This husband and wife tour operator duo claims to be the first (and they say best) to do Twilight…read moreTours in Forks, WA. I didn't take the other tours, so I can't compare. The wife took the reservations and the husband, Travis, ran the tour in a 13-passenger tour bus that had seatbelts. Tours cost about $40 a person, which seemed a tad high to me, but I can't fault them for making money off of the Twilight hoopla before it dies down. Travis was very personable and kept up a jovial chatter throughout the tour, including some Twilight trivia. The sites in La Push were far more interesting than those in Forks. The La Push beach is amazing, and it turns out that there are rental cabins right on the beach and that you can pay for a beach fire permit from the Quileute tribe. Wish we had known that in advance! There's even some annual event when the tribe elders tell old stories by the fire. That could really be worth the trip. The sights in Forks aren't nearly as interesting. The community medical center where Carlisle Cullen worked and police station where Charlie Swan worked and the local high school are the only real-life places on the tour. Otherwise, it's just 3 houses that are rented out to tourists as Jacob's, Bella's and the Cullen house, even though they don't match the book descriptions or the movie. They are just the closest approximations within the town. I'm pretty sure they could have padded the tour a bit with mentions of the outdoor gear store where Bella worked, or the diner where Charie and Bella ate, or other miscellaneous mentions in the book, some of which seemed to be real places that we passed. Instead, there was a bit too much emphasis on the tourist-trap shopping opportunities for Twilight fans, local restaurants (there are no more than 10) and the few entertainment options in town. The tour wasn't quite worth the money, but I'm glad we did it. If you make this trip, consider staying two nights. It's a very long drive from Seattle for just a one night stay. The eco-tourism in the region is well worth an additional night.

Planning for my 3 day visit to Olympic NP was no easy feat, but the many hours of deciding where to…read morecamp, which sites to see, which trails to hike and logistics for 6 people arriving from different states made for a wonderful and enjoyable trip. Offering attractions like the breathtaking coast, awe-inspiring rainforests, and majestic mountains, Olympic National Park has quickly become my favorite national park. After deciding on the campsites, booking campsites through recreation.gov was challenging. During the planning process, Hoh campground, near the Hoh rainforest, was not opened due to road closures. Moreover, recreation.gov releases campsites on a specific schedule so if you're NOT booking at the beginning of the year (like me), then you need to set a notification on the website to let you know when campsites open up. Initially, the campsite availability looked bleak at first, but campsites do open up and more campsites are released a couple weeks before you want to go so hover over the recreation.gov site to learn how to book a campsite. When planning, I wish the map of the park (the one given at the entrance of the park) was online so I could make better choices when planning. To help others plan, I've posted a photo of the map that I wish I had. You're welcome. As the dates of my trip approached, Hoh Campground opened up! Because spending time near the rainforest was important to us, we cancelled our other reservations (yes, you lose some $) and I booked two nights at Hoh. If you camp near the restroom, the dishwash station is nearby and the bathrooms have electrical outlets, but no soap. Bring your own. Since I knew ahead of time that there were no nearby showers, I brought a portable shower which was refreshing after enduring a hot and humid afternoon hiking to Marymere Falls. However, there is a cold stream that's fun to walk through right next to the campground to cool off during the heat of the day. One of the downsides of tent camping is that the mosquitos come out and if you're susceptible (like me), it's brutal even with insect repellant. Another downside is unaware campers like the women across from us in her Sprinter van who didn't turn her generator off at 10pm (quiet hours). By midnight, a brave soul in our party went to her van and rang her doorbell to let her know to turn off her generator. After spending a minute or two trying to communicate with her with her windows and door closed, she complied with no apologies. Early the next morning we headed off to Rialto Beach to see the tide pools (it was low tide at 8am) and hole-in-the-wall rock. Having seen lots of tide pools, I was initially not inclined to wake up early to drive 45 minutes to Rialto Beach, but the tide pools were fascinating as was the the hole-in-the-wall rock. Upon returning, we took an informative guided tour of the Hoh rainforest lead by an ebullient ranger. BTW, if it's a really hot day, spend time in the Hoh Welcome Center where the displays are interesting, you can refill your water bottle and there is A/C!!! After packing up the next day, we headed to Fairholme campground where the ground is uneven but bearable for tents. En route to Fairholme, we made a stop to hike up to see the thrilling Sol Duc Falls. Prior to that, you can make a stop to see the Coho jumping up the river (in August) which was totally mezmerizing and makes for great photos. Since Fairholme is right next to Crescent Lake, we all braved the cold water and played in the lake which was fun. For safety, there were FREE PFDs hanging near the sign which I took advantage of. Just like Hoh, Fairholme had a dishwash station near the bathroom which had electrical outlets, but no showers. Because it rained all night and my tent had lost its waterproofness, my sleeping bag was soaked by the next morning. While drizzling, we packed up to leave in all our wetness. Before saying good-bye to the park, we drove to Hurricane Ridge where we were able to hike to the peak (it had stopped raining) and see a deer walking through the parking lot, a marmot looking for food from tourists and a sooty grouse. Last but not least, if you entered the park and plan to exit the park through Port Angles to catch the ferry, it's another thing to be aware of as it's best to make reservations, especially if you're near a holiday. Despite our reservations, we asked if we could catch an earlier ferry than our 5pm reserved time. Although all ferry reservations were fully booked, we could give up our reservation and wait on stand-by which we chose to do, but it was a mistake. Looking back, it would have been better spending more time at the park or spending time in Port Angeles rather than giving up the reservation as there were no stand-bys while we were waiting and we ended up loading onto the ferry at the original reserved time. Phew! We made it without a reservation. With hours of prior planning, this park was memorable and enjoyable even with mosquitos and rain.

