Best time to travel in Olympic National Park?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with 2015-2024 averages
Best time: June to September
Best avoided if possible: November to April (less pleasant weather or big crowds).
Temperatures and rainfall: 1991-2020 normals from the Port Angeles station, NOAA data (public domain).
Very wet oceanic climate on the western slopes, the rainiest region in the contiguous United States with more than 3,500 mm of rain a year in the valleys, but dry, mild summers from July to September; snow on the ridges from November to May. The best time to visit Olympic National Park is June, July, August and September, with temperatures reaching 20-23°C (July). By contrast, January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December are generally less favourable (less pleasant weather or big crowds, depending on the destination), though a trip is still possible with a bit of planning. In high season, book early: prices and visitor numbers climb fast.
Go against the flow. To avoid the crowds without sacrificing too much on the weather, aim for May and October: the crowds thin out, prices drop too, and the climate stays pleasant.
Do these months appeal to you? See what's best elsewhere too: where to go in June · where to go in July · where to go in August · where to go in September.
At a glance
Why go to Olympic National Park?
Olympic National Park brings three parks together in one. At its centre, the Olympic Mountains, an isolated range that no road crosses, rise to Mount Olympus, 2,432 metres, covered in glaciers. On the western slopes, the Pacific winds drop more rain than anywhere else in the contiguous United States, and the Hoh, Quinault and Queets valleys shelter temperate rainforests where the trees exceed 70 metres. Finally, to the west, 117 km of wild coast line up pebble beaches, driftwood and rock stacks.
The park was created in 1938 by Franklin Roosevelt, from a national monument established in 1909 by Theodore Roosevelt to protect the elk that now bear his name, and it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. Its peninsula, long isolated, is also the territory of eight Native American nations, including the Makah of Neah Bay and the Quileute of La Push, who have lived from fishing here for millennia and keep their culture alive in their museums and their festivals.
Finally, the park is explored as a road trip. Highway 101 loops around it for 530 km, and each valley is reached by a dead-end road from this loop: you sleep in Port Angeles to the north, in Forks to the west, on the shores of Lake Crescent or Lake Quinault in historic lodges, or in Kalaloch facing the ocean. Seattle is only two and a half hours away via the ferry, and Victoria, in Canada, 90 minutes by boat from Port Angeles, which lets you combine the park with two cities in a week.
Tourist map of Olympic National Park: what's where?
The map below pinpoints the 6 places covered in this guide: a handy way to picture the distances between each stop and plan your route in Olympic National Park.
- Port Angeles
- Hurricane Ridge
- Lake Crescent
- Hoh Rain Forest
- Rialto Beach
- Lake Quinault
How much does a trip to Olympic National Park cost in 2026? Budget calculator
Estimate your budget for Olympic National Park based on your travel style: accommodation, meals, activities and local transport included (flights excluded). Adjust the length and the number of travellers, and the totals update.
Totals for all travellers over the chosen length; the daily amount is per person. Flights extra, indicative amounts to adjust depending on the season.
Cards are accepted at the park entrances, in the lodges and at petrol stations; carry some cash for small shops and markets. Prices are shown before tax, so add around 9% tax on purchases and more on hotel rooms. Olympic National Park is not one of the parks subject to the $100 (about €86) surcharge for non-resident visitors: only the entrance fee, $30 per vehicle for seven days, about €26, applies.
Safety in Olympic National Park: should you be worried?
The park's main dangers are the ocean and the weather. On the coast, the rising tide traps walkers between the waves and the cliffs every year: check the tide tables before any walk and never round a rocky headland when the tide is coming in. Driftwood logs roll with the waves and cause serious injuries, so do not sit on them when the sea is rough. The Pacific stays at 10-12°C and swimming is not advised. In the mountains, the weather changes quickly, snow lingers on high trails until July and fog cuts visibility. Black bears and cougars live in the park, posing no danger if you store your food properly and never run from a cougar. There is no phone signal in most of the valleys and along the coast, so tell someone your itinerary. The nearest hospitals are in Port Angeles, Forks and Aberdeen. Insurance covering medical care in the United States is essential.
Things to see and do in Olympic National Park
Our first-hand favourites, and the great classics:
- Hurricane Ridge
- Hoh Rain Forest
- Lake Crescent
- Sol Duc Falls
- Rialto Beach
- Ruby Beach
- Lake Quinault
- Cape Flattery
What to book before you go to Olympic National Park →
🧭 Discover the Olympic National Park itinerary, day by dayMap, timings, budget and where to stay: free to access, to fit your dates. Create my tailor-made itinerary →Port Angeles and Hurricane Ridge
Port Angeles, a small port town of 20,000 people facing the Strait of Juan de Fuca, is the park's northern gateway, with the main visitor centre, hotels, restaurants and the ferry to Victoria. The Hurricane Ridge road leaves the town and climbs in 45 minutes to 1,598 metres, onto a ridge of meadows from which you can see the whole range. West of the town, the Elwha Valley has regained its salmon since its two dams were demolished between 2011 and 2014, the largest project of its kind in the world.
