Last updated on May 8th, 2026
Heading to Olympic National Park for the first time? This 2 day Olympic National Park itinerary shares our must-visit stops if you’re short on time!
Located on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park is one of the most diverse places in Washington! Here you’ll find snow capped mountains, lakes, beaches, waterfalls, and rainforests…all within a short drive. It encapsulates all of the scenery we love about Washington and even after countless visits, we still find ourselves in awe every time we set foot into this park.
Want to experience this magical place for yourself? This 2 day Olympic National Park itinerary is the perfect introduction to Olympic National Park if you’re short on time. It includes some of our favorite spots based on our many trips to the park and what we’d personally prioritize during a quick visit!
Before embarking on your adventure, please review the Leave No Trace principles to ensure you leave every place better than you found it, so that others can enjoy these beautiful places for many years to come!
These seven principles include planning ahead and preparing, hiking and camping on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly (pack out what you pack in!), understanding campfire rules and always fully extinguishing your fires, respecting wildlife, and being considerate of other visitors.
About this 2 day Olympic National Park itinerary
Since you’ll only have 2 days in Olympic National Park and we want you to see as much as you can, this itinerary is a bit jam packed! To make things easier, we are including the amount of hours driving and recommended amount of time for each stop to make sure you can squeeze it all in. Note: The hours driving numbers are assuming that Seattle is your starting and ending point.
If you want to slow down and spend more time at each place or go for longer hikes, we recommend either cutting some of the stops that are less appealing to you or adding on an extra day and spreading it all out. It’s impossible to enjoy everything the Olympic National Park has to offer in 2 days, but if you want the quick highlights, this Olympic National Park itinerary will give you a taste of everything the park has to offer. We have also included some additional activities if you want to extend your Olympic Peninsula road trip. There’s so many fun things to do outside of the park as well!
Looking for more ideas of things to do in Washington?
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Olympic National Park itinerary: Day 1
For the first day of this Olympic National Park itinerary you’ll get a close up look at the Olympic mountains, see a gorgeous lake surrounded by mountains, and visit some of the park’s most iconic waterfalls. But first, you need to get there!
Total hours driving: 4.5-5 hours, depending on where you choose to stay this evening.
Head to the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic National Park is located around 2-3 hours from Seattle on the Olympic Peninsula. And to get there, you can either drive or drive + take the ferry! There are three different routes to get to the Olympic Peninsula from the Seattle area: Kingston (from Edmonds), Bainbridge Island, and Bremerton. Plus a route that leaves out of Coupeville on Whidbey Island. The ferry costs vary depending on the size of your vehicle and amount of passengers. And while some ferry routes in Washington take reservations, only the Coupeville ferry does out of these options. So plan to arrive at least 30-45 minutes early to get a spot for the others!
For the first day of this Olympic National Park itinerary we suggest taking the ferry for part of the way. This will help cut out some driving, plus it’s fun and beautiful!
Which ferry you take is up to you, but if you’re coming from downtown Seattle, the Bainbridge ferry is your best bet! Make sure to get on one of the earliest ferries (by 7 AM ideally), so you have enough time to explore. To get from the Bainbridge ferry terminal to your first stop, Hurricane Ridge, it will be a little over 2 hours. If you get hungry along the way, stop by Buena Luz Bakery in Port Angeles for a pastry!
Stop #1: Hurricane Ridge
Length of stop: 1-2 hours
For your first stop in Olympic National Park, make the drive up to Hurricane Ridge! This is the most easily accessible mountainous area on the peninsula, with a steep, paved road from sea level to 5,242 feet.
At the top, you’ll be able to admire the breathtaking view of the Olympic Mountain range, visit the Olympic National Park visitor center, and maybe even see some deer. It’s absolutely incredible! And the best part? No hiking is required…the photos above were taken from the parking lot!
However, if you are doing well on time and want to add a hike to this stop, Hurricane Hill is an easy, paved hiking option. Klahhane Ridge is another hike option, but is much steeper and more difficult.
Important note: While Hurricane Ridge is typically accessible year round, it is only open Fridays-Sundays during the winter and only when safe in the spring. There are also chain requirements from November 15 through April 1. Make sure to check the Olympic National Park website for the road conditions!
Stop #2: Lake Crescent
Length of stop: 1-2 hours
Lake Crescent is a gorgeous, 650 feet deep lake (but some say it may be deeper) nestled in the mountains. We love visiting this lake for the views alone, but there is also a lot to do here!
