By:
Submission
Permits/Reservations: Obtain permits in person at the Wilderness Information Center in Port Angeles or the South Shore Lake Quinault Ranger Station. No reservations for South Coast. However, Second Beach is very popular in summer and can fill up.
Group Size Restrictions: Groups are limited to no more than 12 people. Associated groups of more than 12 must camp and travel at least 1 mile apart and may not combine at any time in a group of more than 12.
Food Storage Method: As of May 2013, all food, garbage and scented items must be stored, overnight and when unattended, in park-approved Bear Canisters along the entire Olympic National Park Wilderness Coast. Buckets or other hard-sided containers are no longer permitted.
Campsites: A few forested sites are available but mostly beach camping. Camping space can be scarce in summer.
Toilet Facilities: A pit toilet is located where trail meets beach.
Water Source: Two streams - Most coastal water sources have a tea-stained appearance. The light tan color originates from tannin leached from leaves. Cryptosporidium and giardia exist in coastal streams and rivers; therefore, always filter or boil water. Iodine is ineffective against cryptosporidium.
Contact Forks Outside for campsite set-up service: https://forksoutside.com
Hurricane ridge has some beautiful views. Obstruction road is a little bumpy but worth it. Please use 4x4 on the uphills, road is becoming washboarded. The lodge burned down this spring at hurricane ridge while being renovated. Bathrooms are limited to blue rooms. Please don't feed wildlife, don't speed a d watch for bicyclists, pedestrians and wildlife all through the park. Stay off the meadows. I've added some photos of some beautiful rare saxifrages belowm many meadow alpines are very slow growing/sensitive and trampling will kill them. Stay on walkways.
So many lovely spots to stop and explore on this whole trip. Plenty of beaches, hiking trails, scenive view points. Lots of wildlife. One of my favorite national parks for the variety of things to see. The greenery is just beautiful. Never got tired of exploring. Not super crowded like the more popular national parks like yellowstone. Was nice to have our own pace to see things. Locals are friendly. Rain, sun, cloudy, foggy, snowy. Just beautiful in all the seasons we have seen there! If you want something different, definatley the route to go. You never know what you will find! Plenty of camping options.
Beautiful place. Rain forest was fascinating. Went on beach which was wild and amazing. Its not one for sun bathing however. Saw the crater lake which was beautiful.
One of my favorite National Parks. It has everything: big waterfalls, cool wildlife, mountains, ocean, lush forests… I love it. One of my favorite things to do is get lost in the moss covered forests away from everyone and enjoy one of the most peaceful places you’ll ever be in.
One of the best and most diverse national parks in the United States. From mountains, to waterfalls, to rain forests, to the ocean! The beauty of this park is unreal. I recommend taking your time exploring because there are a ton of great trails and views scattered throughout the different areas. We spent 2 days here and saw most of the popular attractions. You could easily spend 3 days though. Make sure to map out your trip as the entire park is huge. There’s not a lot of cell service, so I suggest downloading Google Maps beforehand. September is a great time to visit! It’s not as crowded as the summer months, but you still have a chance for sun and warmer temperatures.
