There is parking up on the Ridge. So that was great. The hike can be easy or hard. You can choose…read moreto go up the hills or down the hills. It was cool and we had a nice breeze. The views are beautiful, it's a National Park so Veterans and military retirees get in Free! I recommend going early because when we left there was about 50 cars waiting to get in!

Let's start with positive: Well-maintained road driving up and walking trails, lots of parking,…read moreplenty of beautiful pine trees. Unless you have a PERFECTLY clear day and detailed maps/directions, guides; I would recommend some other locations in Olympic National Park (listed towards the bottom of my review). The fog was SO dense up there, you could barely see 200 feet in front of you, if that. The only map/signs were at the bottom of the hill where the parking lot meets the start of the trail. There was no signs on any of the trails and the maps at the bottom weren't particularly helpful. There was also no mention of the lodge being non-existent before we drove up. There was a lot of construction around, which you could hear. Most exciting thing we saw was the deer that was only 5 feet away! I would go to these locations instead: 1. Kalaloch Lodge/Ruby Beach & beaches, 2. Lake Quinault, 3. Hoh Rainforest, 4. Sol Duc Falls trail.

I visited Tongue Point, named as the narrow piece of land juts out like a tongue into the ocean,…read morefor tide pooling. For the best experience, make sure you time your visit when there is a "minus tide", or a tide that is lower than normal. Some low tides may be 3 feet, which is not great for tidepooling since it doesn't reveal much of the intertidal zone (so less critters to see). I unfortunately went on a cloudy day, so a lot of the animals were a little bit more difficult to spot. It was still really nice to look at the animals though! I saw crabs, endless sea anemones, and small fish. Be sure to wear a pair of sturdy, grippy boots as the walking surfaces are still wet, being constantly misted with sea spray. There's also a sea stack nearby that you can walk to during low tide if you're not having a fruitful time at the tidepools.

I've been lucky enough to come her twice in four months and even luckier that the second was during…read morelow tide. My daughter and I laughed that we were having enrichment time because there was so much to look at! We spent an hour alone looking at all the cool rocks and sea glass. The area is absolutely stunning!

The main Visitor Center and Wilderness Information Center is in Port Angeles, which is a great town…read morefor picking up any last minute supplies. Part of the building is dedicated to exhibits and historical information. There's also a park film being shown (I did not watch this). The gift shop is well stocked with books, souvenirs, and the usual NPS offerings. I made the walk (it's pretty flat, and less than 2 miles long) out to Sol Duc Falls and also spent some time at Lake Crescent. Wow, Lake Crescent is absolutely beautiful, with clear water and it wasn't crowded. You get a real sense of peace hanging out by the water. Up at Hurricane Ridge, I found Klahane Ridge trail to have amazing views. It was more crowded, but there was good camaraderie. I unfortunately didn't have enough time to check out Hoh Rain Forest, but I'll be sure to do some hikes there next time!

1. This review is for Marymere Falls Trail which was a ~1.8 miles round trip that took ~1 hour to…read morecomplete. This was short and easy hike with a spectacular rainforest and waterfall in Olympic National Park, Washington. Trail was mostly a flat dirt path that becomes an incline up the stairs towards the waterfall. If you're used to Oregon waterfalls, Marymere Falls would be considered somewhat dry. Make a detour to the Lake Crescent docks for some stunning views! Beware of yellowjackets; randomly got stung near the ankle in the forest. Limited parking area at the trailhead. Restroom available at the parking lot. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/FPgMOt1G5tk 2.This review is for Hurricane Hill via Hurricane Ridge which was a ~3.5 miles round trip that took ~2 hour to complete. Located 1 hour from Marymere Falls Trail, Hurricane Hill was a strenuous hike with stunning views of the surrounding mountains in Olympic National Park, Washington. Trail was mostly paved with steep inclines towards the top with little to no shade. Parking can be a nightmare. Small parking lot at the trailhead; additional small parking lot 0.25 miles away and larger parking lot 1+ miles away. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/0bxivXIqy4A

This was such a fun spot to visit. I would recommend if you go to try to get there before 8am and…read moreeven before 7am if you can swing it. The parking lot is small and it fills up fast in the morning. This park is absolutely beautiful - a lush rainforest that is close to a river and has tons of flora to see. Very easy hikes overall, I think almost anyone could do these.

