Gulch Guides

Quick and Dirty Guide to the Olympic Peninsula

Introduction
The chunk of land that hangs off the western part of Washington State is a place of staggering beauty. Separated from the mainland by Puget Sound, the Olympic Peninsula is home to rugged, glacier-capped mountains, lush rainforests, Victorian architecture, remote beaches, and unique wildlife. Traveling to this area can be an exercise in exploring the remote wilderness of the Olympic National Park, enjoying the casual luxuries of art galleries and bed and breakfasts in Port Townsend, or soaking up the down home comforts of various cafes and stores in the small logging and fishing towns that dot the area.

For two years, my girlfriend Jen lived in Victoria, BC while I lived in Portland, Oregon. During this time period, we’d meet up at Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula and spend a few days together exploring the area. We hiked, we camped, we froze, we got rained on, we got sunburned, we swam, we went for coffee, we watched movies, and we visited museums.

The Olympic Peninsula is an amazing corner of the world with a diversity of ecology, biology, geography, and activities that do not exist so close together anywhere else in the world that I've visited. This isn't, by far, a complete guide to everything to do in the area. Instead, like everything on this site, it's a listing of our favorite things - those activities and places to which we found ourselves returning time after time.

Getting Around

The best and most enjoyable way to explore the Peninsula is by foot on a forest trail; however traveling by car is definitely the most practical. Highway 101 loops around the Peninsula and is a perfect way to explore the various regions of the area.

My suggestion for an itenary is to begin your tour in Olympia, Washington (I-5 exit 104), head north along the Hood Canal, circle around the Olympic National Park (ONP) to the north, pass through Port Angeles and along Lake Crescent, and then loop down the western side passing through Forks and along the Pacific Ocean until you hit Gray’s Harbor in Aberdeen. From there, take Highway 8 east along the southern part of the Peninsula back to Olympia and you’re back where you started.

If you're stuck without a car, Clallam Transit and Jefferson Transit provides bus transportation between various towns on the Peninsula.

Eastern Peninsula: The Hood Canal Area

Highway 101 from Olympia to Port Townsend

It’s about a two-hour straight drive from Olympia to Port Angeles (or PA as the locals call it). A good portion of the highway snakes along the shores of the Hood Canal, an inlet of the Puget Sound, and there are many scenic places to explore. Here are a few of our favorites places to stop:

• Dosewallips State Park is a huge park (425 acres) with both a saltwater shoreline on Hood Canal and a freshwater shoreline on either side of the Dosewallips River. If you're in the mood for camping, the park also has over 130 year-round camp sites.

• The Geoduck Café and Tavern (just south of Doeswallips State Park) is popular with locals and travelers alike and it has great views of the water.

• Seal Rock Campground is a nice, little campground that runs along the shore of the Hood Canal. It's rocky beach is a good place to stretch your legs, skip some rocks, and spend some quality time out of the car.

• Falls View Campground has a nice short walk to the viewspot of a pretty waterfall on the Big Quilcene River. For a longer walk, follow the path downhill to the bottom of the falls and then stroll for as long as you like along the banks of the river.

• Fat Smitty’s, which is located at the exit to Port Townsend, can’t be missed. Look for the large wooden statue of a, well, fat man who I presume to be Fat Smitty himself. This is a great place to stop for amazing homemade milkshakes.

• There's also a great photo stop 0.8 miles past the exit for Port Townsend. As you drive, look to your right. After you pass a railroad café, you’ll see a broken down house or factory on a dock. The ramshackle structure seems to be slowly sinking into the mud flats and waters beneath it and, in the hands of a skilled photographer, it's a scene that captures a bit of the essence of the Pacific Northwest.
  

The Northern Peninsula: Port Townsend to Hurricane Ridge

Port Townsend

Port Townsend (called PT by the locals) has transcended its hard working shipping-port history to become a classy tourist destination. It’s a cute town and the best thing to do here is to just hang out and walk round. PT's entire business district has been restored and was declared a national landmark in the late 1970's. The downtown waterfront and business district are home to lots of art galleries and coffee shops, while the neighborhoods are filled with Victorian architecture.