Better late than never! We made it to the Hurricane Ridge hike on 8/12/25 between 10am-12pm and it…read morewas too hot for me with barely any shade up top and throughout our way down. I would recommend going sooner 7-8am starting time. We camped the night before at HEART O' THE HILLS Campground without prior reservation. It was a quick drive up top to Hurricane Ridge the next morning for our hike. The hike didn't live up to our expectations! Not much to see and not much shade anywhere. Some decent views up top but you can get much better views without hiking up this way. What I appreciate is wheelchair accessible trails up to certain areas of the trail! Plenty of free parking areas up top. For me personally, the views, the landscape, the scenery aren't worth the hype and planning for me to make a trip out here during the second week of August. There are better choices for hikes elsewhere and in the next state, Oregon. The HEART O' THE HILLS campground was nice option for camping and I do appreciate they still offer spots without reservations as it should be as first comes first served instead of let people hoarding them way ahead of time because they have the means to do so and preventing available spaces for true camping spirit. The restroom was cleaned and maintained.

This is your time to visit thia tree we don't know how much more time we have with it the erosion…read moreis inevitable but the beauty is so captivating went around 5 pm -6 pm low tied it was perfect bring a cup or container to get some sand and some shells so you won't be lugging it around i grabbed some little drift wood 10/10

Outside of not being completely sure initially I was looking at the correct wind tortured tree it…read morewas an easy walk to the beach. The tree is huge. It's roots are exposed because of the cave and erosion. Worth the sand in your shoes to check it out.

I enjoyed my day here at Hurricane Ridge. Even the 17 mile drive from Port Angeles was a beautiful…read moredrive. I was able to pull over at a couple of the scenic stops along the way. At an elevation of 5,242 feet, Hurricane Ridge is one of the two most visited areas in Olympic National Park. The Hoh Rainforest is the other one. Activities include hiking, skiing and snowboarding. Some people come up here just for the views. The main visitor center for the park is located at the beginning of the drive on Hurricane Ridge Road in Port Angeles. Hurricane Ridge is the most easily accessed mountain area within Olympic National Park. I drove up here to hike the popular 3.4-mile out-and-back Hurricane Hill Trail. There are other trails in this area including a couple of easy nature trails. The Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge and Visitor Center was sadly destroyed by fire in 2023. The park put a temporary structure in its place with a ranger on site to answer questions. There are shuttles that will take you up here from Port Angeles if you don't want to do the drive. The view of the surrounding mountain range from Hurricane Ridge is amazing. You might see wildlife like Mule Deer wandering around. The entrance stations into Olympic National Park are on Hurricane Ridge Road right after you pass by the Olympic National Park Visitor Center. Sometimes there can be a line of cars at these stations.

