An Epic Plympic Peninsula Road Trip for Families

An Epic Olympic Peninsula Road Trip for Families

Posted by:

|

On:

|

If you’ve been thinking about taking a road trip around the Olympic Peninsula and visiting the Olympic National Park, this is your sign to stop thinking about it and DO IT! You won’t regret this trip, as there is so much natural beauty to see. It is truly one of the best places we’ve taken our kids to. 

The Olympic Peninsula is located on the northeast side of Washington State and is home to the Olympic National Forest. The forest covers almost one million acres and includes lush rainforests, glacier-peaked mountains, and stunning beaches along the coastline. 

We took this road trip as a family in our fifth wheel in the summer of 2023. We’ll share all the fun spots we took our kids to that you must add to your trip itinerary, including the famous Tree of Life, an easy hike to a beautiful waterfall and the stunning views at the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States, known as Cape Flattery.

The PNW is known for its cooler and rainy days, so we wanted to go when we didn’t have to worry about being cold and packing rain gear. We visited in August of 2023 and while the weather was quite stunning and relatively warm, it was also peak season and really busy. That said, make sure you visit the National Park Services website to learn about the National Park’s limitations. When we visited, Hurricane Ridge only allowed a specific number of cars for the day. Once they hit that number, they turned away cars. As you can imagine, it would take some additional planning and research to ensure you can get in and experience the beauty up on Hurricane Ridge.

If you are flying in from out of state, you’ll be flying into SeaTac International Airport. Since you’re traveling from out of state, we highly suggest you visit Seattle for a day or two. Enjoy a stroll through Pike Place Market, visit the Space Needle and explore downtown Seattle. There is so much to see in a place like Seattle that it requires a trip all on its own, but in this case, take a day to explore the iconic stops. 

You’ll want to rent a car. As we mentioned, there is a lot of land to cover, and having your own car will make it easier for your family. From there, you can either hop on a ferry in Seattle to cross the Puget Sound or take a couple hours to drive around the sound to get to Highway 101. Highway 101 will take you right around the Olympic Peninsula.

We understand that many factors come into play when planning a family trip. There are things to consider like school, work schedules and finances. WIth that being said, we’ll give you a couple of breakdowns on how to get the most out of your Olympic Peninsula road trip. 

This is a quick reminder that the Olympic National Forest is massive and requires a lot of driving. If you only have one day to explore the park from the Seattle area, I would focus on your top priority destination and prepare for long drive times. 

Two Day Itinerary 

If you have two days to explore the Olympic Peninsula, I would focus your first day in the Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent area. Your second day at the Hoh rainforest and a trip to the coastline to visit the stunning beaches.

Three Day Itinerary 

Take a day to explore the Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent area, a day to visit Cape Flattery and Shi Shi Beach, and your final day to explore the Hoh rainforest and more beaches along the coastline. My favorite was Rialto Beach, where I saw the hole-in-the-wall at low tide.

Keep reading to see our full six-day itinerary.

An Epic Olympic Peninsula Road Trip for Families

I’m not sure if we mentioned this already (wink, wink), but the Olympic Peninsula is HUGE, which makes staying in one specific town a little challenging or, rather, adds more driving to see it all, which is what we did. We parked our fifth wheel at a campground in Forks, a great central hub for us that requires longer drive times to visit specific areas. 

If I could change anything from our trip, I would have loved to have booked a few nights in the Port Angeles area. Doing so would have made accessing Hurricane Ridge and surrounding areas much easier. 

That being said, there are many places along Highway 101 on the Olympic Peninsula for you to stay. Whether you’re camping, looking for hotels, or looking for an Airbnb, there’s a bed for you! Start by planning your route and deciding how much drive time is ideal for your family between stops. Places like Kalaloch Lodge, Forks, and Port Angeles are all along your trip and have accommodations for everyone. 

In the summer of 2023, our family of four (and one pup) took our home on wheels on a fantastic road trip to the Olympic Peninsula. Here is our six-day itinerary and everything you need to know about these popular spots. 

We started our trip with a week of camping on the beach in Ocean Shores. Driving up the 101, we were able to make a stop at Kalaloch Beach to visit the Tree of Life. A Sitka spruce tree barely hanging on by a thread or, should I say, a root between two cliffs. 

This was the perfect spot to stop along the drive to stretch our legs, eat a picnic on the beach and witness this natural phenomenon. Not only is the Tree of Life stunning and worth the stop all on its own, but I highly suggest you take some time to explore this beach. You will find driftwood placed in fun teepees for the kiddos to explore. 

Hoh Rainforest
at the Hall of Mosses at the Hoh Rainforest.

