The trails around the visitor center do not take a long time to cover, but they do offer some spectacular views of the San Juan De Fuca Bay and the ridge. It was on one of the popular loop trails that we saw the deer. You can also see the primitive ski equipment, which we are told is still operational.

One had to drive to get the longer trailhead. There is another parking lot here. We hiked this trail for a while, getting amazing views of the glaciers, spotting small forest animals, and seeing other hikers of all shapes and sizes. The climbs can be quite strenuous here.

You are pretty much guaranteed to see a deer, passing almost close enough to touch it. Sometimes they are thick up here, but when I visited, I only saw one lone doe . . . and heard dozens of clicks as we all tried to capture her on camera. The deer seem to be completely unafraid of humans.

This is a popular place, easily accessible, well-known, and good for nature lovers of all ages and abilities. On this sparsely populated peninsula, Hurricane Ridge may hold most of the visitors at any one time. After all, it is right off the highway closest to a major town. You won't find solitude here, but you will find beauty and nature, which rarely accompany such popularity.

Blacktailed Deer (see warning above) and marmots are frequent visitors, and often they can be seen on the trail. There are isolated areas on top of this hill where trees provide shade for rest. Winds blow hard here, so I advise bringing a windbreaker even if doesn’t feel windy at the visitor station.

There is a national park campground that appeared to be well-maintained at the end of the connecting Heart O' Hills trail. If you want to do backcountry camping, you must get a permit in the trailer behind the visitor center. They will also supply you with bear canisters for a minor fee. In the winter there is a small ski run used here, and another couple from Seattle told us it is a nice hike in Snowshoes.

The winter fun on Hurricane Ridge is plentiful! There are areas set aside for sledding and inner-tubing. On the day that I went up, there were many families frolicking on sleds and taking cute family pictures, with kids acting like kids and adults acting like kids. While there are no chairlifts, there is a rope tow to take downhill skiers and snowboarders to the top of a moderate hill. The more adventurous downhill folks head for the backcountry and ski and snowboard some wild areas, but must be tough enough to hike back up the hills after the fun run is over. This is a pretty risky venture, as there is a danger of avalanche, and of not being found if needed in these remote areas. I recommend sticking to established downhill areas. Finally, opportunities for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are limitless. There are somewhat established cross-country and snowshoe trails, and again I recommend sticking to those. Since I am dangerously uncoordinated on cross-country skiis, I borrowed a pair of snowshoes for a 3-mile (one-way) trek up Hurricane Hill. My pictures are from that sunny, perfect day.

The visitor center on Hurricane Ridge is open when the road is open. There is a ranger or volunteer available to answer questions, and also a snack shop, gift shop, and restrooms. There are free ranger-guided snowshoe walks on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2pm on the days the road is open.

Cross-country ski equipment and snowshoes are available for rent in Port Angeles at Olympic Mountaineering. The cross-country ski package is $16 per day. The snowshoe package is $12 per day. Olympic Mountaineering also gives cross-country ski and avalanche classes. Call them at (360) 452-0240 or see their website. The Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club gives downhill and snowboard lessons. Their number is (360) 417-1542. They would also have information regarding possible downhill ski and snowboard rental.