Visiting the Olympic Peninsula
October 9, 2015 10:51 AM
Ms Jabo and I are flying up to Seattle WA to visit the Olympic Peninsula for a week. Staying at Port Angeles for 3 days and then 2 by the Pacific at Kalaloch. Any recommendations for hikes, spots to visit or places to eat would be welcome (especially those out of the way or can't miss).
1, 2, 3 that is what I would have suggested. The Hoh Rain Forest has this teeny little trail called the Trail of Mosses or something similar that is a really nice little walk if you're not feeling like a big hike but want to get out into the big trees.
posted by jessamyn at 11:05 AM on October 9, 2015
posted by jessamyn at 11:05 AM on October 9, 2015
I'm rather fond of Ruby Beach - that's very conveniently on the way south from Port Angeles to Kalaloch. And of course the Hoh Rainforest is a must visit. The Rail of Mosses is rather short and delightful, but there are a number of other longer trails that I haven't tried.
I did the Ozette Triangle hike about this time last year, and enjoyed the hell out of it, but I also got soaked all the way through, struggled for footing on the wood walkways back from the beach, and had take the rather treacherous rope climbs up the headlands because I got there when the tide was too far in. It's a long day trip from Port Angeles.
If there's anywhere nice to eat near Kalaloch other than the restaurant at the lodge, I haven't found it. The nearest town I can think of is Forks, but Forks puts me in mind of Fire Walk With Me's Deer Meadow.
Port Angeles is rather better supplied with dining options, but I don't have any names handy.
posted by wotsac at 11:12 AM on October 9, 2015
I did the Ozette Triangle hike about this time last year, and enjoyed the hell out of it, but I also got soaked all the way through, struggled for footing on the wood walkways back from the beach, and had take the rather treacherous rope climbs up the headlands because I got there when the tide was too far in. It's a long day trip from Port Angeles.
If there's anywhere nice to eat near Kalaloch other than the restaurant at the lodge, I haven't found it. The nearest town I can think of is Forks, but Forks puts me in mind of Fire Walk With Me's Deer Meadow.
Port Angeles is rather better supplied with dining options, but I don't have any names handy.
posted by wotsac at 11:12 AM on October 9, 2015
My wife and I spent our honeymoon on the peninsula. I agree with everything already mentioned, and will add two more recommendations to the list. We were lucky enough to stumble on a great Italian restaurant in Port Angeles called Bella Italia. Sol Duck Hot Springs was also pretty neat, and I think it allows day visitors.
posted by postel's law at 12:16 PM on October 9, 2015
posted by postel's law at 12:16 PM on October 9, 2015
I love Hurricane Ridge and Shi Shi Beach
It's a longer hike (about 8 miles round trip) than Ruby, but it is incredible.
posted by czytm at 12:52 PM on October 9, 2015
It's a longer hike (about 8 miles round trip) than Ruby, but it is incredible.
posted by czytm at 12:52 PM on October 9, 2015
Rialto is great if you want to start walking right on the beach. Shi Shi is 2/3 forest, which is nice but not as nice as the coast. Also Shi Shi was much more crowded than Rialto, but that's probably not a problem in winter. For all hikes along the coast it's a good idea to get a tide table and a map from a ranger station, not all headlands are passable at high tide.
posted by fmnr at 2:15 PM on October 9, 2015
posted by fmnr at 2:15 PM on October 9, 2015
Unfortunately it looks like you'll miss the Port Angeles Crab & Seafood Fest - dates are Oct 9 through 11. Maybe next year...
posted by X4ster at 2:30 PM on October 9, 2015
posted by X4ster at 2:30 PM on October 9, 2015
So jealous! Yes, definitely do Olympic National Park. If you can go on a ranger-led talk those are always fantastic. Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh Rainforest are so different but so beautiful.
Hole in the Wall on Rialto Beach is a pretty easy hike. Look up the tide tables and go at low tide -- you can see anemones and starfish and all kinds of sea creatures in the tide pools. Dress warmly though.
posted by Ostara at 10:17 PM on October 9, 2015
Hole in the Wall on Rialto Beach is a pretty easy hike. Look up the tide tables and go at low tide -- you can see anemones and starfish and all kinds of sea creatures in the tide pools. Dress warmly though.
posted by Ostara at 10:17 PM on October 9, 2015
Nthing Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh. I also really love Crescent Lake - you'll drive past it on your way to PA. Stop off at the Lodge to hang out by the beach and have lunch if the timing works out.
When you're at Hurricane Ridge, definitely stop in the visitor's center and watch the little film about the Peninsula, which has a really cool origin story. Then instead of leaving, keep driving past the visitor's center, to the end of the road, where there is a trailhead - 1.5 miles of excellent trail to the top of the ridge, from which you can see all the way to Seattle. If you want to do something more intensive, there are plenty of other trails around that area as well.
In Port Angeles, Renaissance is a lovely place for breakfast or lunch (or both!). The restaurant at Klaloch is pretty mediocre, so if you're staying in the cabins you may want to plan on cooking your own meals.