For a quick stop, we suggest just soaking up the mountain and water views along the shore of Lake Crescent. Park by the lodge for the best views! We suggest packing a picnic lunch to enjoy here.
If you have enough time, we highly suggest making the quick and easy hike to Marymere Falls. But if you’re short on time, this could be skipped to ensure you make it to Sol Duc Falls, which we personally like better!
Another area of the lake you could check out instead is the Spruce Railroad Trail. This is an 8 mile round trip hike (or bike ride!) along an old railroad line. It is relatively flat (minus some incline at the beginning) and offers amazing views from the northern side of the lake, plus has some old railroad tunnels. We have biked the entire route, but if you’re short on time, the most popular part of the hike is Devil’s Punchbowl, only a mile in. This spot has a bridge that goes across the lake and on the right hand side is a gorgeous, still pool of bright blue water.
Stop #3: Sol Duc Falls
Length of stop: 1-1.5 hours
Sol Duc Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Washington! It is fed by the Sol Duc River, with Sol Duc being a Quileute word for “sparkling water.”
To get to the falls it’s a fun, easy hike through mossy old-growth forest, ending at a wooden bridge. From this bridge you get a head on view of the three prong waterfall, which plunges over rocks into a dramatic gorge, with clear, blue water. It’s extremely photogenic and unlike any other waterfall in the park!
Important note: The road to Sol Duc Falls is 14 miles off the highway and closes during the winter season, typically reopening sometime in March. Check the road status before you go!
Where to stay
For this Olympic National Park itinerary we suggest staying near Lake Crescent, Sol Duc Falls, or Forks, which will be convenient after the first day of your trip and to start your second day. While you could stay in Port Angeles, it would require some backtracking at the end of the day and more driving the second day.
If you want to camp, we suggest camping at the Sol Duc Campground (March-October) or Fairholme Campground (May-September) for a more developed campground.
For free camping, there is a dispersed camping area along Forest Road 29. Bear Creek Campground is another option, which does require a Discover Pass ($10/day). To find other free camping spots, check out our guide to free camping in the US!
If you don’t want to camp, a hotel will be your next best bet, since it’s only for one night. Lake Crescent Lodge, Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, or Woodland Inns are all convenient picks!
Regardless of where you stay, dining options are very limited. If you stay near Forks, River’s Edge Restaurant, Salty Heifer’s Burger Shack, or Sully’s Drive-In will be your best options. Otherwise, we suggest grabbing food from the store to eat or cooking at camp.
Olympic National Park Itinerary: Day 2
For the final day of this Olympic National Park itinerary you will explore the rainforest and the coast, before heading back to Seattle. Dining options are limited, so we suggest making some camping coffee and eating something quick before hitting the road. And make sure to pack a lunch too!
Total hours driving: 5-6.5 hours. The map above assumes you stay close to Forks. It also includes both Rialto and Ruby beaches, to give you an idea of where everything is in relation to each other. Your exact route and hours of driving will depend on where you stayed and which beach you choose.
Stop #1: The Hoh Rainforest
Length of stop: 1-2 hours
This morning, head to the Hoh Rainforest! This is one of the largest temperate rainforests in the US and is absolutely magical! The trees are covered in this bright green moss and runs along the river, making you feel like you’ve stepped into a fairytale.
One of the best things about the Hoh Rainforest is that it is super easy to access and explore. You could walk for just 30 minutes and get to experience the beauty. Some of the short hikes we’d recommend are the Hall of the Mosses trail (0.8 miles round trip) and the Spruce Nature trail (1.2 miles).
This is also a great place to go backpacking due to the many campsites and relatively flat elevation. We took our first ever backpacking trip here and had a blast!
Note: Parking can be tough here on the weekends, holidays, and in the summer. The parking lot tends to fill up by 10 AM, which is why we suggest coming here first today. Make sure to arrive by 8 AM to not have a hard time getting a spot!
Want to get 30% off an AllTrails Plus membership? Use our code aplusk30 (you must redeem this code on the website, not the app)!
We use AllTrails Plus on every single hike and it is the most helpful hiking tool out there! Some of the features we love are offline maps (so we can navigate even without cell service), wrong-turn alerts, and its 3D maps feature, so we can get a feel for trails before we hike.
