Perfect Itinerary for 2 Days in Olympic National Park 

Are you planning a trip to Washington and wondering how to explore 2 days in Olympic National Park?

The Olympic Peninsula is absolutely amazing! During our 10-day road trip in Washington this summer, we spent 2 days exploring this unique national park. You’ll find everything here – mountains, beaches, waterfalls, rainforests, and lakes. The park’s diverse landscapes, from misty rainforests to rugged coastlines and snow-capped peaks, offer a visual feast for any visitor. If you’re a photographer or nature lover, you’ll be constantly inspired by the ever-changing scenery in the park.

Planning your visit to Olympic National Park can be a bit overwhelming due to its vastness. But don’t worry, in this travel blog, I’ve put together a comprehensive guide that highlights all the amazing things to see and do, including the best hiking trails. With this 2 days in Olympic National Park itinerary, you’ll have everything you need to make the most of your two-day trip to Olympic National Park!

About Olympic National Park

The Olympic National Park is located on the Olympic Peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west and Puget Sound to the east. It is easily accessible from major cities like Seattle and Portland, with several entry points via highways. You can enjoy scenic drives, ferry rides, and hiking trails to explore the park’s different regions.

Park Section & Entrance

The Olympic National Park is large and spans a significant area. There are multiple entrances to the park depending on the areas you wish to visit. It’s recommended to have a park pass or National Park Annual Pass for parking access at all times.

Timed Entry Reservation

As of 2024, you don’t need to make any timed entry reservations to visit the park. However, it can get pretty busy during the summer, so there might be some delays at the entrance. Just something to keep in mind!

Park Facilities

There are no food or gas stations inside the national park. You can find these facilities in the nearest towns, Port Angeles and Fork. The park has campgrounds and hotels which you can book from the park’s website.

Getting to Olympic National Park

The ideal way to explore Olympic National Park is by renting a car and driving to the area. We rented a car from Seattle Airport and spent two days at Olympic National Park during our 10-day road trip in Washington.

Another fun option would be to rent a Campervan and enjoy camping at several campgrounds in the Olympic Peninsula. It’s a beautiful place to stay!

If you have only one day to explore Olympic National Park and you’re coming from Seattle, consider booking an organized day tour. This way, you won’t have to stress about the long drive or figuring out where to go. The tour guides will ensure you see some of the best sights in an organized way.

Where to Stay

When planning a trip to Olympic National Park, it can be challenging to decide where to stay because the places to visit are far apart. After researching the area, I recommend splitting your time between Port Angeles and Forks. These two towns have good options for hotels, grocery stores, and food.

Alternatively, you can camp at one of the several campgrounds in Olympic National Park and plan the campgrounds according to your itinerary. Some campgrounds operate on a first-come, first-served basis, while others require reservations. You can find more information about the campgrounds on the National Park website.

Best time to visit

Summer is warmer and drier, making it the peak season. But this means it can be crowded and expensive. Shoulder seasons like Spring and Autumn are also worth considering. You can also visit during winter, but some parts of the national park are closed due to snow, so I recommend checking the weather before visiting.

The Olympic peninsula gets a lot of rain as it is home to one of the country’s biggest rainforests. Therefore, it’s essential to come prepared with good rain gear. With that said, when we visited in July, it rained on and off, but there were still a few hours of sunshine in between.

14 Essential things to pack for Olympic National Park

1. Refillable Water Bottle: Always bring a bottle on all your adventures to stay hydrated.
2. Sunscreen: It’s essential to carry sunscreen on a hike, especially on a sunny day at the park.
3. Sunglasses: Make sure to pack sunglasses for sunny weather.
4. Headlamp: This is a must-have in case you end up hiking after sunset. 
5. Hiking Boots/Shoes: Avoid hurting your toes by wearing hiking boots or shoes. (For men & women) 
6. Hiking Socks: Wear the correct socks to prevent blisters. (For men & women) 
7. Hiking Pants: Comfortable and durable pants are essential for hiking trails with twists and turns, to ensure you can move freely. (For men & women) 
8. Hiking Shirts: Wear breathable clothing for hiking. (For men & women) 
9. Jacket: Remember to bring a jacket, as it can get chilly in some areas of the park. 
10. Rain Jacket: Essential for hiking in Olympic National Park in case it starts pouring, which is always a possibility! 
11. Day Backpack: To carry all the hiking essentials, you need a good day backpack.
12. Camera Gear: Don’t forget to carry your camera or phone to capture all the memories you are going to create. 
13. Tripod: Bring a tripod to help you get the perfect photo in case there are no people around to assist you.
14. Bug spray: You should bring bug spray for safety as you will be in the forest.

