Olympic National Park in Washington State is a little less traveled area and absolutely beautiful. We’ve now had 2 trips to this very scenic area and would love to go back. Olympic National Park is a land of deserted sandy beaches, majestic old growth forests and beautiful mountain vistas. A hike at Hurricane Ridge is a must stop as well as Sul Duc hot Springs Resort.
Olympic National Park Pacific Drive
Our first trip to Olympic National Park and Hurricane ridge was a long day trip from Tacoma. Our second visit started as a coastal drive north from our Oregon trip. We drove north from Oregon on hwy 101. This is a very enjoyable drive with numerous options for small walks and hikes. Get out of the car and get your feet in the sand. There are so many places that make great relaxing points. At one point we were able to see whales as we were just driving by – which of course resulted in me screaming stop, pull over. Thankfully my husband did not panic. We were able to find a parking spot and get everyone out of the car to see the whales too.
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and Camping
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resorts is an absolute gem in the middle of the forest. During our road trip through Oregon and Washington State we had planned for mostly camping and an occasional hotel room or condo. This campsite was our favorite (even more so than our beachside campsites).
Sol Duc Hot Springs camping areas are located in beautiful old growth forests. It’s such a relaxing space. The sites are large enough to give privacy. Our kids had a blast climbing and running through our campsite. We all really enjoyed the campfire. The weather was much more pleasant than our campsites on the beach in Oregan. It was my favorite campsite of our trip.
In the morning we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the resort overlooking the hot springs. The hot springs looked lovely. Next time we’ll plan more time to relax and soak.
Hurricane Ridge
The Hurricane Ridge area of Olympic National Park is one of the most photogenic and impressive views in the US. The park itself has a nice visitor area. There are several options for hikes including some that are very family friendly. Hurricane Ridge is such a beautiful place. Explore the visitors center but don’t just get out of your car and snap a few photos. Take a hike – even the small hikes have amazing views.
Some of my favorite photos from our year long gap travel year are from Hurricane Ridge.
Exploring Washington State
After our road trip around the Olympic National Park Peninsula we started ferry hopping and took some time to explore more of Washington State. Washington State (especially the northwest corner) is such an unique and amazing area of the country. The towns are friendly, the weather is mild and the views are beautiful. It’s a very easy are of the country to explore We loved exploring by ferry but we also really enjoyed staying in some of the little towns like Coopeville. We will be back.
We’re a family of 5 (Physician Assistant mom, IT project manager dad and 3 kids ages 3,6,10) taking a gap year from normal life to travel. For blog posts, locations, and more information on how we did it and how you can to click here.