Stop #2: Ruby Beach OR Rialto Beach
And now it’s time to experience the coast at Olympic National Park! There are many beaches you can visit, but which beach you choose depends a bit on what you’re looking for. Here are our two favorites to consider!
Ruby Beach
Length of stop: 1-2 hours
Ruby Beach is one of our favorite beaches in Olympic National Park if you want a quick stop! From the parking lot (which has probably 20-25 spots), you follow a short and slightly steep trail down to the beach. The trail takes about 5-10 minutes and across a bunch of driftwood, so if uneven ground is challenging for you, you may have a more difficult time with this hike.
But once at the beach, there is tons of driftwood to explore, sea stacks, and what feels like an endless beach to walk on. Plus, its dog friendly! We have visited here many times, all throughout different times of the year and it has never felt overly crowded to us. But make sure to arrive early to get parking!
We suggest exploring this beach for a while and eating your picnic lunch. If you can, try to visit at low tide if possible to see some cool sea life (you can check the tide schedule here).
Rialto Beach
Length of stop: 2-3 hours
Another amazing beach to check out at Olympic National Park is Rialto Beach! We suggest choosing this beach if you’ll be visiting close to low tide so you can hike to Hole in the Wall. This hike is 3.3 miles round trip along the beach and is overall a pretty straightforward walk on the beach. However there is a creek crossing obstacle along the way. To get past this, we walked across a log, but depending on the water levels and log availability, you may have to get your feet wet.
However, one VERY important thing to know before attempting to hike to the Hole in the Wall is that you can only safely visit if it’s low tide, so make sure to check the tide chart. And give yourself plenty of time to get there and back before the tide gets too high! While here at low tide, keep an eye out for sea life as well in the various tidepools.
Head back to Seattle
And now it’s time to head back to Seattle!
If you went to Ruby Beach, we suggest driving back, which will take anywhere around 3.5 hours. To break up the drive, stop in Olympia for dinner. State & Central is a good spot for burgers and fried delicacies and Old School Pizzeria offers both slices and full pies. Both would hit the spot after two days of exploring Olympic National Park!
If you went to Rialto Beach, you can drive back through Port Angeles and then take the Bainbridge Island ferry back to Seattle. We have found that it’s sometimes a bit stressful taking the ferry back from the Olympic Peninsula, as you will be bound to the ferry’s schedule. But the ferry does run late, so you should have no problem catching one. On your way to the ferry, stop by Port Angeles and grab a bite to eat. We love Yodelin Broth Company! Their Yodelin Broth Bowl with cod is perfectly tangy, spicy, and sweet broth. And make sure to swing by Welly’s for some New Zealand real fruit ice cream!
Have extra time?
If you have more than 2 days in Olympic National Park or just want some other ideas, check out our guide with over 25 fun things to do on the Olympic Peninsula! A few of our favorites include:
- Mount Ellinor: A beautiful, but steep, dog friendly hike overlooking the Olympic Mountains! We recommend starting at the Upper Trailhead.
- Murhut Falls: A quick waterfall near Lake Cushman.
- Mount Storm King: This hike has AMAZING views of Lake Crescent, but it is grueling, with steep inclines and some sort of sketchy rope sections. We’d highly recommend saving this for its own day since it’s challenging and takes up half the day.
- Salt Creek Recreation Area: The views from this park are some of our favorite on the peninsula. And it’s a great spot to go tidepooling!
- Port Townsend: A charming waterfront town with Victorian architecture. We love grabbing coffee at Better Living Through Coffee and lunch at Green Crow Tacos!
We also have an Olympic Peninsula itinerary (coming soon) with lots of great stops outside of the park as well!
Looking to visit more National Parks? Check out our guides to the best West Coast, East Coast, and Southwest National Parks!
Planning your Olympic National Park trip
When to visit Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park can be a great place to visit any time of the year! However, what you will be able to see and do varies a little bit by season. We have personally visited the park during every season and each season has had its pros and cons.
In the winter, expect there to be much more rainfall on the western side of the peninsula and lot of snow up in the mountains. This means some spots on this Olympic National Park itinerary will not be as accessible. Some campgrounds and roads (like Hurricane Ridge and Sol Duc Falls) may be closed or operating on a limited schedule.
In the spring, the weather becomes nicer, but can still be a bit unpredictable. There’s snow still in the mountains and some rain. This is a great time for beaches, waterfalls, and the rainforest.
By the summer, the rain chances are much lower, snow has melted, and the temperatures are warmer. However, there can sometimes be fog on the coast and the peninsula will likely be much more crowded during this time.
