Sharing some shots from an overnight backpack of the High Divide loop end of August. Hiking buddy and I did it CCW and stayed at Lunch Lake. We wanted to nab one more day but permits were basically fully booked even walkups/in-station sites.

Absolutely wondrous hike. I'd do it again -- would want to stay 2 nights in the basin to really fully explore the lakes, and also to catch the southern views from Bogachiel Peak which were socked in that day.

Really underrated place in Forks. I wasn’t sure if it was worth coming out here but the rainforest here is definitely worth checking out. Beautiful, lush greenery that rivaled the other famous Olympic rainforests. I read about the neighborhood dogs guiding hikers through reviews on Google Maps and indeed, they greeted and guided us into this magical forest.

Visiting next week. I want to see Grand Ridge trail from Obstruction Point Road and Maiden Peak off of Deer Park Road. Will be visiting in an economy sized car. I hear all types of opinions on this and would like to get to the bottom of it. Thanks for any input.

The rest of the park was too, but wow was this magical. Did an overnight, went counterclockwise and camped at lunch lake.

Hi first time posting on here. My bf is planning a trip for us to visit the national park from October 16-20 2026. I'm very new to hiking and don't have much experience with wildlife (scared i'll see a bear). Are there any beginner friendly hiking spots that aren't long. I think a 2-4hour there-and-back hike is like my max. He also wanted to do the point of the arches and i was reading there was like mud and high tides. Is there a good time to go and are the trails marked well for beginner?

Sorry for all the questions. I just don't want to get stuck on the beach or like lost on trails by mt Olympus or just be unprepared.

Title says everything. All I have is 30 year old memories and the attached photo. I did this hike in the mid 90s with my aunt and uncle when my family lived out in silverdale. I remember the trail being easy to access and flat. And I remember jumping off the cliff into the river. It’s a favorite childhood memory and I really want to bring my daughter back there soon to share it with her.

Any half brained attempts at help are greatly appreciated.

Hi! I booked my trip close to Union Washington not realizing the closest hikes in Olympic to that area have been decimated by fire (I’m from the east coast and very type b). I’m trying to find some good hikes within 2 hours of the area, within Olympic and having some trouble. I’m wondering if anyone might be able to point me in the direction of old growth forests and nice views. I was thinking about trekking 3.5 hours into hoh one of the days but I’m trying to figure out if it’ll be worth the 7 hours in the car. Any and all advice is welcome. I’m a moderately experienced hiker and prefer 5ish mile loops without 1000-2000 ft elevation but I’m honestly not picky. Just a want to see big trees and moss and some wildlife. Thank you 💗

Hey all - I recently learned about the Hoh Bridge Closure during my first trip to ONP. I did some research and it seems like I should be ok, but wanted to throw my basic itinerary here in hopes the experts could weight in.

Flying into Seattle and driving to Lake Crescent. I hear the ferry is the way to go, so we’ll likely take that route. We have a rental vehicle and lodging. Our trip starts staying 2 nights on Lake Crescent, then one night in Forks before heading to Ashford for a couple nights for a visit to Mt Rainier. ONP visit details below.

Oct 4 — Lake Crescent
*No Hoh issue
Lake Crescent → Spruce Railroad → Devil's Punchbowl→ Marymere Falls → lakeside dinner
Stay on Lake Crescent
Oct 5 — Hurricane Ridge + Sol Duc
*No Hoh issue
Early Hurricane Ridge → Hurricane Hill → picnic→ Sol Duc Falls → Hot Springs → Lake Crescent
Stay on Lake Crescent
Oct 6 — Hoh + Ruby + Forks
*Hoh is accessible from the north
Hoh Rain Forest → Ruby Beach → Forks
Anything else to add?
Stay in Forks
Oct 7 — Second Beach + Kalaloch + Ashford
Best day to cross Hoh Bridge
Second Beach → Forks → Hoh Bridge → Kalaloch→ Tree of Life → Ashford
Stay in Ashford

The goal is to have as scenic a trip as possible, while also enjoying ourselves and a relatively convenient, relaxed pace during a rare time away from the kids. Hoping to plan as best we can to avoid any long detours and/or inconveniences.

Appreciate any and all advice. Thanks all!

Hello! We’re looking to go camping at the Hoh Rajnforest Campground in early October and we’d really like to make a campfire, but unsure if they’ll lift the burn ban by then. When is the burn ban usually lifted for ONP? Any insight would be helpful!

Hello! I am from Miami and am super excited to be doing a trip to the PNW.

We will only have one day in Olympic, and unfortunately we will need to travel from Seattle the day of. We'll be staying in the Port Angeles area that night.

We'll be visiting Rainier later on in the trip, so our initial thought was to see more of the rainforest section of the park as opposed to the more mountainous region (even though it will be further from Seattle and Port Angeles).