Better late than never! We made it to the Hurricane Ridge hike on 8/12/25 between 10am-12pm and it…read morewas too hot for me with barely any shade up top and throughout our way down. I would recommend going sooner 7-8am starting time. We camped the night before at HEART O' THE HILLS Campground without prior reservation. It was a quick drive up top to Hurricane Ridge the next morning for our hike. The hike didn't live up to our expectations. Not much to see and not much shade anywhere. Some decent views up top but you can get much better views without hiking up this way. What I appreciate is wheelchair accessible trails up to certain areas of the trail! Plenty of free parking areas up top. For me personally, the views, the landscape, the scenery aren't worth the hype and planning for me to make a trip out here during the second week of August. There are better choices for hikes elsewhere and in the next state, Oregon. The HEART O' THE HILLS campground was nice option for camping and I do appreciate they still offer spots without reservations as it should be as first comes first served instead of let people hoarding them way ahead of time because they have the means to do so and preventing available spaces for true camping spirit. The restroom was cleaned and maintained.

Awesome hike with an easily accessible waterfall. Easy and short. This is also close to the…read moreentrance to the Mt. Storm King hike, so if marymere is too easy. There's also that hike available here as well

Anytime we get a chance to hike to a waterfall, we usually find away to make it happen! Marymere…read morefalls was our second hike of the day after we had a good meal in after hiking Mount Storm King. I generally like to embark on hikes early in the morning to get to see the sunrise and see everything wake up for the day as well as to beat the heat and crowds. But, Marymere hike was a much shorter hike and all descriptions stated it was pretty easy. We started from Lake Crescent lodge and headed our way there. The signs were somewhat easy to find and the map the hotel staff gave us helped us to find the trail head. The hike itself, though easy, had a lot to offer on the way to the waterfall. A clearing where there were river stones and sparkling water that birds seemed to wisp by, two wooden bridges to cross, one was a narrow one. Trekking across bridges like those are always a favorite for me, those bridges then lead you to a small loop trail that got you to a lower area to view the water fall and then you can head up further to a higher vantage point that pretty much took your breath away. The waterfall was so worth it to see and after doing such a strenuous hike in the morning this hike was a piece of cake. If you're heading to this area of Washington I highly recommend hopping out and hiking this trail. It's worth it!

Nice selection of quality goods. If you're looking for a park t-shirt, this is your store. Friendly…read moreservice.

Gift shop in the middle of nowhere, in/out on the road into Hoh Forest. There were signs…read moreadvertising supplies, drinks and snacks, but this place had zero snacks of any kind. The only drinks they had was one flavor of a sports drink. No supplies of any kind, either, so don't think you'll stop here to grab something you would need camping. The store is 99% clothes and shoes, nothing in a big/tall size, with some trinkets at the register. The woman working the register seemed to struggle to ring us up (friend grabbed that beverage as he was super thirsty), telling us that the internet is really spotty out there. Parking lot was full of pot holes.

Firstly, several of these reviews are for the wrong hot springs. If a review mentions a restaurant,…read moreor a resort, or a time slot, they are referring to the SOL DUC hot springs, not these ones. Also, the reviews that mention that the hike is easy are all outdated! It's a slog to get there! The Olympic hot springs are a 12 mile hike mostly uphill. It used to be a much shorter hike but about five years ago the road washed out and you now have to hike an extra 8 miles... 12 miles total... one way. It's a slog! The springs themselves, while pretty, are shallow, muddy, slimy, and overall pretty gross. The signs warn of fecal bacteria. If you're hoping to hike 12 miles to soak in pristine pools, think again. Nudity is common. If anyone is actually using the hot springs, they will likely be nude. Get over it!! Let the nudists have their place... and 12 miles deep in the woods is a nice place to be nude. You might also see nudists hiking or biking on the trail to the hot springs. It's not common but does happen occasionally. Just smile and say hi! The hike starts off easy on a paved road for about 3/4 of a mile. Then you have to use a single-track dirt bypass trail that is steep and rooty. If you're using a bike you'll be pushing and carrying it over things. Then you're put back on an old paved road again. It's another 2 miles to the Glines Canyon overlook which is fun to see. Then it's another 5 miles on the same road, but now 100% uphill and sometimes steep, just to reach the trailhead. Once at the trailhead, you're already over 8 miles into it and you have another 2.5 or so to hike... bikes not allowed. You have to park at the Madison Falls parking lot. You're supposed to have a National Park pass.

