Jason Betzing
The view of Lake Crescent after hiking Mt. Storm King.
Story and Photos by Jason Betzing
The Olympic Peninsula on the Pacific Coast is an amazing, diverse region with a huge focus on exploring the outdoors. After staying in the area for eight months, my wife and I highly recommend visiting this area to experience all of its natural attractions and relaxed atmosphere.
The Highlights of Olympic National Park
Hurricane Ridge
Olympic National Park is easily one of the most beautiful National Parks we have visited during our full-time travels. What makes it such a wonderful place is that among its nearly 400, 000 ha (about 1 million ac), you'll find an array of ecosystems and activities available for everyone, regardless of skill levels and abilities.
The best place to start your adventure here is the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles for information and maps. We began by driving up to Hurricane Ridge. The dramatic 29 km (18 mi) drive winds slowly up along switchbacks and through tunnels to vast overlooks of snow capped mountain ranges and the bustling Salish Sea.
Jason Betzing
An excellent vista from Hurricane Ridge.
Once at the top, the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center has washroom facilities, a gift shop and snack bar. But the viewing area is one of the main attractions and easily accessible. There are even a few hiking trails for further exploring. Hurricane Ridge Rd. is open 24 hours and is the perfect place for stargazing. We went up at night several times to photograph the Milky May, watch a full moon rise and catch a meteor shower. (*Ed note: The visitors centre has ample parking space to provide enough room to accommodate larger RVs and space to conveniently turn around. To check current conditions before your journey here visit https://www.nps.gov.)
Hoh Rainforest
The Hoh Rainforest and the Hall of Mosses trail near Forks, WA, is another amazing destination where even the best photos don't do it justice. Just imagine being surrounded by old-growth trees blending seamlessly into lush canopies of moss while vibrant ferns blanket the forest floor. There are several trails in the area but The Hall of Mosses trail is a mostly flat, 1.3 km (0.8 mi) path that’s well-maintained and easily accessible for children and seniors.
It’s always best to come early to avoid the metered entrance (with long vehicle lines during peak season) and the full parking lot. We arrived at 8 am and it was quiet with only a few other visitors. We would imagine it would be amazing around the golden hour.
Jason Betzing
The rich, lush greenery of Hoh Rainforest Hall of Mosses.
Lake Crescent
There are several freshwater lakes to discover for water activities and our favourite was Lake Crescent with its deep blue, crystal clear waters below towering mountains. While there are several turn-offs along Hwy 101 to access the lake, the Storm King Ranger Station is a great stop with restrooms, water access, a boat launch, and picnic areas. Several trailheads are also located here including the 1.4 km (.9 mi) trail to the 27 m (90 ft) Marymere Falls.
Hiking
Olympic Peninsula has excellent trail networks for all skill levels, ranging from the paved Olympic Discovery Trail to guided climbs across glaciers to the summit of Mt Olympus. We were feeling adventurous and decided to head up to Mt. Storm King. Keep in mind that this trail is not a walk in the park. It's steep, strenuous and about 8 km (5 mi) one way. About halfway up, the maintained trail leads to a steep, exposed and unmaintained ridge with stationary ropes in place to ascend and descend. Nonetheless, once we reached the top, we were rewarded with breathtaking, panoramic views.
We also took the easy route along the Spruce Railroad Trail that hugs the north shore of Lake Crescent. Once a railroad track, this 6 km (4 mi) paved trail leads through two railroad tunnels. It's a multi-use network, so bikes and pets are allowed.
Jason Betzing
A serving of excellent coffee at the Red Dog Coffee in Sequim.
Coffee Culture
If one thing is for sure in Washington State is that the locals love their coffee. You'll find delicious drive-up coffee stands pretty much everywhere and we had a lot of fun trying the many local blends. Our preferred choices were Red Dog Coffee in Sequim and Higher Grounds in Port Angeles. Both cafes have creative daily specials, plus a variety of other drinks and sugar-free options.
Olympic Game Farm
The Olympic Game Farm is an animal viewing park where you can observe animals in a tow vehicle or toad, and our favourite species included the famous waving bears and American Bison. The farm cares for several animals such as wolves and coincidentally, the area used to be a Disney property where ‘animal actors’ were trained. www.olygamefarm.com
Jason Betzing
One of the bears at the Olympic Game Farm.
