Where to stay to see Olympic National Park

[fisherman]

We have three days to see Olympic National Park and will have a rental car. Are there places outside the park that are good to stay at or is it best to stay in the park? IF in the park any think to avoid or best choices?

We will be there in June.

 

[Chuckanut]

The park is huge and there is no centrally located lodging in it. I would stay in Forks, assuming you are comfortable with vampires, werewolves and such things.

Twilight Tours by Team Forks | Forks Washington Chamber of Commerce

 

[bld999]

Port Angeles is close to Hurricane ridge, where there are some nice ridgetop hikes with spectacular scenery. Also nearby is the Elwha river dam removal project which is prompting news items like:

"During a one-day survey in September, biologists counted 1,741 adult Chinook and mapped 763 reds between the remnants of the Glines Canyon Dam and the river mouth. About 75 percent of those were spotted upstream of the former Elwha Dam site, park officials said."
Elwha River sees largest run of Chinook in decades | Local News | The Seattle Times

Most of the big demolition and channel work is completed, but it is still worth seeing.

If you favor back roads at all, Forest road 22 intersects Hiway 101 south of Quinault lake and travels east to the Skokomish river outlet in Hood Canal. About 40-50 miles and about half gravel but worth it if you go for that stuff. Lunch at Quinault Lodge would also be tasty and send you back in time.

 

[Brat]

The Red Lion, on the Sound, in Port Angeles is nice. You really need to make reservations because many who use the Port Angeles-Victoria ferry, The Coho, stay there.

 

[Htown Harry]

We stayed in a Quality Inn in Sequim 2 years ago. Nice for a small town motel and it had a grocery store and some other shopping around the corner.

We were there for one night, seeing just a bit of the park before and after the stay. For three nights, I think someplace in Port Angeles or farther west might be a better choice. Or maybe stay in different place rather than one. We spent quite a bit of time in the car seeing just a few of the sights.

 

[meierlde]

The park is huge and there is no centrally located lodging in it. I would stay in Forks, assuming you are comfortable with vampires, werewolves and such things.

Twilight Tours by Team Forks | Forks Washington Chamber of Commerce

Forks is a quiet little town west of the mountains. Its close both to the HOH river access to the rain forest, the pacific coast stretch of 101 and the Queets river access to the rain forest. Its also not to far to Highy 112 along the Straits of Juan de Fuca out to Cape Flattery (actually not in the park but a pretty drive) So you might stay a day in Port Angeles and 2 in Forks. Port Angeles is best for Hurricane Ridge.

 

[NW-Bound]

We have been to the Seattle area many times over the years, but did not have time to really explore the park until we had an RV. The park is big. And even then, we had some commitment to get back in town while on that trip, and did not spend as much time as we wanted. Well, perhaps next time I will spend a couple of weeks.

There are only a few concessionaire lodgings inside the park, as shown in the following link. However, I doubt if there's any opening left this late, same as with most National Parks. Even RV slots are very difficult to get. We were traveling in September for that RV trip when it was already cold, else would not be able to get in.

Lodging - Olympic National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

 

[haha]

I lived far west on the peninsula for 2 years. It never would have occurred to me to try to hike at Hurricane Ridge, and the north park in the same 3 day vacation that I went to Westside places like lake Ozette or Shi-Shi Beach, or into the Hoh River or Quinault drainage. A Place to stay on 101 kind of near where the hiway begins to turn south along the Pacific Side is Lake Crescent Lodge(not along the Pacific, there really is no hiway that runs along the coast in WA). https://www.nationalparkreservation...%20Reservat&utm_campaign=Olympic#.U25yGkZOXVh

Here are some other Park area accommodations: https://www.nationalparkreservations.com/park/olympic-national-park/map#.U25zA0ZOXVh

Farther south and not actually in the Park but on a really good Public Beach is Olympic National Park & Peninsula Lodging | Kalaloch Lodge

I have never stayed on any of these places, since I lived out there and when I go now I mostly camp.

Ha

 

[Brat]

Years ago I stayed at Crescent Lake Lodge and enjoyed my stay. To go there, and see Hurricane Ridge, you must return to Hgy 101 and drive west about 18 miles.

 

[Chuckanut]

ONP is really two parks. One part is a mountain range with rain forests, snowy peaks and lots of good hiking trails. The other part is the longest protected shoreline in the lower 48, IIRC. Great for beach walks, tide pools, sea stacks and other such activities. Perhaps you should decide which to do and/or what order to do them in, and pick a place to stay that is best for the part of the park you will visit that day.

 

[springnr]

If you are spending time at the north end, Port Townsend might have something of interest to offer.

Events & Festivals | Enjoy Port Townsend

https://www.google.com/search?q=201...nsend&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&safe=off

 

[Brat]

The "problem" with the Pacific NW is that there is so much to see and enjoy. No wonder we are so attached to the State of Cascadia.