Steal Our 3 Day Olympic National Park Itinerary!
See the very best of the Pacific Northwest in this 3-Day Olympic National Park Itinerary!
Olympic NP has one of the most diverse ecosystems of any national park we’ve ever visited. You can quite literally be in the mountains, rain forest, and beach coastlines all within a day if you wanted! It’s the best part of visiting the Olympic peninsula!
We spent three perfect days at Olympic a few summers back while exploring the National Parks in Washington State.
3-Day Olympic National Park Road Trip Itinerary in a nutshell:
- Day 1: Explore Lake Crescent and hike Sol Duc Falls
- Day 2: Hike Hurricane Hill and hike Mount Storm King
- Day 3: Visit the Hoh Rain Forest and take a walk at Rialto Beach
We’ll also share tips for a 2-day trip to Olympic National Park and our recommendations for a day trip (if you are crunched for time!).
So if you are planning a trip to Olympic, we’ve done the research so you don’t have to! Let’s do a deep dive into everything the park has to offer in this 3 Day Olympic National Park Itinerary!
Olympic National Park Basics
Olympic National Park was established in 1938, but it was designated a National Monument in 1909.
It is located in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula in the Pacific Northwest
Olympic receives 3.1 million annual visitors each year.
Olympic spans 1,142 square miles. The park is huge! It is surrounded by the Olympic National Forest.
Why it’s Famous: Olympic National Park is famous for its diverse ecosystem. Housed within one national park are mountain ranges, rain forests, and rugged coastlines. Olympic is a beautiful park that highlights the absolute best features of the Pacific Northwest.
Best time to Visit: The best time to visit Olympic can truly vary because the park’s ecosystems are so diverse. Summer, however, is the most popular season because you can visit the different areas of the park with relative ease.
Check out this Olympic National Park map to get a full scope of what the park has to offer.
Day 1: Lake Crescent and Sol Duc Falls
We started our first day driving from Mount Rainier to Olympic.
We stopped at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles. This is one of the primary entrances to Olympic National Park. We chatted with a park ranger and asked about what was open or closed in the park – something we always recommend doing!
Olympic Visitor Center to Fairholme Campground & Lake Crescent
From the visitor center we made our way over to the Fairholme Park Campground to set up camp and get acquainted with the area.
On our way to Fairholme, we drove Olympic Highway 101 along the southern shore of Lake Crescent. We recommend pulling out at the various stops along the road to admire the serene nature of Lake Crescent and snap some photos. The moderately twisting and turning road gives you panoramic views of the lake.
We stopped at the Lake Crescent Lodge, meandered around the buildings and inside the cafe, and then continued on our way (we didn’t want to look suspicious!)
We set up our campsite and planned our first hike at Olympic – Sol Duc Falls.
Sol Duc Falls
The drive from Fairholme to the Sol Duc Falls trailhead is about 30 minutes. From Fairholme Campground you’ll travel west on highway 101 until you hang a left on Sol Duc Hot Springs Road. The road snuck up on us, so keep an eye out for the signs!
Drive along Sol Duc Hot Springs road, past the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and past the Sol Duc Campground until you reach a small parking lot. This is the lot of the Sol Duc Falls trailhead.
Sol Duc Falls is 1.6 miles out-and-back moderate hike. It should take you about an hour to complete. The path is fully visible and you will trek alongside dense forests and trickling waterways until you reach the spectacular Sol Duc Falls.
We’ve never been surrounded by so much GREEN!
From there, we made our way back to our campsite. We settled in for the night after a long day of driving and hiking, excited for day 2!
Day 2: Hike Hurricane Hill and Mount Storm King
Our second day at Olympic was the most physically demanding time at the park. But, we went on two of the best hikes in Olympic National Park: Hurricane Hill and Mount Storm King.
Hurricane Ridge
From the Fairholme Campground to the Hurricane Ridge visitor center was just over an hour. We made sure to arrive by 7:30am since this is a very popular spot in the park!
Note: the Hurricane Ridge visitor center experienced a significant fire in 2023 that completely destroyed the visitor center. We were so sad when we heard the news! The park is already fast at work to restore and rebuild the visitor center. Stay up-to-date on the Olympic National Park website.
After exploring the visitor center, we drove a mile and a half up to the Hurricane Hill Trailhead. You can either park at the trailhead where there are limited spots, or park down near picnic area B. The earlier you get there, the likelier you are to find parking!
Hurricane Hill Hike
The Hurricane Hill trail is a moderately difficult, 3 mile round trip hike up to Hurricane Hill. The path is entirely paved, but the majority of the way up is on an incline. Given the higher elevation, we were definitely stopping to catch our breath on several occasions! It’s one of the most popular trails in the park.
The hike is absolutely lovely. Every way you turn you see mountains and wildflowers. If you’re lucky (which we were) you might even see some wild deer and Olympic marmots
The top is stunning. A panoramic view of the Olympic Mountains and on clear days you can see all the way to the coast off Port Angeles.