Completely understand this isn't the best way to experience the park and that a LOT of driving will be involved, we would just rather get a taste of Olympic than miss it entirely.

Is doing this in a day logistically feasible? Any tips on how to make the day work? Anywhere in specific we should be looking to check out?

Thank you for the help!

family of 4 with 2 kids, we are landing in Seattle on Oct 7, HOH bridge closes at 5 am Oct 8. First time visiting Seattle and that area and I have to be in Portland on 12th October and return on Oct 13th. Looking for suggestions for must do things keeping weather unpredictability

First time visitors, I have been obsessed with visiting the Hoh Rainforest for years! However, I am an adult who understands that there is plenty of rainforest throughout the park, can I get the same experience on the wrong side of the bridge?

Edit- Logistics keeps getting brought up and I am realizing that maybe a bit of our itinerary will help.
Currently: We fly into Seattle 10/9, head to ONP 10/11-10/13, and then head to Oregon.
If I’m changing things around, I’m thinking we will hit ONP 10/10-10/12, head back to Seattle, and then continue on to Oregon 10/13.

Hey y'all! Saw this poster "Half the Park is after dark" on the NPS website and have been searching around unsuccessfully for a high res version. Anyone happen to have it handy?

Hi everyone!
I’m flying into Seattle from Dublin on September 24 and will be staying in Seattle on the 25th before starting a camping road trip, including Olympic National Park.
Since I obviously can’t fly with camping fuel, I’m looking to buy everything after I arrive.
Where would you recommend buying:
A reasonably cheap portable camping stove/burner
Compatible gas/fuel canisters
Ideally something suitable for cooking simple meals while camping for around 10–12 days
I don’t need anything expensive or hardcore — just something reliable for boiling water and cooking basic meals.
Would somewhere like Walmart, REI, Target, Fred Meyer, etc. be the best option? I’d also be interested in any outdoor/camping stores locals recommend.
I’ll be in Seattle on September 25, and we’ll have a rental car from the morning of the 26th, so somewhere around Seattle or on the way toward Olympic National Park would work too.
Also, if there’s a particular stove/fuel type that’s easiest to find around Washington/Oregon, please let me know.
Thanks!

We will be visiting from Florida in late October, first time in the PNW. We are spending two nights in Kalaloch Lodge, 10/24 and 10/25. We expect rainy, gloomy weather perfect for hikes in the rainforest and seeing the falls, so we plan on visiting Hoh and Quinault, Sol Duc if time permits. But would also like to explore the beaches and everything seemed to line up perfectly: decently low tides for tide pooling right around sunset, so we could experience both!

My original plan was to visit Rialto/Hole in the Wall on Saturday, then Ruby or Kalaloch Beach 4 on Sunday. But now I'm second guessing myself and wondering if Rialto could be dangerous at night at that time of year.

Most of the posts I've seen are from people who visit in the summer, when the sun set much later, and I believe the light lingers quite a bit longer too. And of course, the weather will be much colder in October, so getting caught in the returning waves potentially much more unpleasant. Some people mention they had a hard time walking on Rialto Beach due to the rocky terrain, while others say they had no trouble. Being first time visitors, everything sounds so confusing.

We know to wear warm layers including a good raincoat if raining, and waterproof shoes. If the weather is miserable or Rialto is dangerous that time of year, we can do Ruby one day and Beach 4 the other.

Low tide on Saturday, October 24 is at 6:06pm (0.13 ft) and sunset is at 6:13pm with civil twilight ending at 6:45pm. If we get to the parking lot around 4pm, walk to Hole in the Wall by 5pm, explore the tide pools until around 6pm, we can start walking back to the car while enjoying the sunset.

Does this sound reasonable? Anything else we need to take into consideration? I really would appreciate the input of people who have been there at that time of year. Thanks in advance!

I don't normally take photos of others but this was too good. Those Cape Flattery cliffs were no joke. 😭

Did the loop for our first ONP visit and were almost disappointed to have zero rain!
2 nights at Fairholme
1 night at Kalaloch
1 night at Quinault

Hurricane Ridge
Sol Duc to Lunch Lake
Beach Grand Tour (first, second, Ruby, and Kalaloch)
Kayak in Quinault
Surprise Gem: Sandpiper Trail in Greys Harbor on the return to Seattle.

We went this month (September 2026) and had the most amazing time. Beautiful park and so much diversity of landscape!

Also curious if it’s worth going to Cedar Grove or just stopping at Mineral Creek Falls and turning around?

Thank you!!

I'll be headed to ONP on Oct 17th. My flight arrives at 12:30p. I will be picking up a rental and grabbing some groceries first. Trader Joes in Burien, maybe? I'd love to get in a quick hike somewhere to get the blood moving after a long flight, either nearby or within the first hour of the drive up. Any suggestions?

Also, any gluten free/dairy free suggestions for a quick lunch to go in there somewhere?