Lake Crescent and the Sol Duc Valley
30 minutes west of Port Angeles, Lake Crescent stretches its 19 km of blue water between the mountains, with its 1915 lodge, its kayaks and the trail to Marymere Falls. Just beyond, a road runs up the Sol Duc Valley to the hot springs and Sol Duc Falls, in an old-growth forest of hemlock and fir. Both areas can be done in a day. The Spruce Railroad Trail, a paved former railway line, follows the north shore of the lake on foot or by bike.
The Hoh Rain Forest
At the end of a 30 km road that leaves the 101 south of Forks, the Hoh Valley is the park's most famous area. The Hall of Mosses and the Spruce Nature Trail show, in an hour or two, the moss-covered maples and giant spruces, while the Hoh River Trail runs up the valley for 28 km to the Blue Glacier, at the foot of Mount Olympus, for hikers equipped to camp. Forks, the nearest town, lives off logging and fans of the Twilight saga, which is set there.
The north coast: Rialto, La Push and Cape Flattery
Around La Push, on the Quileute reservation, the beaches of Rialto, First Beach, Second Beach and Third Beach line up pebbles, driftwood and rock stacks. Second Beach is reached by a 1.1 km forest trail, and Rialto leads to the Hole-in-the-Wall arch at low tide. Further north, outside the park, the Makah reservation at Neah Bay leads to Cape Flattery, the north-western tip of the country, and to Lake Ozette, starting point of a 15 km boardwalk loop to the ocean, with petroglyphs on the rocks at Wedding Rocks.
Kalaloch and Ruby Beach
On the south coast, Highway 101 finally runs along the ocean for about twenty kilometres between Ruby Beach and Kalaloch. The beaches, numbered Beach 1 to Beach 4, are reached by short trails, with tide pools at Beach 4 and the Tree of Life, a spruce suspended by its roots above a ravine, near Kalaloch campground. Kalaloch Lodge and its cabins perched on the bluff are the only accommodation on this stretch of coast, to be booked well in advance for sunset over the ocean.
Lake Quinault and the south
In the south-west of the peninsula, Lake Quinault is surrounded by another rainforest, less visited than the Hoh, with the historic 1926 lodge, the world's largest Sitka spruce and a 50 km loop road around the lake and the valley where elk graze. The wilder Queets and Graves Creek valleys are reached by gravel roads. To the south-east, the Staircase area and Hood Canal offer quick access from Seattle and Olympia.
How many days, and which itinerary in Olympic National Park?
Three days let you see Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, the Hoh and one beach. Five days take you right round the peninsula on Highway 101, with Sol Duc, Rialto, Ruby Beach and Lake Quinault. A week adds Cape Flattery, Lake Ozette and a multi-day hike.
🗺️ Day-by-day Olympic National Park itinerary · 📓 Printable Olympic National Park travel guide (PDF) · 🌍 Discover all of the American West
The essentials (3 days)
Day 1: from Seattle, the ferry to Bainbridge and the road to Port Angeles, the drive up to Hurricane Ridge and a walk on Hurricane Hill in the late afternoon. Day 2: Lake Crescent and Marymere Falls in the morning, the Sol Duc Valley with its falls and a soak in the hot springs, a night in Forks. Day 3: the Hoh forest at 8am, then Ruby Beach and Kalaloch, and back to Seattle via Aberdeen and Olympia, or a night on site.
Round the peninsula (5 days)
Two nights in Port Angeles for Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent and Sol Duc. A night in Forks or La Push for Rialto Beach and Hole-in-the-Wall at low tide, then the Hoh the next morning. A night at Kalaloch Lodge for Ruby Beach at sunset, and a last one at Lake Quinault for the rainforest and the lake loop. Return to Seattle via Olympia, about 3 hours.
Olympic, Victoria and Seattle (8 days)
Two nights in Seattle, then the peninsula in four nights, from Port Angeles to Lake Quinault via Cape Flattery and Lake Ozette for a 15 km boardwalk loop to the ocean. Head back up to Port Angeles and take the Coho ferry for two nights in Victoria, capital of British Columbia, with its Butchart Gardens and its harbour. Return to Seattle on the Coho and by road, or on the fast Victoria Clipper boat if you returned your hire car in Port Angeles before crossing. A valid passport, plus an ESTA if you travel under the Visa Waiver Program, is required to cross the border twice.
How to get to Olympic National Park and get around?
From Europe, Air France flies non-stop from Paris to Seattle in about 10 hours 30 minutes. From Seattle, the state ferry to Bainbridge Island, or to Kingston from Edmonds, crosses Puget Sound in 30 to 35 minutes, then the road reaches Port Angeles in an hour and a half. Allow two and a half to three hours in all, longer at the ferry's peak times, as these routes cannot be booked.
A car is essential: no practical public transport serves the park's areas. Hire one at Seattle airport, €50-90 a day. Highway 101 loops around the peninsula for 530 km, and each valley is reached by a dead-end road of 20 to 30 km: often allow an hour between two sites.
The Coho ferry links Port Angeles with Victoria, in Canada, in 90 minutes, $25 per foot passenger, about €22, with reservations advised for cars in summer. A small airline also links Port Angeles with Seattle, but schedules change often, so check before relying on it.