One of the most popular attraction of Olympic NP, Hoh rainforest is undoubtedly beautiful and…read moreunique, however it came with a crowd and traffic. Parking is extremely limited, if you don't arrive early in the morning, prepared to wait in line for an hour or two. We got there very early and hiked the Hall of Mosses, the Spruce Nature trail and a portion of the Hoh River trail all before 9 am. All the trails are well maintained, mostly flat, family friendly and has wooden railings in many sections. By the time we finished our hike, the trails have become noticeably more crowded and the waiting line for parking was already long. The lush greenery, the streams and moss covered trees are great, but there are other alternatives in the area offer similar experience that has a more natural feel, without the crowd or wait for parking.

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

Such a beautiful spot in Clallam Bay. The area is beautiful and we saw so much wildlife while…read morewalking along the shore. It's a great location to reach the tide pools and a great stop if you're on the coast in Washington.

This beach is absolutely beautiful! It is located on Highway 112 near the Sunset West Co-op. When…read moreyou see the Co-op on your right, continue down the road for another 15 feet and turn on the immediate right after. It's not very easy to see! The parking lot is a decent size and there are two bathrooms. The trail isn't very long. The beach is made of sand and small polished pebbles. There are very few sharp rocks. The gravel is very smooth. The beach is mostly made up of sand. The waves crash down and leave beautiful foam patterns on the sand. When the days are overcast, the water appears to be a clear green-blue. On sunny days, the water looks very, very blue. The water is clear! This is a wonderful place to walk, play in the water, and to take pictures. I went on Saturday and Sunday 6/7/14 and 6/8/14. I am going back next week! This park is located in Clallam Bay, WA and is managed by Parks, Fair & Facilities Department Office: 223 East 4th Street, Suite 7 Port Angeles, WA 98362 Phone: 360-417-2291 * FAX: 360-417-2395

I stopped here briefly to look around and stretch my legs while driving around the Olympic…read morePeninsula. There is a pull-out along Highway 113 (Burnt Mountain Road) where you can get out of the vehicle to explore. A gravel road runs parallel to Burnt Mountain Road a short ways past two campsites. Both sites had a picnic table and one also had a campfire pit. South of the campsites is a boat ramp and a short dock. When I stopped here there was someone fishing. Careful driving along this way, there are a bunch of logging trucks barreling down the road. This is also a good place to pull off and let them pass and enjoy the beauty of the lake. If driving south on Highway 113 from Highway 112, Beaver Lake is located on the left hand side of the road a little over halfway to Highway 101. I could see the lake on approach before I reached the pull-out and boat ramp.

We happen upon this place while looking for a hike one morning before the kids were up. It's…read morelocated near the University of Washington Olympic national resource center, which looks to be a forestry research center. We found some great hiking that had lots of different trails shooting off of a main gravel road that ran up the hills. In conjunction with the app all trails, we went up about a mile and a half and then took one of the trails back. The trail was nicely, kept, had some signage along the way, and there were enough options that it could be as longer as short as we wanted. there are some spots where it gets a bit steep, but never anything more than a moderate difficulty. Kids that get outside will do fine here. During the hike, we got some brief views out into the Olympic mountains. The overall views are not as majestic as being up in the Cascades, but it's very pretty in its own right. We caught three beautiful days Over here where there was minimal cloud cover. I know that's not the norm, but blue sky days over here are just spectacular against the backdrop of mountains with trees on them. While walking through the forest, we saw a herd of elk that crossed in front of us. We've lived here most of our lives, and we've never seen that in the forest. It was pretty magical If you're looking for a hike with the family or by yourself, we can't recommend this place highly enough!