Top Things You NEED To Do In Olympic National Park

located just 60 minutes outside of Seattle Washington Olympic National Park has plenty of things to do that you won't find anywhere else a mix of rainforests Rocky beaches mountainous overlooks and wild coastlines make this place a mustsee travel destination in this video we're going to cover the top things to do in Olympic National Park and give you some tips for making the most out of your visit let's get started take a hike in Soul duck Valley the soul duck Valley is one of the most spectacular sections of Olympic National Park the area has a variety of hiking trails ranging from just under 1 mile to multi-day hikes the first stop that anyone should take when visiting the valley is the soul duck Falls overlook this is a 50ft waterfall that Cascades into a Slot Canyon below Soul duck Falls is located just a few minutes from the parking lot so it's an easy hike that's perfect for kids or tired Travelers on sunny days you can see rainbows rising out of the Mist two other other hikes in the area that you can't miss are the lovers lane Loop and the hike to Mink Lake each of these hikes will take about 3 to 4 hours to complete the trails zigzag through moss covered old growth forests Fern Groves and waterfalls you'll encounter multiple Bridge Crossings and perhaps some muddy trails along the way hiking in the soul duck Valley is like entering another world if you can't get enough of the area consider taking a backpacking trip on the high divide Loop which takes about 2 to 3 days and has excellent views of Mount Olympus take a walk on calac and Ruby Beach two of the most beautiful beaches in Washington state are calac and Ruby Beach these beaches are both protected by National Wildlife refugees and Coastal Marine sanctuaries so they are a safe haven for local Wildlife calac Beach is the best place to view birds like tufted puffins Western gulls bald eagles and other coastal birds it's the more popular of the two because there is a large Campground nearby and pets are allowed on the beach Ruby Beach is considered one of the crown jewels of Olympic National Park its reddish sand gives the appearance of little rubies and the beach is populated with picturesque rock formations and tide pools explore the ho rainforest the ho rainforest is a must sea for anyone traveling from afar it's one of the only rainforests in the lower 48 states the temperate rainforest receives an impressive 140 to 170 in of rain per year which allows Lush trees and mosses to flourish in the rainforest you will find two great hiking trails that are short and perfect for families visiting the area for the first time the Hall of Moss's Trail is the most iconic it's less than 1 mile long and Loops you through an outstanding old growth forest the spruce nature trail is slightly longer measuring 1.2 Mi but it has minimal elevation gains so it's perfect for a legally stroll for adventurers who want to take a longer route the ho River Trail is a popular out and back hike that leads 17.4 mi in one direction to Glacier Meadows each of these Trails feature dense undergrowth thick canopies and unique Flora one one thing that is immediately noticeable when hiking through the rainforest is how quiet the whole area can be the trees do an excellent job of blocking sound and making you feel like you have the place to yourself the rainforest also has fairly mild temperatures year round it rarely gets warmer than 80° in the summer and Below mid 20s in the winter feel the mist of marry Mir Falls don't leave Olympic National Park before getting your feet wet at marry Mir Falls this is one of the most popular waterfalls in the park because it's so large and accessible the trail itself is 2 m from Lake Crescent by way of the Barnes Creek Trail you can see and hear the waterfall as you approach it because of its massive size Mary mirr Falls Cascades 90 ft downward and has two main viewpoints one is located at the base of the falls and the other allows you to look down the falls from the hillside above the path to get there is mostly flat short and easy for all ages drive up Hurricane Ridge if you're looking for the most picturesque views of the Pacific coast mountains nothing beats driving to the the top of hurricane Ridge the high Alpine zone is easily accessible by car from Port Angeles hurricane Ridge is a colorful area to visit if you're looking for Mountaintop hiking trails and panoramic views of the Olympic range Puget Sound and Vancouver Island unfortunately on May 7th 2023 the hurricane Ridge day lodge which housed a visitor center gift shop an interpretive exhibit was burned to the ground after a devastating Wildfire although services are no longer available you can still drive up and enjoy the picturesque hiking TR Trails the hurricane Hill hike is a favorite among Travelers looking for panoramic views it's a moderate hike that stretches 1.2 m in One Direction shorter hikes include the cir rim and High Ridge Trail the best time of year