Petrol stations are in Port Angeles, Forks, Sequim, Amanda Park and a few villages, never in the park's valleys: fill up before each valley. There is no phone signal along much of the coast and in the valleys, so download the maps and the park app before you set off.
Where to stay in Olympic National Park?
Four historic lodges stand in the park or at its gates: Lake Crescent Lodge of 1915, Lake Quinault Lodge of 1926, Kalaloch Lodge facing the ocean and Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort with its pools. Allow €200-450 a night in summer, to be booked six months to a year ahead; most close or scale back in winter.
Port Angeles is the best base for the north of the park, with motels and hotels from €100 to €220 a night in summer, B&Bs in Victorian houses and the ferry to Victoria. Sequim, 25 minutes to the east and sunnier, offers chain hotels and lavender fields in July.
Forks, to the west, has simple motels from €90 to €160 a night, 30 minutes from Rialto and La Push and less than an hour from the Hoh. The Quileute Oceanside Resort in La Push rents cabins facing First Beach. It is the most practical area for the coast and the rainforest.
The park's campgrounds, such as Kalaloch, Sol Duc, Hoh or Fairholme, cost $15-24 (about €13-21) a night and most are booked on Recreation.gov, several months ahead for July and August. Backcountry and coastal camping requires a permit and, on the coast, a bear canister.
Our picks stop by stop, in three price ranges →
What to eat in Olympic National Park?
The lodge restaurants serve salmon, Dungeness crab, clams and oysters from the peninsula, with mains at $25-45 (about €22-39) and a view of the lake or the ocean that justifies the address. Lake Quinault Lodge and Kalaloch Lodge have the finest dining rooms, to be booked for dinner in summer.
Port Angeles has the most choice, with breweries, seafood restaurants on the harbour and cafés. Dungeness crab, caught in the strait, is the region's speciality, and a festival is devoted to it every autumn. Sequim grows lavender and serves lavender ice creams and pastries in summer.
Forks and the coastal villages have few restaurants, often diners and grills that open early and close early, around $15-25 (about €13-22) a meal. Shop for groceries in Port Angeles or Forks, as the lodge stores are small and expensive, and picnic at the tables on the beaches and in the park's picnic areas.
Food must never be left unattended in campgrounds and on beaches: raccoons, ravens and black bears have learnt to open bags. On the coast, backpackers must store their food in a bear canister, which can be borrowed or hired at the Port Angeles visitor centre.
Which kind of traveller is it for?
Olympic National Park lends itself to a nature-focused, active and relaxing trip. Whether you travel with family, as a couple or even solo, everyone finds their own pace. For accommodation, you will mostly find lodges, classic hotels and back-to-nature camping.
Entry requirements & practical info
UK, Australian and most EU passports need an ESTA, applied for online before departure, for stays of up to 90 days; a few EU countries sit outside the Visa Waiver Program and need a full visa. Canadians need neither, only a passport. Anyone who has been to Cuba since January 2021 cannot use an ESTA and must apply for a visa.
Rules change: before you leave, check your country's official travel advice.
Once there, to stay online without paying roaming charges, an Olympic National Park eSIM activates in a few minutes and works as soon as you land (plans from €3.99). Remember suitable travel insurance too.
Frequently asked questions about Olympic National Park
When is the best time to visit Olympic National Park?
From July to September, when there is little rain, the Hurricane Ridge road and the high trails are clear and the lodges are open. June can stay damp and snowy at altitude. The rainforest is beautiful all year round, and winter draws those who love storms on the coast, but many places to stay close and some roads are restricted.
How much does it cost to enter Olympic National Park?
$30 per vehicle, about €26, valid for seven days for all occupants, or $15 (about €13) per person on foot or by bike. The park does not apply the $100 (about €86) surcharge for non-resident visitors, which is reserved for eleven major parks. The beaches and Lake Crescent have no entrance booth, but the fee is paid on the roads to Hurricane Ridge, the Hoh, Sol Duc and Staircase.
Do you need a reservation to enter Olympic National Park?
No, the park does not require a timed-entry reservation. In summer, however, the Hoh and Hurricane Ridge entrances are saturated between 9am and 5pm, with waits of one to two hours at the Hoh: arrive early or at the end of the day. The lodges and campgrounds, on the other hand, are booked months in advance.
How many days do you need in Olympic National Park?
Three days for Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, the Hoh and one beach, five to go right round the peninsula with Lake Quinault and the coast. Distances are long, the Highway 101 loop is 530 km, and each valley requires a return trip from the main road.
Can you visit Olympic National Park as a day trip from Seattle?
It is possible but exhausting: Hurricane Ridge is two and a half hours away, the Hoh four hours. An organised day tour generally covers Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent. It is better to spend at least two nights on the peninsula to see the rainforest and the coast.
Are there bears in Olympic National Park?
Yes, black bears, more discreet than Yellowstone's grizzlies, as well as cougars, which are rarely seen. Always store food in the car or in the campground lockers, and in a bear canister when camping on the coast. The animals you see most are Roosevelt elk, deer and the marmots of Hurricane Ridge.
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