The Rose Theater, built in 1907, is a great place to see a movie on a rainy day.

Accomodations:

Many of the local mansions have been converted to bed and breakfasts, making PT B&B central. In winter or the low season, you can often find good bargains. However, in the summer, the rates soar higher than the nearby mountains.

A great budget option is the Olympic Hostel in nearby Fort Wooden State Park. Consider also staying in Port Angeles or taking advantage of the great camping options that are close by.

Personally, we’ve also stayed at the Manresa Castle (again, check for cheap rates in the off season) and highly recommend it. The lounge is great for a drink.

Dungeness Recreation Area

This often overlooked recreation area near the town of Sequim is worth a stop. It is home to the longest natural sand spit in the U.S. (the Dungeness Spit) and is a great place to go hiking.

Hurricane Ridge

When you stand on Hurricane Ridge, it feels like you might be on top of the world. Ninety-five percent of Olympic National Park has been designated Wilderness and, when it's clear out, it seems like you can see most of it from the top of ridge. The highway from Port Angeles is a windy 17 miles long that gains close to a mile in altitude. If you don’t have time to go backpacking, you might just drive to the top of the Ridge, where you can pick up lots of short or long day hikes [pdf]. Most trails go along the ridge and offer fabulous views of the Olympic Mountains, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Vancouver Island - if you get a clear day. However, it's not unusual for the ridge to be socked in by clouds. In winter, there can be treacherous driving, but there’s actually a cool snowboarding/ski area at the top of the ridge (surely, one of the very few chairlifts inside a national park).

Port Angeles

Port Angeles (PA) is less polished and more authentic than its neighbor Port Townsend. It still has a working port and lumber mill and a large local population. Its downtown, though, is charming and filled with lots of public art and sculptures. Located between the cold waters of the Straight of Juan de Fuca to the north and the Olympic Mountains looming to the south, PA is surrounded by natural beauty. Its location also makes it an ideal place to stay while exploring the northern part of the Peninsula or while waiting to take a ferry to Victoria.

There is a very nice info center by the Victoria ferry terminal whose staff provide great tips and suggestions of things local to check out. The info center also offers a detailed walking guide brochure to all of the public art. Even if you don’t pick up the brochure, be sure to keep an eye out for numerous sculptures and murals around town.

From the ferry terminal and on the other side of the mall, the large blue city pier serves as a public focal point for the city. On the pier is a viewing tower that is worth the climb and the Arthur D. Feiro Marine Life Center. The Science Center is small but does a good job of teaching the biology of the local marine animals – plus it gives opportunities to actually touch some of them as well. The city pier is home to numerous concerts and festivals in the summer.

Next to the pier is Hollywood beach (which is marked by the ever present “Beach Logs Can Be Dangerous” sign). At the corner of the pier and beach is the Waterfront Trail, which follows the shoreline for 6.5 miles and makes for a great afternoon stroll.

In town, for a great view, climb to the top of the stairs at the fountain at the intersection of Front and Laurel Streets.

Restaurants and Other Food

There are quite a few options for eating out in PA. These are the few restaurants we have visited enough to recommend:

• Dynasty (136 East First / 360-452-8687) is your typical Chinese restaurant: cheap, good, and filling. The staff is always friendly.

• Fiesta Jalisco (636 East Front / 360-452-3928) is a fairly authentic Mexican place a few blocks east of the Royal Victorian Hotel. The food is good and the margaritas are served cold.

• Mama’s Bakery (215 S. Lincoln / 360-457-3585) was formally known as Bonnie’s and serves sandwiches, soup and coffee in a cool old building.

• Country-Aire Natural Foods (117 East First / 360-452-7175) is a health food store which has a decent selection of vegetarian supplies, but not much in the way of prepared foods.

• In the summer, the freshest food can be found at the Port Angeles Farmer Market downtown.

• There’s also both a Safeway & Albertsons Foods in town.

Cafes and Pubs

Peak’s Brew Pub (130 S. Lincoln / 360-452-2802) has a good assortment of Northwest microbrews on tap, including some strong, good stuff that they make themselves. The pub is cozy and laid back with a friendly staff that will make a visitor wish they lived in Port Angeles so they could make Peak’s their regular spot. The owners take a lot of pride in both their beer and their chili, so you should take in a whole meal while you're there - you won’t be sorry.