The Hoh Rainforest is one of four rainforests in the Olympic National Park. Take a morning to enjoy this destination, and we highly recommend starting your morning bright and early. When we visited in August 2023, we arrived around 7 a.m. and had the trail mostly to ourselves. When we left the parking lot, a long line of cars were waiting to get in. We had heard stories of people waiting hours to get in. 

The Hall of Mosses Trail runs through the heart of the Hoh Rainforest and is one of the best hikes for kids. This hike is roughly 0.8 miles roundtrip. It is the perfect loop for families to explore, with minimal elevation gain and well-maintained paths. The trees along the path are gigantic and covered by beautiful flowing moss. 

By the time you finish your hike on the Hall of Mosses trail, you’ll most likely need a pit stop at the restrooms. The restrooms are located at the Hoh Visitor Center. While here, you must stop in to get a National Park Passport stamp and learn about the local wildlife. We also love stopping in and chatting with the Park Rangers as they share local information and artifacts found in the National Park. 

If you’re traveling with kids, this is the perfect time to grab a Junior Park Ranger booklet. Take a few minutes while here to fill out the required pages to become Junior Park Rangers. In our opinion, it’s a must-do in every national park. 

Wow, it’s only lunchtime, and you’ve accomplished so much! Since you’ve missed all the crowds, give them a wave as you head out of the Hoh Rainforest and wish them luck. If you’re like us, food and lots of good food are a requirement after a long day in nature. We packed a lunch and found a spot along the Hoh River to stop for a picnic.

Start your morning with an easy hike to Sol Duc Falls. This short hike is roughly 1.6 miles in and back and will take you directly to a bridge overlooking the waterfall. On a nice clear morning, you’ll see the sun peaking in through the trees above the waterfall, and you might spot a rainbow. 

Lake Crescent is a massive glacier-carved lake. With its crystal-clear waters and surrounding mountains, you can’t miss stopping here for a swim to cool off. When you leave Sold Duc Falls and make your way back to Highway 101, there is a cute little General Store right at the tip of Lake Crescent. They’ll kindly ask you not to use their parking lot as it is a small lot just off Highway 101.

Instead, if you turn on Camp David Jr Rd, you will see a parking lot with a dump station behind the store. This parking lot is a short walk to access the beach at Lake Crescent. It is the perfect spot to enjoy the lake and take in the backdrop of the Olympic Mountains. Your next stop requires a bit of a drive, so take this time to get out all of your wiggles and eat a good lunch. 

Have you ever been to the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States? With this stop on your road trip, you can officially say you have visited the northeasternmost point of the United States. Although we didn’t make it out to Cape Flattery at sunset, I can only imagine sunset being the ideal time to visit this location. The views overlooking the Pacific Ocean are just stunning.

Pack a snack and grab a bench overlooking the ocean to enjoy the sounds of the waves crashing. Visiting Cape Flattery does require a recreation permit you obtain from the Makah reservation. You can view information on where to grab your pass HERE. However, there are many spots along the drive by Neah Bay where you can pull off to purchase your pass. Note that this trail is roughly 1.5 miles in and back, with an incline on the way back. There are a lot of steps, boardwalks and roots to step over. 

Cape Flattery
Cape Flattery

Visiting the Hole in the Wall at Rialto Beach will take some planning, as you can only access it at low tide. Check the tide charts for Rialto Beach and plan to get there by low tide. This destination is one of the longer hikes we share. Requiring a 1.5-mile walk along the beach (one way) to get to the Hole in the Wall. While you’re here, take time to view the tide pools. There is so much marine life to see and explore. 

On your way back from the beach, tour the town of Forks, visiting all the iconic Twilight stops. On your way back, you’ll be able to see the treaty line. Bring a sharpie to sign your name and whether you are #teamedward or #teamjacob. Since you’ll be out in this area, you can stop by Jacobs’s house and look at his motorcycle. After these two stops, we found we could head back into town and see all the other Twilight stops. As well as museums and stores with Twilight memorabilia. You can visit the Cullen Home, Bella’s House, see Dr. Cullen’s parking spot at the local hospital, and even grab a selfie with Bella’s truck at the local timber museum. Share with us in the comments. Are you, Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Cullen Household from the book Twilight
Renee in front of the Cullen Household (book edition)

Ok, I’m going to be totally transparent with you and tell you we didn’t make it up to Hurricane Ridge. While we visited, they had closed down most of Hurricane Rridge due to cougar sightings on the trail. I believe there was even a cougar attack. Due to these unfortunate circumstances, we didn’t make it up to Hurricane Ridge. 