One of my favorite places on the Peninsula is the Makah reservation, which is near the aforementioned Cape Flattery. It is a bit out of the way, but it's really beautiful out there, and there's something really powerful about the fact that this community has been there for thousands of years. There's a really interesting little museum as well where you can look at relics of a whaling village that were preserved by a mudslide - things like wooden tools and clothes were amazingly well-preserved and restored. I visited the reservation and Cape Flattery as a day trip from Hurricane Ridge and it was completely doable.
posted by lunasol at 6:35 AM on October 10, 2015
When you're at Hurricane Ridge, definitely stop in the visitor's center and watch the little film about the Peninsula, which has a really cool origin story. Then instead of leaving, keep driving past the visitor's center, to the end of the road, where there is a trailhead - 1.5 miles of excellent trail to the top of the ridge, from which you can see all the way to Seattle. If you want to do something more intensive, there are plenty of other trails around that area as well.
In Port Angeles, Renaissance is a lovely place for breakfast or lunch (or both!). The restaurant at Klaloch is pretty mediocre, so if you're staying in the cabins you may want to plan on cooking your own meals.
One of my favorite places on the Peninsula is the Makah reservation, which is near the aforementioned Cape Flattery. It is a bit out of the way, but it's really beautiful out there, and there's something really powerful about the fact that this community has been there for thousands of years. There's a really interesting little museum as well where you can look at relics of a whaling village that were preserved by a mudslide - things like wooden tools and clothes were amazingly well-preserved and restored. I visited the reservation and Cape Flattery as a day trip from Hurricane Ridge and it was completely doable.
posted by lunasol at 6:35 AM on October 10, 2015
I'd like to note that everyone's answers here were very helpful. Now that we're back from our vacation, I'll sum up our experience for anyone who might be interested.
We started out in Olympia, WA and really enjoyed the Watershed Park which is a short hike through a dense rain forest.
We drove up the peninsula and visited Port Townsend, a nice historic area and a good place to catch a ferry to Victoria CA (don't forget your passport like we did). Because we wanted to spend more time in the Olympic National Park, we stayed in Port Angeles at the Olympic Lodge. It was pricey but most of the other hotels looked pretty old and run down.
We enjoyed out the Dungeoness Spit. Remember to check the tide schedule as there are lots of huge driftwood logs that can move about during high tide and have injured or killed folks. Next, we went out to beautiful Lake Crescent and stopped at the Lodge which looked like it would be a nice (though pricey and hard to reserve) place to stay. We took a short hike up to Marymere Falls.
Next day we went up into the Olympic and hiked from the visitor center near Hurricane Ridge on the lesser traveled trail to Klahane Ridge to view the Mt. Goats. Next was the hike to the top of Hurricane Hill with splendid 360 views of the peninsula and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Finally, we continued on 101 to Ruby Beach, a stop at the Hoh Rain Forest and ending up at Kalaloch Beach to stay at the Lodge. The beach is worth a stop with a nice rock stack. We hiked the Hoh River Trail at the rain forest because it was less traveled than the Hall of Mosses Trail. Very lush and green; remember to take a tripod if you want to take photos.
The Kalaloch Lodge was a treasure. Built in the 1920's, it has no phone or internet service so you can enjoy a nice fire with the free wood they provide. I thought the food was very good and the sunset on the beach was fantastic. To cap off our stay, we watched a Bald Eagle up close as it plucked it's prey on a nearby tree branch.
This was a good time to go as the weather was still fairly dry and warm and there were less crowds. The Autumn colors were nice as well. The downside was that many ranger stations were closed so we didn't get any ranger talks or hikes. I would have liked to visit the other areas that were suggested but we didn't have the time. We'll have to check them out next visit!
posted by jabo at 4:55 PM on October 20, 2015
We started out in Olympia, WA and really enjoyed the Watershed Park which is a short hike through a dense rain forest.
We drove up the peninsula and visited Port Townsend, a nice historic area and a good place to catch a ferry to Victoria CA (don't forget your passport like we did). Because we wanted to spend more time in the Olympic National Park, we stayed in Port Angeles at the Olympic Lodge. It was pricey but most of the other hotels looked pretty old and run down.
We enjoyed out the Dungeoness Spit. Remember to check the tide schedule as there are lots of huge driftwood logs that can move about during high tide and have injured or killed folks. Next, we went out to beautiful Lake Crescent and stopped at the Lodge which looked like it would be a nice (though pricey and hard to reserve) place to stay. We took a short hike up to Marymere Falls.
Next day we went up into the Olympic and hiked from the visitor center near Hurricane Ridge on the lesser traveled trail to Klahane Ridge to view the Mt. Goats. Next was the hike to the top of Hurricane Hill with splendid 360 views of the peninsula and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Finally, we continued on 101 to Ruby Beach, a stop at the Hoh Rain Forest and ending up at Kalaloch Beach to stay at the Lodge. The beach is worth a stop with a nice rock stack. We hiked the Hoh River Trail at the rain forest because it was less traveled than the Hall of Mosses Trail. Very lush and green; remember to take a tripod if you want to take photos.
The Kalaloch Lodge was a treasure. Built in the 1920's, it has no phone or internet service so you can enjoy a nice fire with the free wood they provide. I thought the food was very good and the sunset on the beach was fantastic. To cap off our stay, we watched a Bald Eagle up close as it plucked it's prey on a nearby tree branch.
This was a good time to go as the weather was still fairly dry and warm and there were less crowds. The Autumn colors were nice as well. The downside was that many ranger stations were closed so we didn't get any ranger talks or hikes. I would have liked to visit the other areas that were suggested but we didn't have the time. We'll have to check them out next visit!
posted by jabo at 4:55 PM on October 20, 2015
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posted by singmespanishtechno at 11:04 AM on October 9, 2015