Olympic National Park in 48 Hours
Updated: Jun 3
Where mountains are laced with Douglas and Grand Fir trees alike, lined in rows, the further the row, the less saturated the hue because there’s an everlasting dance of fog. Where moss coats trees like candy, dripping in shades of yellow and green. Where the flora is so tangled in one another, you can almost feel the forest’s heart beat as one. That’s Olympic National Park. I can’t recommend this park enough—I’ve been to several national parks at this point and very few make you feel like you’re on another planet, but this is definitely one of them.
Best trails in Olympic National Park
Hall of Moses + Spruce Nature Trail | Hoh National Rainforest—Just a few steps in, and you feel transported to another planet from Star Wars. I'm telling you, these photos simply do not do this national park justice, especially the rainforest. The moss connects the trees like veins in a body, the forest breathes (or rather, rains) as one, and you feel like you've experienced something truly unique—I can't express this enough: do not miss this trail.
Sol Duc Falls—Another trail for the books, Sol Duc is just over 1.5 miles total (out-and-back) and home to one of the closest and most beautiful views of a waterfall I've ever seen! If you can get close enough and wrap your hands around the tree trunks near the waterfall, you can feel the vibration of the fall itself.
Marymere Falls—Believe it or not that first picture on the water was actually taken at the trail parking lot before you've even begun! This trail is just under 2 miles with ~300 foot elevation gain—while it was definitely the highest elevation gain of the national park we hiked, I wouldn't consider it difficult incline.
Washington Coast—Creekside Restaurant (along the West Coast of Washington on the way to Hoh) made for not only an amazing lunch stop but also provided access to the beach. I'm a born & raised Floridian so I wasn't very impressed but if you're looking to experience the Washington Coast, this was one of the best ways!
Best place to stay in Olympic National Park
Airbnb in Port Angeles—Port Angeles is definitely one of the easiest places to stay to access all parts of the national park, and we particularly enjoyed our stay at Barb's House on a private lake with a hot tub!
