Olympic National Park is situated in the Olympic Peninsula in northwestern Washington. It contains three different ecosystems, including glacier-capped mountains, old-growth temperate rainforests and the rugged Pacific shoreline. There are several trails, viewpoints and other activities in the park to enjoy the scenery.

Day 1: Waterfalls and Moss

After spending the previous day in Seattle, it was time for us to head towards the Pacific coast. To get there we had to first drive through Olympic National Park. Except there is no road that cuts through the park as there’s a giant mountain in the middle. Instead we had to drive all the way around. This gave us a good excuse to check out a few of the sights in and around the park along the way.
We spent the previous night in Port Angeles and from there it’s a short drive to one of the visitor centres. We got there a few minutes before it opened so we hiked along the Living Forest Trail (0.8 loop, rated easy). The trailhead is located by the Beaumont Cabin which is located behind the visitor centre. The log cabin was built in 1887 about a mile south of here by the Beaumont family. The cabin was later donated to the park to be used as an exhibit of pioneer life on the Olympic Peninsula. It was moved from its original site and has been restored and furnished with period pieces from the 1850s to 1900s. While the door to the cabin was locked, we could peak in through the windows.

The trail loops through the forest, providing a preview of the lush landscape with tall trees, ferns and moss. There were also a few storyboards which featured some poetry about nature.

By the time we finished the visitor centre was just opening, so we went inside to check out the exhibits and to pick up a larger map of the park. We initially planned to hike Hurricane Ridge, but the trail and road were closed for a major rehabilitation of the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge. No worries as there are plenty of other options to choose from.

We drove to Madison Falls (0.3km round trip, rated easy) where there’s a short path that’s paved that leads through the forest to an overlook of a waterfall. The only downside to it being so accessible was that we could hear the sounds of cars zooming by. But it’s a short trail, so we were back in the car in no time, adding to the noise.

We headed towards Crescent Lake and pulled over at an overlook. The lake was created as the glaciers receded about 13,000 years ago. From the lake we could really see just how overcast and gloomy it was. But at least it wasn’t raining. Yet. According to the weather forecast the rain was supposed to start later in the afternoon.

Our next stop was at the Storm King Ranger Station, which provides access to a few trails, many of which are interconnecting. We first hiked to Marymere Falls (2.7km round trip, rated easy). The trail passes the ranger station and meanders through the mossy forest. There was a turn-off for Mount Storm which is reputed to provide a lovely view of the surrounding area. But it’s a challenging trail with a lot of elevation gain, and we haven’t quite warmed up our hiking legs yet. After crossing a bridge, the path leads to an impressive waterfall.

It’s an out-and-back trail, but we made a detour to hike to Lake Crescent Lodge for a change of scenery and to ditch the crowds. We didn’t encounter a single hiker on the way. The path continues to weave through the lush forest with tall trees, gigantic ferns and moss hanging everywhere

The lodge is located along Crescent Lake. We strolled along the shoreline and found an access point to the Moments in Time Trail (1.1km loop, rated easy). The trail continues to follow the waterfront along Barnes Point before heading through the old-growth forest. Along the way there’s a series of storyboards that provide some fun facts about the lake and forest. It also provided more nice views of the lush landscape. The trail intersects with a connector path that leads to the King Storm Ranger Station, so we followed that back to where we parked. More in next post