Travel Reports | Olympic National Park

A few favorite hikes

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Lake Nanita | Rocky Mountain National Park

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•A few favorite hikes | Olympic National Park

Hoh Rain Forest trees · Olympic National Park

If you are unfamiliar with Olympic National Park and are planning a trip, the diversity and size can be a little overwhelming when deciding what to do. Here is a short list of some of my favorite areas to visit.

Enchanted Valley | This trail takes you 14 miles on a fairly easy grade up the Quinault River through old growth rain forest to one of the most spectacular areas in the park. Steep cliffs with countless cascading waterfalls surround the valley and an historic chalet, now used as a ranger station. Further upstream, Mt. Anderson and its glaciers sit framed by the valley walls. The Quinault River can run quite high and the hike requires a few river fords so check conditions before you leave.

Royal Basin | Located in the North East area of the park, Royal Basin sits tucked under Mt. Deception, the third highest peak in the Olympics. From the trailhead, which is tricky to find, you hike 7.5 miles uphill along Royal Creek. Royal Basin itself is fine—there is a lake, ranger station, and a pleasant meadow with well-behaved deer—but the upper basin is magical and well worth the extra mile. Here you can explore turquoise glacial tarns, hike up talus slopes to some spectacular views, and roam around relatively recent moraines surrounded by very impressive craggy mountains. The mosquitoes can be brutal in the spring and early summer so plan accordingly.

Cedar Creek | Olympic National Park has some of the last remaining wild coastland in the country. From Cape Alava to Rialto Beach are about twenty miles of beach with no roads or parking lots. Cedar Creek sits right in the middle of this strip of coastline. The only way to get there is to hike. It is a terrific trip complete with tide pools, rugged headlands, and sea stacks. The tides can make hiking around headlands dangerous and the weather is unpredictable so bring a tide table and be prepared.

Hoh Rain Forest | Because a road brings you right into the heart of the forest and there is a visitor center here, this is one of the more popular places in the park. There is something for everyone from car camping and easy nature walks, to a moderate hike through the river valley, to an ascent of Mt. Olympus. If you want to get away from the crowds you can backpack along the river, sleeping on the gravel bars along the way. The trail takes you to Glacier Meadows for a spectacular view of the Mt. Olympus' Blue Glacier.