Lavender Farms
Sequim, known as America's Provence, has the perfect climate for growing lavender due to the rain shadow created by the Olympic Mountains. It's home to numerous lavender farms and we were lucky enough to visit during the summer harvest season.
This was a memorable experience and provides the opportunity to learn about lavender as well as taste and try a variety of lavender-based products - the blueberry lavender ice cream, lavender Earl Gray tea, and lemon lavender shortbread cookies were the best. Just being among the vast fields of the vibrant purple plants and breathing in the refreshing scent was pure joy. www.sequimlavender.org
Jason Betzing
The luscious fields of the B&B Family Lavender farm.
Staying in the Area
There are several choices to camp in the national, state and local parks with a number of private campgrounds and a few areas to boondock. We recommend the Olympic KOA; Fort Worden State Park; and Salt Creek Recreation County Park. All are big-rig friendly with great scenery. We tried something new during our visit and found a campsite through Hipcamp (www.hipcamp.com) and stayed on a private river site with full hookups just five minutes from Sequim. We will use this resource again.
The Olympic Peninsula is a not-so-hidden gem with a lot to offer. There have been numerous books about this region and there's no way we could cover all of the natural attractions in this one article. It's one of those places we can't wait to visit again. It's truly an outdoor paradise where vibrant green forests, pristine mirror-like glacial lakes, vast snow capped mountain ranges, and rugged ocean shores are easily accessible and simply breathtaking.
Nearby Communities to Discover
Sequim
With small-town charm and several services, Sequim served as a wonderful home base to explore the area. Being in the ‘rain shadow’ means it's one of the driest places on the peninsula. The community also has a number of dining options ranging from fast food and local favourites to fine dining.
Port Angeles
This is a cool rural seaside town where you'll find charming shops, outfitters, and great dining options. It’s also where the ferry terminal can take you to and from Victoria. If you're a Twilight Movie fan, dine at Bella Italia where Edward and Bella went on their first date.
Jason Betzing
The star-lit Milky Way from Hurricane Ridge.
Port Townsend
An artistic community that has embraced its original Victorian-era seaport roots, Port Townsend is another area with great shops and dining. Be sure to visit Fort Worden State Park, which spans 175 ha (432 ac), more than 3.2 km (2 mi) of shoreline and several facilities and services. Fort Worden was once a coastal defence in World War I and II, and the grounds and buildings are open to explore. Picnic areas, day-use facilities and a campground are other highlights in the park.
Forks
The city of Forks is well-known for being the primary setting in the Twilight book series and movies. It hosts the annual Forever Twilight Forks Festival in the Fall and is also the ideal place to refuel or stock up on groceries while heading to the Hoh Rainforest. Ruby Beach and Second Beach are popular attractions. www.forkswa.com
Our Three-Day Itinerary
Day 1
We made our way out early to Forks, stopped at the Forks Outfitters for coffee and then drove to the Hoh Rainforest Hall of Mosses Trail. Afterwards, we returned to Forks to do some shopping and enjoyed lunch; we liked Sully's, which is a local diner with good food and friendly staff. In the afternoon we visited La Push to check out the beaches and enjoyed dinner in Port Angeles. Some of the other restaurants we liked included Downriggers with its waterfront dining; Firehouse for its great burgers; Little Devil's for Tex-Mex; and West Side for the fantastic pizza.
Day 2
Our second day was spent browsing the local shops in Sequim and discovering the lavender farms. Our favourites were B&B and Lavender Connection but there are others to choose from. We took a lunch break at Dockside Grill and after stopping at the Olympic Game Farm, a sunset walk in the Dungeness Recreation Area rounded out the day.
Day 3
We explored Port Townsend as well as Lake Crescent's Marymere Falls. A plan was discussed taking the ferry to Victoria but decided to save that experience for another trip.
Jason Betzing and his wife sold it all in Michigan to live their Full-Time RV dream. He retired at age 40 when they decided that winter is a drag and world travel is more fun than shovelling snow. He loves helping people by sharing authentic, first-hand experiences. Connect on Instagram @FullTimeFire, or his blog at https://www.MilesTwoGo.com