We missed golden larch season, but this was such a beautiful hike even in late October. This trail…read moreis located in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest just outside of North Cascades National Park. The trail is very well defined. There were nice views of Lake Ann. We didn't have any trouble finding parking in the lot, but if we were here a week ago, we would've had to park far away along the highway. They have decently nice pit toilets at the trailhead.

Maple Pass Loop is a rewarding hike and one that will be remembered for a very long time…read more You can approach the loop clockwise or counter-clockwise. Most people choose to go counter-clockwise because you start with a more gradual ascent. Clockwise starts out with a steep 3.2 mile climb with a 2000 plus elevation gain. My group decided to go clockwise and we were rewarded with incredible beauty. The views along the way are stunning and once you reach the top it's breathtaking. The second part of the loop is much easier. The descent is smooth and the views are also amazing....but it's long. The trail is listed as a 6.6 mile hike but completed it is about 8.2. miles.

AMAZING!! I was bummed out that I couldn't get reservations to Goldmyer hotsprings (only 20 people…read moreallowed a day) and found directions to these online. Totally blew my expectations out of the water! We went on a slightly rainy Sunday in July. We got pools to ourselves and only shared when a group of people around our age politely asked to join. There are 7 pools and the best one is the last, you hike up a hill to it. The nudeness is strange but a good experience for all. Yes the water is slightly sulfur-y, and probably not very clean but it has flow in and out, and is not stagnant and gross. I recommend going to Olympic Rafting & Kayaking (very close) to use their showers afterwards. We got there after hours around 8pm and the bathrooms and showers were still open. If the hot springs aren't good enough, the hike there tops it all off. My girlfriend and I are athletic but do not enjoy exercise, this ~2 mile hike each way is very slightly uphill, and the forest is so diverse and beautiful surrounding that it doesn't even seem like a hike. More of a nature walk lol. Took us about 3 hours to get there from North Seattle, using the Kingston Ferry. Great drive, camping recommended unless you head out early. It's amazing that more people don't know about this truly amazing place, get there now!

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.

The beautiful drive along Lake Crescent led us to the Lake Crescent Lodge and our start to the…read moreMarymere Falls Trail. We struggled a bit to find the trailhead and decided to take the Moments in Time trail to the Marymere Falls Trail, which added about .7 to the 1.8 mile hike. It's a beautiful and fun walk through the forest and across small bridges. The trail is definitely easy. However, you have to go up a steep set of steps and a bit of incline before you reach the 90 foot waterfall. Make sure to take the pedestrian tunnel under highway 101. We made the mistake of taking the path that led to the highway and dangerously crossed over there. We ended our hike at the lake with lunch at Singers. Wear good hiking boots and layer with a jacket. My hands were cold even with my gloves on.

Located in Olympic National Park, Marymere Falls is the most popular day hike in the Lake Crescent…read morearea of the park. It's less than a mile to the falls, and you go through old growth forest to get to there. The tree trunks are seriously huge. It makes you feel tiny in the grand scheme of things, and it's a very humbling experience. I think I liked the hike more than the waterfall at the end (although the waterfall is very cool!). It's just such a unique experience to go through the forest and feel like you're transported to another world. I definitely need to come back to hike Mt Storm King. It had rained so it was too muddy for me to attempt it. Be sure to check out Sol Duc Valley, which is about 20 miles south. It's a great spot to hike to Sol Duc falls if you're planning on chasing waterfalls on your trip.

One of the highlights of our recent Pacific Northwest vacation, Cape Flattery offers spectacular…read morecoastal views for the price of a short, half-mile stroll along a level wooded trail from the parking lot. The hike is an easy go during daylight, but if you come to enjoy sunset at the Cape (a highly recommended experience when the weather is clear), I'd suggest bringing flashlights or headlamps for the walk back. The parking lot at the trailhead feels like its miles from anywhere, mostly because it is. A two-hour drive from Port Angeles, it feels even longer going back, especially in the dark, when the rural, winding roads take on a casually menacing ambiance. But if you time your arrival just ahead of sunset, you'll be treated to one of the most exhilarating views on the American continent -- a panorama of falling light and crashing seas that will remind even the most self-assured person of their modest place in the world. From the small wooden observation platform that juts out over the Cape, you can see across the mouth of the San Juan de Fuca Strait to the distant shores of Vancouver Island. Looking south, the jagged coast of the Olympic Peninsula absorbs the whitecaps of the violent surf with a lazy indifference, letting the ocean spill over its granite outcroppings and return to the tide pools below. And just to the west, across the dark water, the decommissioned Cape Flattery Lighthouse sits like a lonely sentinel on a rock island, maintaining its official place as the northwesternmost point in the continental United States. Yes, a drive to Cape Flattery is a long detour from the more popular sights of Olympic National Park, and as you're making the slow trek through the backwoods of Washington State, you may wonder if the destination is worth it. But when you stand on that wooden deck at the edge of America, with the Pacific wind and ocean spray spilling over you and the setting sun disappearing over the distant horizon, you'll realize -- it absolutely is.

