it worth visiting?
Cape Flattery is the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States — the literal corner where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets the Pacific Ocean, on the Makah Indian Reservation at Neah Bay. A 1.5-mile round-trip trail through old-growth forest leads to a series of cedar boardwalk viewpoints with spectacular views of sea caves, offshore sea stacks, and open ocean. On clear days you can see Vancouver Island across the strait. The hike is dog-friendly and one of the most rewarding short trails in Washington State. Access requires a Makah Recreation Pass ($10/vehicle), purchased from the Makah Tribal Center in Neah Bay. The Makah Tribal Cultural Center and Museum in Neah Bay — featuring artifacts from the Ozette archaeological site — is also worth a visit.
Why does the Quinault Rain Forest receive so much rainfall?
The Quinault Rain Forest, like the Hoh and Queets rain forests, sits on the western slopes of the Olympic Mountains — perfectly positioned to intercept moisture-laden air masses sweeping in from the Pacific Ocean. As the Pacific storms climb the mountain slopes, the air cools and drops its moisture as rain and snow, creating the extraordinary precipitation totals (140–170 inches per year in the Hoh; approximately 150 inches in the Quinault) that sustain these ancient forests. The eastern side of the Olympic Mountains sits in the rain shadow of the same peaks and receives as little as 17 inches per year — one of the sharpest rainfall gradients in North America within such a short distance. The result on the wet western slopes is a temperate rain forest rivaling those of British Columbia and coastal Alaska: towering Sitka spruce, western red cedar, and bigleaf maple draped in club moss, with nurse logs supporting entire new forest generations from their slowly decomposing trunks.
What wildlife can you see at Hurricane Ridge?
Hurricane Ridge is one of the best places in Olympic National Park for wildlife viewing. Black-tailed deer (the Olympic Peninsula subspecies of mule deer) are extremely common in the meadows and often completely unbothered by people — fawns are frequently visible in July. Olympic marmots — found only on the Olympic Peninsula and one of the most geographically isolated mammals in North America — inhabit the rocky alpine slopes and are active from May through September. Bald Eagles soar over the ridge frequently. The non-native mountain goats that were long associated with Hurricane Ridge have largely been removed through a major relocation program (2018–2020) that successfully moved over 100 goats to the North Cascades. Black bears inhabit the park but are rarely seen at the ridge itself. The wildflower meadows in July and August also attract numerous pollinators, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