We made our way down the mountain, grabbed a quick lunch by the visitor center, and headed back to our campsite for a nap.
Mount Storm King Hike
Now we might not recommend hiking both Hurricane Hill and Mount Storm King on the same day… but we did it, survived, and it was 100% worth it!
The Mount Storm King Trailhead is located on the south shore of Lake Crescent, just behind the Lake Crescent Lodge. Park near the Storm King Ranger Station to start your hike. It is one of the top things to do in Olympic.
The trail actually begins on the Marymere Falls Trail, which is an accessible walking path and a lovely stroll. You will eventually see a sign for the beginning of Mount Storm King, where it is time to begin climbing.
Mount Storm King is a strenuous 3.8 mile round trip hike, with 1,700 feet of elevation gain. The trail is a series of switchbacks up the mountain, through old forests, and eventually leads you to the top with beautiful views of Lake Crescent. This strenuous hike is absolutely worth it for the incredible views you get at the top.
The final stage of this hike is actually a rope climb up the side of a mountain to the very top of Mount Storm King. We noticed a rope and some spare gloves inviting bold hikers to scale the side of the mountain. Because we’re newbies and not confident in our mountain climbing abilities (and were a bit too scared), we opted not to climb the rope. Be smart when you are hiking. Your safety is your responsibility!
After two strenuous hikes, our bodies were absolutely exhausted. We went to bed really early that night!
Day 3: Hoh Rain Forest & Rialto Beach
On our last full day at Olympic National Park, we headed west to explore the famous Hoh Rain Forest and the rugged Olympic coastlines. The Hoh Rain Forest area was especially busy, so definitely get there as early as possible!
Hoh Rain Forest
Hoh Rain Forest is famous for being one of the world’s lushest rainforests. It receives upwards of 30 inches of rain every year! It is also known as one of the quietest places in the lower 48 states.
The three primary trails in the Hoh Rain Forest are the Hall of Mosses, Spruce Nature Trail, and the Hoh River Trail. Each of these trails are fairly easy and well-kept.
- The Hall of Mossess trail is 0.8 miles round trip
- The Spruce Nature Trail is 1.2 miles round trip.
- And you can take the Hoh River Trail as far as you’d like until you want to turn around.
These were some of the most peaceful trails we experienced within the park. We stopped on several occasions just to listen to the quiet and breathe.
The most magical part of our walk around Hoh Rain Forest was running into a giant Roosevelt Elk. Olympic is home to the largest wild herd of Roosevelt Elk in the Pacific Northwest. We came probably within 100 feet of it! We later learned that these elk are apparently very dangerous and we should not have been that close… a word to the wise!
Rialto Beach
The Olympic National Park coastline is approximately 73 miles – spanning from South Beach near Kalaloch Ranger Station all the way up to Shi Shi Beach near Ozette. We chose near the middle and visited Rialto Beach.
End your day with a stroll to Hole-in-the Wall, a unique rock formation that looks like… well, a hole in the wall! The coolest part was planning our walk during low tide, when we could walk several hundred feet into where the ocean would normally be. We even snoozed on some rocks on the beach. Incredible.
There are other beaches in Olympic National Park that you could consider visiting. The other most popular beach is Ruby Beach.
Three Days in Olympic National Park
Getting to experience Olympic National Park on this 3-day itinerary was spectacular. We think it’s the perfect amount of time in Olympic National Park.
But Olympic National Park is massive and we could have probably spent 3 more days there. There’s an entire south end of the park that we did not truly get the chance to explore, and it’s a place we will definitely go back to at some point in our lives.
After 3 days of driving, hiking, and exploring the different areas of the park, we were exhausted. From Olympic, we made our way back to Seattle, to continue our Washington National Parks road trip.
Next is how we’d spend two days in Olympic National Park and how we would take day trip to Olympic NP!
2 Day Olympic National Park Itinerary
If we had to do 2 days in Olympic National Park, here is what we would recommend.
Spend your first day exploring Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent. These areas of the park will allow you to see the mountain ranges that make Olympic so special.
Spend your second day exploring the Hoh Rain Forest and Olympic’s coastlines.
Between these two areas, you will see the very best of Olympic National Park!
Day 1: Visit Hurricane Ridge and Hike Mount Storm King
This was by far our favorite part of the park. Peering over the Olympic range via the Hurricane Hill trail was by itself worth the trip to Olympic. Pairing this day with a hike up to Mount Storm King would give you two of the most spectacular views in the park.
We would end our day by the Lake Crescent Lodge and enjoy the serene state of Lake Crescent.
Day 2: Explore Hoh Rain Forest and Rialto or Ruby Beach
On your second day, drive over to the Hoh Rain Forest and explore the nature trails. Hoh is one of the most famous sections of the park and is a must-visit if you have 2 days to explore.
One Day in Olympic National Park Itinerary
Even if you have less time than one night in the park, you can still plan an amazing trip.