to keep your feet dry is between July and October when all of the spring snows have melted between mid December and March hurricane Ridge transforms into a gorgeous Winter Wonderland offering CrossCountry skiing snowshoeing and tubing though tide pooling it hole in the wall if you've never been to a tide pool Olympic National Park offers a variety of areas where you can try this activity for the first time tide pooling is simply going out to see plant and animal life in low tide areas during daylight find a clear pool and gaze under the water hermit crabs and seaweed will immediately stand out but if you look closely you'll start to see interesting creatures such as urchins pop snails and smaller enemies pole in the wall is one of the most visited tide pools in Olympic National Park because of its unique Archway right next to the Sea to get there you'll need to hike 1.5 Mi north of the Rialto Beach Trail IDE the best time to go tide pooling is about 30 minutes before the lowest tide always be on the lookout for the returning tide and sneaker waves if you don't want to hike too far there are plenty of other tide pools to explore in Olympic National Park including third Beach Ruby Beach and second Beach see massive trees in the quinnel rainforest located in the Valley of the rainforest Giants on the western side of the Olympic mountains is the Quin qu rainforest the quinalt rainforest has larger trees and shorter hikes than you would find in the ho rainforest so it's the perfect place to visit with kids the quinalt rainforest accumulates an impressive 12 ft of rain per year to nourish the trees it's home to five of the top 10 biggest Douglas fur trees and the largest siika Spruce in the world you can also find Mountain hemlocks Western hemlocks and multiple waterfalls in the area if you love Wildlife viewing this is the perfect place to search for marmots birds and Elk the Roosevelt elk are the largest animal in the park and can weigh up to 1,000 lb you'll find that they are noticeably bigger and darker than Rocky Mountain elk and these animals can be found right in the Forest Drive the Olympic Loop if you or anyone in your family feels like driving more than hiking explore the Olympic Peninsula Loop this is a great way to enjoy the spectacular sights and wildlife of Olympic National Park without exhausting yourself the entire Loop stretches 332 M long and takes about 8 hours to complete much of it encircles Olympic National Park the loop starts in Seattle Washington and continues through the Olympic Peninsula seum NE Bay and aine most people will choose to drive only a portion of the loop at one time hitting the most popular spots in the National Park Lake Crescent and the Soul duck Valley are situated right on the loop as well as the Pacific Coast beaches and the quinalt rainforest make sure to take your time to stop for a few short hikes or take some pictures of the ocean and trees along the way popular places to stop are the point of arches where you can see Rocky sea stacks along the coast or search for starfish on calac beach both beaches are excellent places to have a picnic and admire the huge Driftwood logs along the shore dive into Lake Crescent Lake Crescent is a beautiful blue green Lake nestled in the foothills of the Olympic mountains it's the second deepest lake in the state of Washington and the perfect place to go picnicking paddling and boating multiple companies in the area offer watercraft rentals the Deep Sapphire Lake appears to be bottomless if you're into fishing row boats are available to rent from Lake Crescent Lodge which sits right along the shoreline there are also rooms and Cottages available for Reservation Lake Crescent is an ideal place for artists and photographers because there are multiple hikes around the lake from the lowland Forest to the surrounding mountains you can easily get pictures from above the area looking down to the lake below Olympic National Park has a splendid array of activities for both nature lovers and adventurers alike among the top things to do are exploring the enchanting ho rainforest trekking up to the hurricane Ridge relaxing in the midst of Merry mirr Falls and unwinding by the Serene Crescent Lake each activity offers a unique way to connect with nature and create lasting memories amidst the Park's vast biodiversity and striking land skates

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Keywords: travel, travel guide, national park guide, national park activities, nature photography, 4k, olympic national park, washington national park, washington state, olympic hiking, national park hiking, washington rainforest, washington outdoors, travel washington, seattle washington, best of washington, pacific northwest, pacific northwest hiking, pacific northwest rainforest, pacific northwest beach, pacific northwest waterfall, hoh rainforest, olympic national park itinerary

Id: 7sNWrjgSke4

Length: 8min 49sec (529 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 26 2024