At night, the Other Side (130 East Front) is a tried and true sports bar with coin-operated pool, darts, and occasionally random music and live DJ shows. Irish Jack's (134 W Front), down the street is a more up-scale (for PA) place to hang out and listen to music.

To get your caffeine and Internet fix at the same time, be sure to check out the Olympic Coffeehouse & Internet Café (133 E First St). It’s a high tech, sophisticated place that seems like it would be more at home in Urban Seattle than PA.

Accommodations

In the off-season, Port Angeles is filled with great, cheap deals. During the summer, plan on camping or staying at a hostel. Our favorite places to stay in PA are:

• The Flagstone Hotel (415 East First / 360 457-9494), 3 blocks from the ferry terminal, is our favorite place to stay when we are in town. Outside of a hostel, it is one of the cheapest place in town and has a pool and sauna. Need we say more?

• The Royal Victorian(521 East First / 360-452-8400) is next door and offers wi-fi but lacks in places to wear a swimsuit. Both of these hotels are inexpensive, clean and secure.

• Thortown (316 North Race / 360-452-0931) is a great hostel. It’s casual, comfortable, and cheap.

North Peninsula: West of Port Angeles

Salt Creek Recreation Area

Salt Creek has some of the best camping, tide-pooling, eagle-viewing, and beach combing in the area. It contains 90 campsites – many catering to RV’s. However, follow the road past the RV area to where it enters a thick forest, and you'll find great spots for tent camping. Staircases lead down to the water where you can walk along rocky headlands or sandy beaches. There are also some old concrete remnants of a WWII bunker to explore. Coin operated showers are available and if you've been camping or in the back woods for a while, they alone are worth the stop.

To reach Salt Creek, take Highway 112 west from PA, turn north onto Camp Hayden Road, near milepost 54. Travel approximately 3-1/2 miles until you see the sign. In the summer, the camp spots can fill up early.

Joyce General Store

The Joyce General Store (16 miles west of P.A. on Highway 112) was built at the turn of the century and has kept it's old world charm. It still has a false front, beaded ceiling, oiled wood floors, and original fixtures. It's great for a quick stop to pick up supplies or unique souvenirs.

Elwha River Valley and Olympic Hot Springs

The Olympic Hot Springs (on the Boulder Creek Trail) are some of the more beautiful and scenic natural hot springs in the Northwest. The springs are a series of rock-lined pools on the side mountain and tucked away in a lush forest. Be warned that they get very busy in the summer and are best visited in the off winter season. If fact, if you are visiting the Peninsula during the high season, the hot springs are probably not worth the crowds. Skiing or snow hiking to the springs in winter is especially fun. Camping at the nearby campgrounds also makes for a great overnight adventure.

To reach the springs, travel west on Route 101 from Port Angeles, then turn left onto Olympic Hot Springs Road, just before 101 crosses the Elwha River. Drive past the Elwha Ranger Station and enter Olympic National Park. Keep going as the rough road climbs up the mountain. It’s about 9 miles from the turn-off on 101 to the trailhead. The last 4 miles of the Olympic Hot Springs Road is subject to periodic closure in the off season due to snow or blow downs.

Park when you get to the end of the road or when you reach barricades marking the start of the unplowed section and start skiing or hiking. Continue along the trail (which follows the old road), towards the Boulder Creek Campground. When you get to the Boulder Creek campground. Follow a path to the creek and cross over on the bridge. The hot-spring pools extend downstream from the bridge. In the summer it’s a pretty easy 2.5 mile walk to the springs. In the winter, depending on where the road is closed, the hike/ski trip will more likely be 5 to 7 miles.

The Elwha River Valley [pdf] is a great scenic area of the park and it's worth taking time to explore. It's also much better explored on foot than by car, and luckily, there are lots of nice trails and hiking in the area, including the 29 mile Elwha River Trail. The Elwha Campground is a nice place to spend a night. It has 40 sites and is open year round.

