One of the best ways to spend a few days in Washington is by visiting the Olympic Peninsula. This part of Washington has so much to offer with its rain forests, waterfalls, beaches, whale watching, and other sea life. The best way to spend 3 days is with this Olympic National Park itinerary.
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Free Olympic National Park – 3 Day Itinerary
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How to Get Around
To start your Olympic National Park itinerary, you will need to fly into Seattle-Tacoma airport. You have many options to rent a car and will need to rent one as a car is a necessity of this road trip. I recommend stopping at a grocery store for snacks, drinks, and sandwich stuff. Some of the areas do not have many eating options.
Where to Stay
We did not stay the night in the same hotel on consecutive days on this trip. After mapping out our route, it made sense to change hotel venues every night. This was a little inconvenient having to unpack and repack every day. We felt like this was necessary, however, to maximize our adventure. Here is a list of the towns and hotels we stayed at during our Olympic NP vacation.
Tacoma – Holiday Inn Express
Port Angeles – Olympic Lodge
Forks – Dew Drop Inn
Seattle – Holiday Inn Express Seattle Airport
Best Time to Visit
The best time to explore this Olympic National Park itinerary is Spring through Fall when roads are open and most sights are open. Also, during these months, days are longer meaning you can pack more exploring into your day. Hurricane Ridge is often closed in the winter due to heavy snowfalls. July through August are the busiest times of the year due to summer crowds.
Olympic National Park Fees
A 7-day Olympic National Park pass is $30 per non-commercial vehicle, and if you plan to visit often, an annual pass is $55. However, if you visit multiple national parks in a year, you may want to consider ordering an America the Beautiful U.S. Park Pass, which gives access to all National Park Services sites for a full year. This interagency pass only costs $80.
What to Pack
- Water!! Whether you use a hydration backpack or carry bottled water, make sure to pack plenty of water when outdoors!
- Bug Spray – Keep those pesky bugs away!
- Sunscreen – Protect your skin from the sun, and do not forget to reapply.
- Hat – More sun protection to block the sun from your face
- Hiking shoes/boots – Here are the men‘s version of the hiking shoes I love.
- Hiking socks – The best way to prevent blisters is by keeping your feet dry. Moisture-wicking socks are the best way to do that.
- Backpack – A backpack is a necessity when hiking to carry your water, snacks, sunscreen, etc. that you may need on your longer hikes.
- Hiking Poles – Hiking poles help relieve some of the energy used by your legs when hiking.
- RTIC Soft-Sided Cooler – Keep your drinks and sandwich stuff cool in this cooler.
- Packing Cubes – Keep your stuff organized in your luggage with these packing cubes.
- Rain Jacket – Rain can (and probably will) occur at some point while in Washington, so make sure to pack your men’s or women’s rain jacket.
- Jacket – Even in warmer months, the temps can be cool so pack a light men’s or women’s jacket.
Day 1 – Olympic National Park Itinerary
Arrive in Seattle the night before the first full day for your Olympic National Park itinerary, so you can get the dreaded travel day out of the way. Even though it is likely late (especially if you are flying from the east side of America after work) try to make the 30-minute drive to Tacoma to get a little further down the road and to avoid the morning Seattle traffic.
If you prefer to take a ferry across the Puget Sound instead of driving around, you can certainly do so. However, you are then a slave to the ferry timetables, and I like my freedom. One positive about the ferry is that you get incredible views of the Seattle skyline. However, I would recommend adding a day to your overall trip to explore Seattle and avoid the ferry at this point.
Port Townsend and Whale Watching
I love whale watching and never miss an opportunity to go on one of these tours, so drive straight to Port Townsend in the morning for the morning whale watching tour. The half-day tour lasts 3-4 hours and departs at 10:00 am. Get here early enough to have a big breakfast before the tour starts. If you do not want to whale watch, I still recommend going to Port Townsend and checking out the town. Explore the town’s waterfront and haunted house, The Starrett House, built in 1889. If you think you will have extra time, you can also stop in Gig Harbor along the way.
If you combine this trip with a couple days in Victoria, British Columbia, you can skip the whale watching from Port Townsend and do it from the Canadian side. This would give you more time in the Olympic National Park to explore Port Townsend and other harbor towns along the way such as Gig Harbor or Neah Bay.
Lake Crescent
Next, drive through Port Angeles to Lake Crescent which is a crystal clear lake carved by glaciers in the foothills of the northern Olympic mountains. Lake Crescent Lodge is a beautiful resort that sits near the banks of the lake. The lodge has limited rooms if you want to stay the night here, and it also has a lakefront dining room. During your time here, enjoy the beautiful views of the lake surrounded by mountains, and rent a canoe to paddle around the lake.