2 Days in Olympic National Park Itinerary

We are fast-paced travelers. If you prefer to travel at a more relaxed pace, focusing on just 2-3 activities per day, you may need to adjust the itinerary accordingly. Alternatively, you can choose to remove some items from the list and save them for a future trip.

Day 1

We arrived in Port Angeles from Seattle the previous night, and it took us about three hours to get there. On the first day, we began with a coffee and a quick breakfast at The Great Northern Coffee Bar. Another great breakfast option would be The New Eatery.

After breakfast, we drove to Hurricane Ridge, which took us an hour to reach. Although it was a cloudy day, the views on the way to the top of Hurricane Ridge were breathtaking. Upon reaching the top, we decided to do a quick hike – Hurricane Hill – which is about 3.1 miles round trip. Other short hike options are – Big Meadow & High Ridge.

We then drove to the Elwha Valley area and took a short trail of 0.1 mile to the Madison Falls viewpoint from the parking lot. The waterfall looked amazing, and we spent some time admiring it and taking photos before heading to our next destination.

After leaving the Elwha Valley, we drove for about an hour to the Sol Duc area, where we parked and did a 1.6-mile round trip hike to see one of the park’s most beautiful waterfalls cascading through a lush forest – Sol Duc Waterfall. We spent some time enjoying the amazing view and then headed back on the trail to the parking lot. In this area, there is also a hot spring if you want to take a dip and a campground where you can spend the night.

We then drove to the Crescent Lake area to do one more hike – Marymere Falls, a short 2-mile round trip hike. The hike was pleasant, and the waterfall at the end of the trail looked gorgeous. Before heading to our hotel in Port Angeles, we enjoyed a peaceful sunset at Lake Crescent. For dinner, we grabbed a quick meal at Subway.

If you have some extra time, I highly recommend checking out the Mount Storm hike! It’s a lovely 4.1-mile out-and-back trail located in Lake Crescent area. For the best experience, I suggest heading out at sunset or sunrise.

Day 2

On the second day, we decided to explore the Rialto Beach area. The drive from Port Angeles took us about 2 hours due to some road construction, but we finally made it. It was quite foggy, and unfortunately, the visibility was too low for us to do the Hole in the Wall hike from Rialto Beach. The hike is about 3 miles round trip, and you should check the tide situation before heading out – it’s best to go during low tide.

After spending some time on the beach, we went for lunch in the town of Forks. Twilight fans might recognize it as the town featured in the movie. Pretty cool, right?

Then, we made our way to the magical Hoh Rainforest. It took about 1.30 hours to enter the park due to some delays – a bit of a bummer, but as soon as we got there, the lush greenery and towering trees blew us away.

We parked and started on the popular trail in the Hoh Rainforest – the Hall of Mosses trail – which felt like stepping into a magical world of old trees draped in hanging mosses. It was stunning, we spent about an hour taking it all in and capturing some beautiful photos along the way. We then did the Spruce Nature Trail, a 2-mile loop. If you’re short on time, I’d recommend doing the Hall of Mosses and skipping the Spruce Nature Trail.

Before wrapping our day, we headed to Ruby Beach for sunset. It was a bit foggy, but we still enjoyed our time on the beach. If you have the time and the weather’s good, I’d suggest visiting Kalaloch Beach as well and taking a stroll to see the ‘Tree of Life.

After all the exploring, we found our way to our hotel in Aberdeen, WA to rest for the night. It was a fantastic day, and we were excited for the next leg of our Washington road trip.

If you’re planning to head back to Seattle the next day and want to explore the national park a bit more before leaving, you might consider staying in Fork or at the beach-facing Kalaloch Beach Resort or Kalaloch Campground.

Here is the summary of our 2 days in Olympic National Park Itinerary!

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