The fall can be a bit iffy, especially in late fall, when it comes to rain and snow. We have visited in early November and been able to visit high elevation spots just fine, but this can vary week by week. Warning: campgrounds and roads can be closed during this time.
This Olympic National Park itinerary is best from April-October, when most of the park is open and accessible. You will also have more daylight during these months so you can squeeze in more adventures! However, if you visit outside of this season, you can still follow most of this itinerary, but may have to skip Hurricane Ridge. Sol Duc Falls will also likely be closed.
Getting to & around Olympic National Park
If you’re visiting Washington, we recommend flying into Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to begin your Olympic National Park adventure! The park is very spread out and there is not a shuttle, so you will definitely need to have a car to get to and around Olympic National Park. But you do have a few options of how to actually get to and from the peninsula.
From Seattle, you can either drive the entire way OR take the Kingston, Bainbridge Island, or Bremerton ferries part of the way. This 2 day Olympic National Park route includes a mix of both, which we outlined in the itinerary above!
Park entrance fee
It costs $30 per vehicle to visit Olympic National Park, which is good for 7 days. However, if you plan to visit the other Washington national parks or other national parks across the US, we suggest getting the America the Beautiful pass, which gets you into all national parks and other federally managed lands for a year.
Also, unlike some parks where there is one entrance booth, you will encounter multiple as you explore Olympic National Park, since the park is pretty spread out. So be prepared to show your pass or proof of payment multiple times!
Dogs are (mostly) not allowed
Minus a few beaches and some quick roadside stops, dogs are NOT allowed on trails at Olympic National Park. If you’re road tripping by car, it would be easiest to leave them at home for this adventure. If you’re in an RV or camper van, like us, we have had no issues leaving Kona in the van for some of the non dog friendly activities. You can learn more about how we travel with a dog here!
Pay attention to tides
If you plan to visit Hole in the Wall or want to go tide pooling, make sure to pay attention to the tide charts. You do not want to get stuck far out on a beach when high tide rolls in. We like to use NOAA to see the tides in advance!
Want to learn more as you explore?
We highly suggest downloading the Guide Along – Olympic National Park audio tour (totally worth the cost!) to navigate you on the road. Even when you don’t have service it knows where you are and provides commentary and history about the area. As well as alerts you when to stop for specific sights. These guides are fun to listen to and the narrator feels like a fun friend in the car with you!
What to bring to Olympic National Park
With some remote areas and different ecosystems to explore, you will want to come to the Olympic National Park prepared with everything you’ll need! Beyond bringing the 10 essentials for hiking, here are a handful of other items that will be especially helpful as you explore the park.
- Layers! Not only will this Olympic National Park itinerary take you from the ocean to almost a mile above sea level, but you will likely experience a wide variety of weather conditions. Make sure to pack layers, like a pullover (Adam’s, Kathryn’s), rain jacket (Adam’s, Kathryn’s), and puffy jacket (Adam’s, Kathryn’s).
- Good hiking shoes. Not only will you want good hiking shoes for the trails, but also for tide pooling, as the ground can be slick. We love our Altra Lone Peaks (Adam’s and Kathryn’s), as they are lightweight, have good grip, and dry fast if they get wet.
- Microspikes. If you visit during the colder months, make sure to bring microspikes. These will be helpful if you choose to hike at Hurricane Ridge or if you decide to tackle Mount Storm King.
- Sun protection. While Washington can be a bit gloomy, we have experienced many sunny days at Olympic National Park. Make sure to pack a sun hoodie, hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Adam wears KALIYADI sunglasses and Kathryn wears Ray-Bans.
- Water. Between hiking, the sun, and higher elevations, make sure to stay hydrated! To carry water, we love our 3 liter Camelbak. We also suggest bringing electrolytes. LMNT is our favorite and if you use this link you’ll get a free sample pack with any order!
- Cooler, food, & cooking supplies. The dining options are pretty limited in Olympic National Park, so make sure to pack a cooler and bring your own food! There are grocery stores in Port Townsend, Sequim, and Port Angeles, so you can definitely stock up while out there. But to save time, we suggest coming prepared. We love our YETI Tundra 45 Cooler! If you need any snack ideas, these are some of our favorites. We also have a list of easy camping meals here, plus car camping kitchen essentials.
- And if you have the America the Beautiful Pass, don’t forget to bring it!
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