Happy Friday! Been a little quiet over here as not much is going on. I'm battling through a hurt hip flexor/groin that has basically kept me from hiking since the end of July. But some exciting adventures are coming up that I cannot wait to share with you all! The biggest is a trip to Rwanda, which kicks off in 11 days, for 11 days.

Keep an eye out for my newsletter later in September, and you can follow along on social media as we venture across the small African country, seeing gorillas, monkeys, taking my first safari, and so much more!

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What to know about an Olympic National Park Trip

Lodging Options Are Sparse

The Olympic Peninsula is large, and population centers are small and spread out. You have Port Angles, the largest city, with a population of approximately 20,000. Then you have Forks, the gateway to the Hoh Rainforest, at 3,500. And then you have Neah Bay, a tribal community at the farthest northwest tip in the lower us at 1,000.

It's what makes traveling here a bit tough and also expensive, as fewer lodging options and high demand drive up costs. (I hope my econ professor is proud I remembered something.)

Usually, most lodging options are in Port Angeles. However, that's a solid 2-hour drive from the Hoh Rainforest, making your drive 4+ hours round-trip. Not great.

So, now we have Forks. It's a nice place to be, but prices can get high on the weekends and during the summer months. Not like luxury expensive, but a weekend could still cost you $600. But worse. There are just not a lot of options.

Book Lodging in Port Angeles

Book Lodging in Forks

2.5-5 hours from Seattle

If there were a bridge from Seattle across the Puget Sound, the Olympic Peninsula would be so much more accessible. Alas, you can either take the ferry or drive down and loop back up. Somehow, both ways take about the same time. I wish I had gotten to spend more time out here in these mountains, but having a guaranteed 5-8 hours of driving round trip isn't always enticing.

Distance from Seattle to top locations:

Hoh Rainforest: 4.5 hours
Hurricane Ridge: 3 hours
Cape Flattery: 4.5 hours
Lake Crescent:3 hours
Port Angeles: 2.5 hours

My Favorite Trails (Doable by most hikers)

Okay, now that we've got all the boring things out of the way, here are my favorite hikes in Olympic National Park.

Hall of Mosses: Nice mile-long loop trail in the Hoh Rainforest. Trail guide here.

Hoh River Trail: A 17-mile-long trail that ends at the Blue Glacier deep in the Olympic National Park backcountry. Few people do the entire trail. But you can spend a few miles walking on it. It's got the slightest incline for the first handful of miles.

Hurricane Hill: The most popular hike at Hurricane Ridge. It's gorgeous, and while it has some elevation, it's a well-maintained trail that's good for all hikers. On a clear day, make sure to look northeast, and you should see Mount Baker looming large.

Sol Duc Falls: Nice 3-4 mile meander through the forest to reach the waterfall. The views are fantastic. (Feel free to keep hiking past it. Most don't, so if you want to ditch the crowds, walk just 100 yards beyond and you're free.)

Marymere Falls: Short 2.5-mile hike to another waterfall. Almost entirely flat until the end. This one's near Lake Crescent.

Mount Storm King: If you want an epic view of Lake Crescent from above, this is the hike to do. It's steep, and there are some ropes to assist at the top. It's 2 miles up with 2,000 feet of gain. Same trailhead as the above.

Shi Shi Beach: Up in Neah Bay, this takes you to one of the more remote beaches in Washington. It's just two miles to reach the beach, but be prepared. It's one of the wettest, most muddy hikes in the state. Once you reach the beach, it's two miles long to get to the Point of Arches. If you do the entire thing, it's 8 miles, and it's slow going as you're walking on the beach.