But here is what we had planned on doing:

Take the drive up Hurricane Ridge, during the summer months the meadows are typically covered in wildflowers. 

We had planned on hiking Hurricane Hill, a 3.4-mile in-and-back trail. Additionally, there are other hikes on Hurricane Ridge for families to consider, such as Cirque Rim (1-mile roundtrip), Big Meadow (Half-mile roundtrip), and High Ridge (1.2-mile roundtrip including spur to Sunrise Point).

If you’ve read this whole post, you might have caught our love for visiting visitor centers. Our kids learn a ton, and we do as well. We love seeing and learning firsthand about the land and animals that call this area home. If you didn’t have the opportunity to grab a Jr. Park Ranger booklet, here is your chance. However, if you grabbed one and haven’t turned it in yet, you can do so here.

Your trip is coming to an end, but there is still some adventure in store for you and your family. Making the entire loop around the peninsula will put the finishing touches on your road trip. Head north—northeast on Highway 101, and you can make a stop in Port Angeles. To learn more about what you can do in Port Angeles, read 20 Epic Things to Do with Kids at the Olympic National Park. 

If you’re looking for a fun stop on your way back, check out the Olympic Game Farm for a drive through the animal farm. Experience an African Black Bear sitting near the fence and waving for you to toss him some bread. But make sure you don’t leave your windows down. The buffalo have crazy tongues that can’t wait to explore the inside of your vehicle. 

If time is on your side and you can catch the ferry into Seattle, you are in for a treat. The view of Seattle’s skyline from the ferry is extraordinary—bonus views if you make this trip at night! The ferry ride is short but still allows enough time to step out and take in the views. 

There are a few Ferry options for you to get across the Puget Sound:

Kingston to Seattle, which is roughly 39 minutes.

Bainbridge Island to Seattle is roughly 35 minutes.

Bremerton to Seattle, which is roughly an hour long. 

If you’re towing an RV around the Olympic Peninsula like we did and are not interested in towing over the ferry, there is an alternative. You can drive around the Puget Sound, avoiding the Ferry. You’ll add a little bit more drive time to your trip, but it can prevent the ferry cost for towing. 

  1. Plan Your Route. Plan your route in advance, considering scenic stops, rest areas, and attractions along the way. Use GPS and pins on your map to help with directions.
  2. Check Your Vehicle. Before hitting the road, make sure your vehicle is in good condition. Check tires, brakes, fluids, and lights. Make sure you have a spare tire, jack, and basic tools for emergencies. 
  3. Pack Smart. Pack light but efficiently. Include essentials like clothing, toiletries, medications, snacks, water, entertainment (books, games, music) and Emergency supplies like a first aid kit, flashlight and batteries. 
  4. Stay Organized. Use packing cubes or bags to keep items organized in the car. Have a designated place for important documents and travel itineraries.
  5. Plan for Comfort. Consider packing comfort items like pillows, blankets, travel pillows and seat cushions. Adjust seat positions for use and lumbar support for those long drive times. 
  6. Take Regular Breaks. Plan frequent breaks to stretch, rest and refresh. Stop at rest areas, parks and scenic spots for picnics and short walks. This will help break up the drive time and make it more enjoyable for all.
  7. Stay Hydrated and snack wisely. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. If you’re like me, you might tend to drink less water, hoping I won’t have to make as many potty stops on our drive, but that’s not ideal. Drink plenty of water and healthy snacks like fruits, nuts, granola bars, and sandwiches.
  8. Be Flexible. Encourage spontaneity and be open to changes in plans. Road trips can have unexpected detours or surprises, so adapt and enjoy your travels. 
  9. Safety First. I feel this shouldn’t be said, but follow traffic rules. For example, wear seatbelts and follow the speed limits. Share driving responsibilities if possible, and avoid distractions like texting while driving.
  10. Plan for Accommodations. Book accommodation in advance, especially if you’re traveling during peak travel season. 
  11. Stay Connected. Keep your phone charged and carry a portable charger. Inform family or friends about your itinerary and check in periodically, especially in remote areas with limited reception. 
  12. Have FUN. Enjoy the adventure and capture the moments. Try local cuisine and explore new places and don’t forget to create lasting memories with your family. 

We hope you found this blog post helpful and can’t wait for you to experience the beauty of the Olympic Peninsula. We truly hope you have the ability to witness the Tree of Life barely hanging on between two cliffs. To be able to hike through one of Washington’s most beautiful rainforests and under the massive hanging moss. To be able to watch the sunset with your kids from most northwestern point of the United States. 

We’d love to hear your favorite thing to do along your Olympic Peninsula road trip. Tag us on social media or leave a comment below. We love to hear from you!