Olympic ◆ Washington
Olympic, three parks in one.
Glacier-clad peaks, temperate rainforest, and 73 miles of wild Pacific coast — one of the few American parks where you can drive between three completely different ecosystems in a day.
Field guide ◆ Olympic
Plan the trip.
Olympic National Park is essentially three parks fused into one: alpine country at Hurricane Ridge, the Hoh and Quinault temperate rainforests on the west side (the wettest place in the lower 48), and 73 miles of undeveloped Pacific coast. You can drive between them in a single day, and most visitors don't.
For 5 days: Day 1-2, Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent (alpine + glacial lake). Day 3, the Hoh Rainforest — walk the Hall of Mosses trail, then drive deeper for the Hoh River Trail. Day 4-5, Rialto Beach, Second Beach, and the Shi Shi-Point of the Arches sea-stack stretch on the coast. Backcountry permits required for the Hoh and any beach overnight.
Best window: July to early September. The rainforest gets 12-14 feet of annual rainfall — pack for damp even in summer. The coast is foggy 50% of mornings; plan around tide tables for the headland scrambles.
On the map ◆
Where you're going.
Pack the kit ◆ For Olympic
What to bring.
Trip-tested picks for this destination — gear that's earned its place across multiple visits.
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