If we only had one day of exploring in Olympic National Park, we’d prioritize visiting two places in the following order:
- Hoh Rain Forest
- Hurricane Ridge
Start your day with the Hoh Rain Forest – one of Olympic National Park’s most popular areas. If you arrive early, you are less likely to face a line to get in. There is limited parking near Hoh Rain Forest, which is why we think you should visit here first.
You can explore the entirety of the Hoh Rain Forest in about 2 hours.
Then make your way over to Hurricane Ridge. This drive will take you about 2.5 hours – more if you make a stop in Forks or Port Angeles for lunch.
The Hurricane Ridge area is a bit larger and you are more likely to find parking even in the middle of the day. You can spend a few hours exploring the area. You can of course hike Hurricane Hill, but you can walk the Meadow Trails just behind where the visitor center used to be.
The Meadow Trails area includes the Cirque Rim Trail, High Ridge Trail, and Sunrise Point. These paths are a fairly easy way to continue to enjoy the Hurricane Ridge area!
Spending one day in the park will be worth your time if you’re able to hit these two incredible areas! Hurricane Hill and the Hoh Rain Forest will give you the best day at Olympic.
How to Get to Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is located in the far northwest peninsula of Washington State. Olympic Highway 101 is the primary highway that gets you to the entrances of the park, visitor centers, and main attractions at Olympic. Most visitors start their trip in Port Angeles, WA and it is relatively easy to get to Olympic.
Olympic National Park from Seattle
The biggest city near Olympic National Park is Seattle. The primary way to get from Seattle to Olympic via a car is to drive through Tacoma, WA.
The route will take you down I-5 south to Tacoma, then back up through WA-16 and WA-3 to Port Gamble. You will then take WA-104, which turns into Olympic Highway 101 until you reach Port Angeles, WA!
It takes approximately 2.5 hours to get from Seattle to Olympic National Park.
Mount Rainier to Olympic National Park
If you are coming from Mount Rainier as part of a road trip, you can expect the drive to take between 3-4 hours. It depends on which “side” of Mount Rainier you are starting from.
If you are starting from Ashford or Longmire, the drive will be around 3 hours. If you are starting from the Sunrise side of Mount Rainier, the drive will be closer to 4 hours.
We stayed in Ashford during our trip to Mount Rainier National Park – which we would highly recommend. We drove up from Ashford to Tacoma and then took the exact same route listed above to get to Port Angeles!
Where to Stay in Olympic National Park
The two best nearby towns to Olympic are Port Angeles and Forks, WA. Port Angeles is located in the northern section of the park, closer to Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent. Forks is located on the western side of the park and provides easier access to the Hoh Rain Forest.
Port Angeles to Olympic
Port Angeles is a cute coastal town on the northern part of Olympic National Park. It is less than a 10 minute drive from Port Angeles to the Olympic National Park visitor center, which is the first entrance to the park.
It is about a 40 minute drive from Port Angeles up to the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center (which sadly experienced a significant and damaging fire in May of 2023).
Staying in or near Port Angeles would be our recommendation because it is centrally located to some of the main attractions of Olympic National Park. Plus, it’s only about 1.5 hours to the La Push Beaches and other west side activities.
A popular place to stay in Port Angeles is the Olympic Lodge. This deluxe lodge is often rated as the #1 place to stay in Port Angeles
Something we remember from our drives through Port Angeles were the amount of coffee shops available! We personally loved The Coffee Cottage off Olympic highway 101 between Port Angeles and Lake Crescent.
Forks to Olympic
Forks is on the western side of Olympic National Park. This will give you much easier access to the main attractions on the west side of the park – the Hoh Rain Forest and coastline beaches.
The drive between Forks and the Hoh Rain Forest takes about 40 minutes. And the drive between Forks and the La Push Beaches is only about 20 minutes.
If you are more interested in exploring the western section of the park, then you will want to stay in Forks!
Camping in Olympic National Park
We camped at the Fairholme Campground on Lake Crescent during our 3 days in Olympic National Park. This was a beautiful campsite that gave us access to some incredible hikes and drives.
There are 15 total campsites in Olympic National Park. They are a mixture of first-come, first-served and reservation only. We always try to camp inside the national park whenever possible. The campsites usually have essential amenities (namely, access to clean water) and are well-kept by the NPS.
Reminder to always check the NPS website for up-to-date information on closures or weather impacting the campsites.
Time to Visit Olympic National Park!
Olympic National Park is one of the best national parks in the US we have yet visited. Getting a chance to explore this corner of the Olympic peninsula was a treat that we will not soon forget!
In our opinion, the best places to see were Hurricane Hill, Lake Crescent, and the Hoh Rain Forest. These areas highlight the very best of Olympic! The rest of the park, however, is worth exploring and we hope you get at least 3 days there.
Olympic was a bucket-list trip for us. There is something magical about being able to see so many different ecosystems all in one park. It truly feels like the best place to explore the Olympic peninsula.
We did our best to plan the perfect Olympic National Park itinerary for you. We can’t for you to plan your trip and go to Olympic National Park! Email us at [email protected] to tell us all about it!
