The Olympic Peninsula, Washington
September 21 - 22, 2019
March 8, 2020
March 21, 2020
July 3 - 4, 2020
October 24 - 25, 2020
January 23, 2021
The Olympic Peninsula is, well, a large peninsula off the western side of the state of Washington. The eastern side of the peninsula faces toward the Puget Sound and Seattle. The northern side faces the Strait of Juan de Fuca and is less than 70 miles from Victoria, Canada. The western side faces the Pacific Ocean and contains the northwestern most point in the continental US, Cape Flattery. As the crow flies, the Olympic peninsula is not many miles from Seattle. However, there is no quick or easy way to get there - take a ferry across the Puget Sound or drive fully around the Puget Sound. Either way it seems to always take roughly three hours to reach the eastern or northern part of the peninsula. To get to the western Pacific coast it takes four hours minimum.
Since moving to Seattle I have visited the peninsula six different times and to many different locations. Probably most well-known about the peninsula is that it is home to the Olympic National Park, which incorporates a large portion of the land. But the Olympic Peninsula is actually made up of a number of different lands including those owned by Native American nations, the Olympic National Forest, the Olympic National Park, and many others.
What amazes me most about the Olympic Peninsula is the diversity of its ecosystems. You can spend time in 3 very different ecosystems - mountain, rainforest, and beach - all within a single day's time. Included below are pictures and videos from my adventures in all three ecosystems on the peninsula. It is actually possible to visit all three within a day (a very full day). But I recommend spending a weekend or longer (or multiple weekends). The peninsula is big. There is a lot of diverse land to see and you will need the time.
Since moving to Seattle I have visited the peninsula six different times and to many different locations. Probably most well-known about the peninsula is that it is home to the Olympic National Park, which incorporates a large portion of the land. But the Olympic Peninsula is actually made up of a number of different lands including those owned by Native American nations, the Olympic National Forest, the Olympic National Park, and many others.
What amazes me most about the Olympic Peninsula is the diversity of its ecosystems. You can spend time in 3 very different ecosystems - mountain, rainforest, and beach - all within a single day's time. Included below are pictures and videos from my adventures in all three ecosystems on the peninsula. It is actually possible to visit all three within a day (a very full day). But I recommend spending a weekend or longer (or multiple weekends). The peninsula is big. There is a lot of diverse land to see and you will need the time.
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park
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Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park
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First Beach, Quileute Tribal Land, La Push, Washington
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Hoh Rainforest Visitor Center, Olympic National Park
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Hoh River Trail, Olympic National Park
For full details, check out my Hoh River Trail overnight backpack trip report.
For full details, check out my Hoh River Trail overnight backpack trip report.
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Mount Walker, Olympic National Forest
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Dungeness Spit, Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge
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Kalaloch Beach, Olympic National Park
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Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park
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Mount Storm King, Olympic National Park
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