This is the biggest national forest I've ever visited! There are many ways to get in, but one thing is for sure..do not follow this Yelp address. It will only take you to the headquarters. The forest is an hour away from this building. You can type in the name into any map and choose one of the entrances. The way we went was through a back road passing several homes in the flat valley that's surrounded by mountains and woods. It will lead you to the welcome sign, then you'll pass a camp ground. There are less people going this way, so the hikes might only have 1/2 a dozen people on it. You will see many trails options, and they will all be gorgeous! The Skokomish Lower South Fork Trail is a great one. It has a very small gravel parking area, and it is a 6 mile hike in total. You'll go in 3 miles to Brown Creek, and then back 3 miles. I would say it's a semi strenuous hike. There's some down hill, and uphill, but mostly its level. Bring plenty of water, SPF, and snacks. Also stop at the restroom just before heading up the gravel road to the beginning of the trail. You'll pass a few little ice cold babbling brooks that will be very easy to walk across without getting your feet wet. read more

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went here with Brandon and it was so nice with the clean air coming in at any elevation. There are short and long hikes, so up to you what you want to do. There are levels to the hiking trails if you want steepness or not. Just do your research beforehand where it is you want to go and what it is you want because there is no signal here at times. this is a reeaaalllly big park, so a lot to do, but also a lot where you could get lost. there are winding roads to drive through and it gets a bit scary if you going during nighttime because the downhills make u go fast...especially with the snow ;-; watch urself and have gps on!!!! read more

Olympic National Forest - Parks Near Me - Olympia, Washington

The Olympic National forest is awesome...I hear. But these directions are to where one registers and pays for permits. We wanted to do a quick day hike and so were disappointed. Our fault, we'll plan better next time. read more

Love the forest and not too many poisonous snakes to look out for in Washington State ! Especially nice for Geocaching!

As you go deep into the Olympic National Park you get to Hoh Rain Forest Visitors Center. This is a great place to visit with children because you can take some easy but beautiful trails here. If you want to hike 17.5 miles then you'd love Blue Glacier trail but if you only have one day to explore this park there are a few easy loops which you can take with your children. We hiked two very short hikes. The Hall of Mosses trail is only 0.8 miles and the Spruce Nature trail is 1.2 miles long. The Hall of Mosses will take you into a Northern Rainforest where you see all the moss hanging off the trees and the vegetation is dense here. The other loop (Spruce Nature trail) shows you different parts of the canyon. It takes you off the Hoh River so you can see all the natures elements that make up this beautiful place. Hoh gets as much as 14 feet of rain a year and due to fog and mist it is like it receives another 30 feet of rain. The conditions are just right for moss to grow and flourish. The best time to visit Hoh Rain Forest is April or May. read more

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This review is a cautionary tale from many many years ago that I wasn't able to voice during my visit!! Many years ago I came to the Olympic National Park to go in a group backpacking trip. Everything went great on the first two night of ten nights as we trudged up the mountain amongst absolutely stunning views. On the third night things began to go missing at night. This continued for the next three nights as we moved camps, escalating to backpacks, water filters, and food being stolen in the night. We eventually turned around and cut our trip short after things were stolen even during the day with over 10 of us traveling to and from our camp. I do not wish to deter anyone from going to this gorgeous place but I do wish we could have gotten more assistance and help from the ranger along the path who simply brushed off our concerns. We were later told that people have been living in the wooded hills and preying off of the people that hike in in order to sustain themselves. A scary thought. I hope that those who visit are extra vigilant while in the stunning place. read more

NEATURE! What a fun mini trip inside a trip to do with our college roomie reunion weekend. We were all dazzled and amazed of how well kept the trails were while keeping it to where we felt nobody else had been there... Actually, we literally only ran into 4 other people while hiking this National Forest. + Make sure you stop when you see the info station to get a map. Cell service goes far away! + There are bathrooms by the main entrance of the park where the sign is. Have some TP on hand just incase. + Wear grippy shoes. Hello, it's Washington. It rains a lot. + There are several trails for all levels but plan on being there at least an hour! read more

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The Olympic National Forest Supervisor's Office is a convenient location to pick up permits for The Olympic National Forest. While I was there I saw quite a few people buy permits for harvesting Christmas trees. The staff member at the front desk was very helpful and did a great job answering all of my questions. This location is also home to: The USDA Service Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development, and is a cooperative extension of the Washington State University. read more

Olympic National Forest - Parks Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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Olympic national Park encompasses a huge area and there is a lot to do and I do mean so much!!!! First off I highly encourage you to spend at least several days here because there are tall colorful forests there are also rainforests there are many Meadows and plains mountains and hills waterfalls and streams wildflowers and wildlife and the list goes on!!!!! Take a camera! I can't really say I have a favorite spot here as it is all amazing to me. I'll share my photos...enjoy. I go here a lot!!! read more

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This place is highly recommended for people who do not enjoy eating good food, only require urinating once daily, are not pregnant, do not have kids, enjoy the outdoors, and are attractive to no one but find an ego boost being attractive to mosquitoes. The whole forest we saw one bathroom. Most likely you'll be peeing behind a bush, just make sure it's around the corner so no one can see. Hikes were long, boring, steep, not scenic, had many abrupt edges, loud animals/bugs, snow still present in July. This is probably one of the least scenic national parks among them all (Grand Canyon being THE worst national park). There's just something so vanilla bland about this place. There's nicer hikes that are not titled "national park." read more

Where to Begin? There is so much to see and do that it can be a bit overwhelming. There are mountains, rainforests, beaches, waterfalls, and an endless supply of places to explore. Don't try to do it all. Just find an area that sounds interesting and immerse yourself in it. Don't worry about missing anything. There's always the next visit... read more

How can you not love the National Forests? They are the stewards and guardians of our forests. Here at the headquarters you can get maps for free and to buy. You can get all kinds of info on places to go, and services they offer. You can buy a Christmas tree permit for a tree up to 20' for only $5!!!! You then go and find a tree and cut it down and take it home :) You can also get a permit to cut up wood for fire wood. And you can get a free permit to get five native plants under 3 feet in height. They also have a small gift shop, and things are 15% off from now til Christmas. Lovely friendly folk, you should check them out! read more

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Unfortunately much of the interior of the Olympic Peninsula, which hosts the Olympic National Forest, is really off-limits to driving. Unlike the North Cascades, where myriad fire access roads can be traversed by autos with stunning effect, the Olympic Peninsula makes accessing those incredible peaks you see from Hurricane Ridge next to, if not, impossible. Additionally US 101, the only real road on the Peninsula stays far inland most of the time, leaving you to wonder what that wild Washington coast might truly look like. Contrast this with the access the motorist gets to the Pacific up and down the Oregon coast and it's a severe letdown. The Queets River Road is probably one exception, but the day was getting late so I didn't get to explore it as it traces the river and heads into an Olympics rain forest. Would love to know whether that is a trip worth blocking out a couple of hours for, if any other Yelpers can share their experiences. read more

This place looks unreal! The moss overgrows the entire park. It hangs off branches, thick as carpet. It looks like a fairy tale. This belongs in all those places to see before you die books. read more

One of the best national parks we've been in so far. Lots of wildlife deer, goats.... con would be you would need a ferry ride as well as a 2 hour drive but considering the views, worth it! read more

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Absolutely breathtaking and beautiful. Loved every minute of our time at the forest. We would go back any day! read more

Olympic National Forest - Parks Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Beautiful! Amazing that one can get picturesque mountains and gorgeous beaches in one national park.