We were excited for this hike!! And we were also prepared for the weather...summer in July is…read morewonderful but when we visited, it was early 60 degree weather with clouds and rain :/ So experiencing the northwestern tip of the U.S. -- that is pretty special! And our first rainy drenched hike, also an experience to never forget! Not a bad hike; 1.5 miles round trip. We started at 12:30pm and finished around 1:30pm so about an hour. Many tourists for this rainy weekend so be prepared to pass by a lot of ppl, it's a very popular hike!! The views are spectacular, even in the rain! Beautiful in site.

On my trip to Olympic National Park, I spent some time at Lake Crescent. Wow, Lake Crescent is…read moreabsolutely beautiful. The clear water and the greenery that surrounds it makes it a very picturesque place. It wasn't crowded unlike at Hurricane Ridge. You get a real sense of peace hanging out by the water. The sparkles so purely in the sunlight, and it is as clear as glass. You can look the bottom of the lake pretty easily as long as the light reaches the depths, even though it's super deep. Best of all, there are no biting insects to harass you when you're enjoying yourself. I saw a mother duck and some ducklings paddling around on the lake, super cute. Be sure to check out Marymere Falls nearby. It's a short hike (under 2 miles) with a very picturesque waterfall at the end of it.

Lake Crescent is absolutely the most stunning lake I have been to! Probably the prettiest place I…read morehave ever been to in Washington state! Believe all the reviews about this beautiful place! We parked at Spruce railroad trail head east and walked through the tunnel entrance and from there we took the path to Devils Punch bowl. It's a fairly easy walk. There is a bridge that is very popular for people to jump into the beautiful blue water! Highly recommended! It's so beautiful, my pictures do not capture its beauty! Breathtakingly stunning

Located in Olympic National Park, Sol Duc Valley contains forest, clear subalpine lakes, and snowy…read morepeaks, with the Sol Duc River threading through it all. The Coho Salmon travel up the river every year to find a place to spawn. Sol Duc Falls is an easy walk from the parking lot-if you can find parking that is! I saw some people had to park farther down the road and walk along side the roadway to access the trail. The trail to the falls is a pretty popular hike since the waterfall is gorgeous, so you get a nice reward for not a lot of effort. Everything was super green when I visited. The landscape was practically glowing! Be sure to check out Lake Crescent, which is about 20 miles north. It's a great spot to meditate and spend some time hanging out.

Parking lot was full so we had to park at the side of the road about 1/4 mile away. I saw RV camp…read moresites which you can walk to the falls from the camp site. I don't recommend driving your RV into the parking lot, there is car parking only. I witnessed at least 3-4 RV's driving in and looping around because there wasn't RV parking. It's an easy walk to the falls once you get on the trail. It's worth to go see once. Beautiful views. It's not enough exercise for me. Lol

My most important tip related to this hike applies if you use Google Maps for navigation to get to…read morethe parking lot/trailhead: doublecheck that you are mapping to the right place! Although I mapped to a location called "Hurricane Hill Trailhead" or similar, that ended up taking us to an earlier parking lot along the way, only for us to realize that we needed to continue another 3 miles or so to get to the actual parking lot and trailhead. So look out for a sign at the end of a parking lot that indicates another 3 miles to Hurricane Hill and you're on the right track. The other good news is that if the main parking lot is full, there is an overflow parking lot with a separate trail that keeps you off the road. We were super fortunate to find parking in the main lot without arriving very early, so I'm not sure how large the overflow lot is, but the main lot is only 2 rows and doesn't have a whole lot of spaces. My favorite view along the hike was of snow-capped mountain peaks across the way. Based on one of the signs, that would have been Mount Olympus and some other surrounding peaks. It was a very well-kept, well-defined trail, and it's neat that you can see the parking lot from a few spots along the hike. Although I was a little disappointed that we didn't spot any marmots, there were plenty of chipmunks, a few deer, and birds.

A great short hike to see the surrounding mountains and the ocean. If you are an early bird,…read moreparking is not an issue. We are impressed by the wild life in the area.

