Olympic National Park - Day 5: Rialto Beach, Hoh Rainforest

I was excited to see the Hoh Rainforest today.  I've seen so many beautiful pictures of the rainforest before, and was really looking forward to experiencing it in person.

Instead of heading straight to the rainforest in the morning, we decided to make a quick stop at Rialto Beach first.  It was only 10 minutes away from our Airbnb, and it made sense to see this beach while we still could -- the access road was closing at 5pm.  We didn't want to rush to make it back in time after the rainforest, so the timing worked out well this way.  It was actually perfect because low tide was at 10:13am, and we got there around 9:30am.

I was so surprised with not only the amount of driftwood, but the size of it.  What huge logs.  It was pretty amazing how much was there.  And, the beach was almost empty!  There were maybe only 10 people spread out across most of it.  We walked to the south, towards a group of seastacks that looked pretty.  Took our time climbing over rocks and getting there.

Olympic National Park - Day 4: Ozette Triangle

We had an early start today -- got to the Ozette ranger station's parking lot around 7:50am.  It was almost an entirely full parking lot!  Was surprised about that.  And lots of gnats.  Low tide was around 9:45am, so we gave ourselves plenty of time to reach the beach.

We headed north first, towards Cape Alava.  Majority of the trail was a boardwalk, either made of wood or a slippery metal.  There were a lot of clear, exposed areas, and we could see the sun starting to peak out through the clouds.  We didn't pass many people...must've only been like four people on this 3.1 mile stretch.

Sand Point or Cape Alava?

Olympic National Park - Day 3: Lake Crescent, Clallam Bay, Lake Ozette

Another beautiful sunny day!  After eating breakfast and packing up, we decided to get out on the water and kayak at Lake Crescent.  We would be heading west anyways.

Instead of going to the South end of the lake like yesterday, this time we went to the North, renting a kayak from Log Cabin Resort.  It was definitely a more windy, narrower road to get here compared to Lake Crescent Lodge.  I actually preferred the environment at Log Cabin more.  There were more grassy areas to sit on, and there was a more relaxed feel to it.  It was smaller, and seemed more intimate.

Lots of grass to lay on at Log Cabin Resort

Olympic National Park - Day 2: Mount Storm King, Marymere Falls, Lake Crescent

The first full day at ONP, and it was a beautiful, sunny one.  Started the day off leisurely with breakfast outside at the Airbnb, and got to the Storm King ranger station around 9:45am.  The parking lot was a quarter full.

I had read wta reports that Mount Storm King was difficult at the last stretch -- that it is steep, and there are loose rocks and a rope to help out.  Despite reading this, the views looked too good to pass up, so I figured I would deal with it when I got there.

Trailhead is along the Marymere Falls trail..Ominous looking!

Olympic National Park - Day 1: Seattle to Port Angeles, Hurricane Ridge

Was really excited for the trip to begin!  We decided to leave on Thursday afternoon to avoid busy holiday traffic.  Made it in line for the 3:15pm ferry, and saw that had we been even five minutes later, we might not have made the cut off for the queues!  So, was glad we secured a spot.

It was a quick 30 minutes to cross -- barely had time to snack on tater tots before we had to head back to the car.  From Kingston, it took a little extra time to get out of the ferry terminal area.  Slow moving traffic through the city, probably until we got on 104 towards Port Gamble.

We were staying in Port Angeles for the night (and next), and it was around 5:30pm when we got to the city.  It was a beautiful, sunny, cloudless late afternoon, so it made sense for us to check out Hurricane Ridge while we had time before the crowds came the next day.

What a great decision!  While it was a windy drive that took some time, we felt safe and not rushed the whole time.  We encountered only one other car going up, and maybe six coming down.  Got to the closed visitor center a little before 6pm, and here were a handful of other cars there enjoying the views as well.

It was so beautiful.  Expansive stretch of snow-capped mountains.  So pristine and wonderful.  I had only been here one other time years ago in the summer, so it was great to come back with a different kind of view.  There was still too much snow for any hikes; the road was closed off right after the visitor center.  It would be great to come again in the summer and hike.