Enchanted springs in enchanted forest, I have camped here quiet a bit when in college…read more Most special hot springs on earth to me. Hike is fun not too strenuous

I love learning about local culture and history when I travel. I saw this museum on the way to the…read morehotel where I was going to stay. After grabbing a coffee at a local establishment the following morning, I decided to check out the museum. It appeared rather small from the outside, but I was pleasantly surprised as I ventured inside. The front area is a gift shop with information on local tourist attractions. It is actually the museum and visitors center. I was amazed at the amount of merchandise they offered from books, pottery, art, jewelry, kid's items, puzzles, postcards, and more. As you meander towards the back, it opens up to an impressive array of local artifacts. I loved seeing the clothing, doctor's bag and tools, and daily utensils from bygone days. I took several pictures because it was so interesting. I hope you enjoy them. Outside is the lighthouse, or top of what used to be located on Triage Island. The first order Fresnel lens was installed in 1909. It was moved to the Sooke museum in 2004. There are several displays and exhibits outside of the main museum, however, a few of the buildings were closed at this time. If you live in the area, or just passing through, I highly recommend supporting this wonderful museum.

Great gift shop for presents and souvenir! What an interesting museum, many thanks for working so…read morehard to preserve a slice of history!

Been up and down this area of the coast from West Port all the way up to Cape Flattery, camping,…read morehouse rentals or what not, and have passed this little museum countless times. Well we finally decided to stop and visit and we were glad we did. It was one of those "why have we never done this before?" kinda moments. It's not big by any stretch, though we were told that they would be expanding in the near future. Will definitely come back once they have. There is no entrance fee, only a sign in book and request for a donation, but it's only a request...that you should definitely donate to. Anyways despite the size, there is much to explore and loads of history about the area that you might or might not have known. It's also a beach comber's haven, the collection of stuff found on the local beaches is super fascinating! The volunteer working there was very knowledgeable and she was able to answer any questions or provide information about anything that was on display or the history of the area. One of the more interesting things to me was the debris that washed up all the way from Japan during the tsunami over a decade ago. They also provide a little gift shop area to bring home any keep sakes or mementos of your visit. So the next time you are on the 109 between Moclips and Pacific Beach and you spot the Museum of the North Beach, stop in and look around. You might even learn something you did not know.

Thoughtful presentation by a history buff who made special accommodations for me to see and learn a…read moreabout the pacific beach region. As a conservationist I was truly amazed.

This place is nothing short of breath-taking. Why? So scenic, and you don't have to break the…read morebody to get to it. What I mean by that is this. I fully expected to hike a fair distance to see the best of the best. But a good Samaritan took pity on me whilst looking at the map in the parking lot and gave me some valuable advice. He was there with his wife about to embark on some serious hiking from what I could see. Why was it valuable advice? Because the map was like trying to decipher a rubics cube. This man took all the guesswork away and cut to the chase to what I'm calling the Sweet Spot for viewing. Start at P lot 3, go to the end of the p lot to find the entrance of a trail. Go to the right to get on the trail, and veer for routes to the left, which are closest to the water. You will come to spectacular views of the potholes; high above, so be careful. There are no fences or ropes, so I can not stress more. Be uber careful. But so beautiful. And so much joy for so little work. Meaning I didn't have to walk far to be so richly rewarded. These pics are what I took, but do not do the experience justice. They don't show depth. You just gotta go and experience it for yourself. If I ever see that man again, I'd buy him a bottle of wine. He was a Godsend. I guess the best I can do now not knowing who he was, is a big fat thank you here. And hope he's a Yelper.

This place is super confusing!! I wish this park was labeled a bit more cause it was hard to find…read morepotholes that you can actually swim in! First off, please park on lot #2 for best route to the potholes. When you're there, head to Peddle Beach for a small peddle beach. You see a pothole that folks can lay around and swim in. You will see another trail that leads to the potholes. It's about a two minute walk to the what you'll see in my pictures. To the potholes, there are one or two other potholes too you can swim in. In my pictures, that's the place you want to go to. In there, there are rocks for to camp up at and you can swim In the shallow ends or in the deep ends. There are multiple holes that are available for you to pick from. The hard part is walking on the rock formulation cause it can hurt a bit and can be slippery cause of the water. And the water is COLD! But of course, when you're in, you'll be fine. You can walk around the trail, I don't remember the name, I think it was Water Trail? But it's just a trail for hikers. There is a PotHoles View Point and it is just to view these rapid potholes. There were some teenagers that said that you can hope the fence to go down. It look super sketchy, so we didn't go down with them. You can't really float down there given how rapid the water was going. When you first get into the park, there is an initial parking lot that doesn't require you to pay. You can swim and lay around there too. We noticed that it's mainly for kids so it can get crowded. Parking was pretty crowded when we leave, so get there early to avoid walking too far. Parking lot is $2.25 until sunset. It was a great park but so confusing!! Most of the people that we talked about the way were just as confused.