"Ye ghosts of all the dear old trees, The oak, the elm, the ash, Nightly those gentlemen go tease,…read moreWho hew you down like trash." It's like if a menthol punch of freshness sensation would hit the deepest nook of your lungs. That first inhalation provides you with an instant invigoration. What better medicine than nature's air cleaning the toxic waist passing through your veins. Your muscles shaking away negativity will give you an instant mood booster, the oxygen modifying every molecule in your body, a shiver that reconnects you with the source, or in Carr's words "...the God in you responding to the God in them". Welcome to a real "Pandora", an almost intact landscape of natural monuments in where the heaviness of the branches will hold wind's melodies. My neck hurt at times when trying to reach by sight the top of these enchanted trees. Once surrounded by that foggy green darkened reality, I understood why some fairy tales were inspired by forests. It's unavoidable to feel observed, every step felt as trespassing, as if I was intruding a sacred space. I tried to understand Carr's perspective, why trees became her obsession until she exhaled them. Every tree had a personality, some of the roots' shapes reminded me of "Pan's Labyrinth", would those muddy holes take me to other realms? The shadows created obscure introspections, the ambivalence of existence, as above as below, a darker interpretation of nature. Some trees languished and perished long time ago, their remains acting as a pillar for new sprouts of life; moss, younger trees, mushrooms, bushes, they all use the elements of the fallen one to continue life's cycle. The Gnarliest Tree in Canada might be the star, with a conjugation of shapes resembling multiple fists, all kind of stumps appearing to flow in circles, as if its circumference was formed by dozens of human extremities piled towards and unreachable sky. Come hike to realize how tiny, irrelevant and forgettable you are. We all should play to be forest Rangers, deep thank you to the First Nations and Ancient Forest Alliance for standing against logging in this area.

I can believe the hidden gems this world has to offer. I never thought after driving on a rough…read moredirt road in the middle of nowhere would lead to such an amazing place. Don't get discouraged by the road a car can make it. We saw lots of them up there. The journey is well worth it.

Third and Fourth beach have rest stops along the highway. Scenic views overlooking the pacific…read more There are no crowds, no major attractions - other than the views themselves. There are clean restrooms and gravel walking paths that lead down to the beach. This would be a difficult trek from the rest stop parking down to the beach for any strollers, walkers, wheel chairs, or for anyone with limited mobility. However, there are some great lookout points from the rest stop that are more accessible. You can walk several miles along the coast and see unending views of cliffs, trees, and rock formations. Great walk & views!

Third Beach was just eh, just okay for me. I wanted more. But in comparison to Rialto Beach and…read morestunning Ruby Beach among the Olympic Peninsula....I felt like this...3rd Beach...fell flat. At least...can I give a reasoning or two, lol? During my summer visit of 2020, after hanging out at mesmerizing Hoh Rain Forest, I was heading in a counter clockwise direction (which I believe is the most efficient way to navigate Olympic National Park). I had read that the La Push area and 1st, 2nd and 3rd Beaches were all worthwhile spots to explore from my itinerary. Well...1st and 2nd Beaches were closed due to the pandemic. My only option for a getting a feel for what the La Push area surroundings were like was to come here to 3rd Beach. This was fine by me as I figured all 3 beaches would be relatively the same in appearances...so if I was only afforded 1 beach to explore...I was accepting of coming here to 3rd Beach. I was quite surprised that for the entrance way towards 3rd Beach...you had to park along the road. And I couldn't believe how crowded it was!!! Yeah, I barely found a parking spot and cars were parked off the road on the shoulder in almost a 45 degree slope. Could they be that desperate to hang out here? It was quite a steep angle! So...I put the emergency brake on just in case. I then had a good feeling about what to expect here at 3rd Beach since it appeared quite popular according to the amount of cars. To get to 3rd Beach...you have to hike almost 2 miles! Wow...I didn't expect this. Though that's what it said according to the trailhead. Well, I guess I was already committed to the task so I didn't mind making the trek. Overall, the hike was pleasant. It was along flat ground through the forest without much elevation. Towards the end of the trail I walked down a series of switchbacks to the beach. Finally making it here along the shores...the best way to describe things were...very quiet and desolate. There wasn't much happening. I actually noticed tents on the sand and was in astonishment that you could really camp out at 3rd Beach. My main reasoning for coming to 3rd Beach was to capture the best photographs of the surroundings, among the Pacific Northwest setting here in Washington. But...I never captured any magical moments for pictures. I did walk towards the end of the beach to an area that had some rocks on the shores sort of making the area somewhat scenic. In the end, I was just sort of bored and maybe spent 30 - 40 minutes hanging out. And...for having to hike 2 miles each way just to arrive at a "pedestrian" looking beach sort of frustrated me as if I was wasting time out of the day. In comparison...Rialto and Ruby Beaches offered much much more as to the scenery and sweeping beach shores. Rialto Beach featured plenty of fallen trees and a few boulders protruding out from the waters enhancing the overall setting. Although the beaches were very touristy and crowded...their sights were worth it. Ruby Beach put everything to shame. This was my favorite beach at Olympic NP. There were terrific viewpoints, a rugged yet scenic coastline, many playful spots to climb rocks and offered really good photography opportunities. Ultimately when I compare Ruby Beach to this 3rd Beach...I much more preferred the scenic terrain where I felt like I was admiring the true essence for what makes Olympic Park so special. But...for those who are interested in more exclusivity without the visitors and tourists, then this 3rd Beach would be appropriate for you. For me, I want to be hanging out at a place where the views reign supreme.