Sol Duc

For the less adventurous hot-springs seeker, check out Sol Duc Hot Springs, a developed resort where you can stay overnight, or stop in for a soak during the day (although the $10.75 entry fee is expensive). Excellent camping at the nearby Sol Duc campground is nearby. It has 82 spots and no RV hook-ups (which is a good thing) but it does fill up in the summer. There are numerous hiking trails that leave from the area.

Lake Crescent

As you drive west, you can’t help but notice the shimmering, clear waters of Lake Crescent [pdf] as 101 hugs it’s shores. The lake has beautiful clear water and is warm enough to swim in comfortably in the summer. One of our favorite swimming holes can by found by hiking the Spruce Railroad Trail. East Beach is also a great place to swim.

The Lake Crescent Lodge rents boats and the Storm King Ranger Station is the starting place for some great day hikes. The Marymere Falls (2 miles) and Mount Storm King (6.5 miles) trails are worth checking out.

The West Peninsula: Lake Ozette to Aberdeen

Lake Ozette

Lake Ozette is the 3rd largest lake in Washington. In the summer, this 8-by-5-mile natural lake is warm enough to swim in. It’s located within the coastal strip of Olympic National Park and is a stone’s throw to the ocean. The small 15 site campground often fills up.

Lake Ozette is home to our favorite hike in the park. For day hikers, there’s a great 9-mile loop hike that includes six miles of walking on a boardwalk through the lush forest and 3 miles of sand hiking along the coast (The Cape Alvera to Sand Point Loop).

For an amazing two or three day backpacking trip on the North Coast, you can extend your adventure and hike from Lake Ozette to Mora Campground at Rialto Beach, 19 miles to the south (backcountry permits and reservations required). The hike, sometimes referred to as the Shipwreck Coast Trail, is mostly on the beach and you’ll see few people but lots of wildlife, including bears, seals, crabs, and eagles. It is one of the more spectacular hikes in the Pacific Northwest.

La Push, Mora, and the Coast

The small town of La Push is a bit off the beaten trail, but well worth a visit. It’s on a Native American reservation (Quileute), and has a beautiful deserted beach, where (supposedly) you can camp with a permit from the reserve office. South of La Push, First, Second, and Third Beaches are each unique and worth exploring.

The nearby Mora Campground has 95 secluded spots that are only a short walk to the beach. Mora is also the starting or ending point for the 18 mile hike to Sand Point at Lake Ozette. For a great day hike, walk north along the beach for 1.5 miles to beautiful Rialto Beach and Hole-in-the-Wall, an ocean carved tunnel in the rocky headlands.

Hoh Rain Forest

On the west side, another great place to check out is the area around the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center. If you didn’t think rain forests existed on our continent, you’ll be amazed. This is the true rain forest – lush and green and wet. The forest is a thick, tangled green living mass, full of moss above and pools of water below. There are a couple of great day hikes and nature trails [pdf] in this area – be sure to check out the Hall of Mosses and the Spruce Nature Trail. For backpacking, the Hoh River Trail follows the Hoh River for 17 miles to Blue Glacier (permits required). After hiking the 17 miles, you can, of course, brag that you saw the Hoh damn forest.

Other Advice and Resources for Visiting The Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park

Bring a raincoat no matter what time of year. In the summer, there’s no reason not to camp; however, be warned that many campgrounds fill up. Some take reservations and it’s worth making them in the summer.

Get away from your car and into the backcountry. Since Olympic National Park is 95% wilderness, it's hard to really see much of the park without hiking. Furthermore, there’s a law of physics for all national parks (the 2-80 Law) that states if you can hike two miles away from the parking lot, you'll get away from 80% of the people.

Here are some resources to help you plan your visit:

• Here’s the National Park page for day hikes in the park (and their official list [pdf] of day hike trails).

• Here’s the official list of campgrounds in Olympic National Park.

• Here’s the National Park page for general backcountry and wilderness camping. Here's their list of wilderness trails and information on the Wilderness Information Center, which provides the required permits, maps, and bear-proof food canisters.
  

• Here’s the current conditions on most trails in the Park.

• You can also find some more of my photos from this area on my photoblog.

Have a great trip!