Marymere Falls
In the same parking area as Lake Crescent is the Marymere Falls trailhead which is the first hike of the Olympic National Park itinerary. We hiked the 1.7 mile, out and back trail through an old growth forest sprouting from a blanket of ferns. We came across the tall waterfall after crossing two log bridges. Then, the trail gains 200 feet in elevation to two viewing platforms. Do not be in a hurry to reach the falls; exploring Washington is often about the journey, not just the destination!
Port Angeles
On the first night of the Olympic National Park itinerary, I recommend staying the night in Port Angeles instead of Lake Crescent. If all goes well, you should be rolling into town just in time for dinner. Check into your hotel and take it easy for the rest of the night.
Day 2 – Olympic National Park Itinerary
The second day of the Olympic National Park itinerary involves the most hiking distance, so get plenty of rest the night before. If your hotel does not offer complimentary breakfast, make sure to find somewhere to have a healthy breakfast in Port Angeles.
Hurricane Ridge
Make sure to leave fairly early for Hurricane Ridge because this area of the park gets extremely crowded, and the park stops allowing visitors until it clears out. Once you get to the parking area, walk around the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center for 360-degree views of the Olympic Mountains. At the top of Hurricane Ridge, there are two terrific trails you can hike. The first is Hurricane Hill, which is a 3.4-mile moderately difficult trail. This trail offers spectacular views of the interior of the Olympic range. The second hike is the Big Meadow and Cirque Rim Loop, which is an easy scenic 0.4-mile trail. When you are done exploring Hurricane Ridge, drive down the mountain to Port Angeles for a lunch break.
Sol Duc Falls
Sol Duc Falls Trail begins near the Sol Duc Falls Hot Springs and Resort and is an easy 1.6-mile, out and back trail through a lush rainforest landscape. On the trail, we passed water from melted snow cascading down moss-covered rocks and fallen logs. At the end of the trail , you come to a wooden bridge that crosses the river at Sol Duc Falls, which spews out of three channels into a canyon below where the river continues.
La Push’s Second Beach
After looking around the Sul Duc Falls Hot Springs and Resort for a bit, head towards La Push on the Quileute Indian Reservation. Your last adventure before checking into the hotel in Forks involves tide pools. Park at the Second Beach parking area, and hike the 2.1-mile, out and back trail beneath a dense forest canopy to sandy beaches. Observe sea stack islands past the Pacific Ocean shoreline before wandering north in search of tide pools. Starfish, sea anemones, clams, muscles, and barnacles can be found here. We also saw an otter playing on a large rock submerged in the breaking waves. PRO TIP – Check tide schedules for low tide before coming here if you want to see the tide pools.
Day 3 – Olympic National Park Itinerary
A large chunk of the third day of your Olympic National Park itinerary will be commuting back to Seattle. After a couple hikes this morning, take your time on the return drive.
Hoh Rain Forest Hall of Moss
This relatively easy 1.1-mile loop through lush rainforests is the perfect way to start off Day 3 of your Olympic National Park itinerary. The moss covered trees look like they are straight out of a fairy tale.
Cape Flattery
Next, drive towards Neah Bay to Cape Flattery for a 1.5-mile, out and back walk through dense rainforests with ground-covering ferns and moss growing on most surfaces. Almost to the end of trail, there are several viewing platforms to the right and left where you can observe dramatic waves crashing into the cliffs below forming sea caves. Keep going to the final viewing platform to stand at the northwestern-most point of mainland USA. Even though this hike is out of the way, it is a must do and was my favorite hike on this trip. UPDATE – Cape Flattery has been closed during the pandemic, so you will want to check on the status before making the out-of-the-way drive. If the trail is still closed, you can replace this hike with exploring Rialto Beach.
Sequim
Sequim is a cute little town that you can stop at on the way back to Seattle to break up the long drive. Located in Sequim, Dungeness Spit is a narrow piece of land that jets into the Strait of Juan de Fuca that begins at the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge and ends with the New Dungeness Lighthouse. The spit stretches about 5 miles if you want to see the lighthouse up close. However, after walking about a mile, we decided to turn back. If you time your trip right, you can also visit U-Pick lavender farms which are usually blooming starting in July.
Seattle
Depending on when you get back to Seattle, you can spend time seeing some of the highlights of the city. Read 13 Perfect Ways to Spend a Day in Seattle for things to do while in the city. To really experience the best of Washington state, extend your Olympic National Park itinerary into a week-long road trip.
Another option is to take a ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, British Columbia. This quaint town is too cute to miss. You could spend a couple days exploring botanical gardens, castles, fancy hotels, and so much more.
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