Olympia National Park

Dungeness National is not only a wildlife sanctuary and amazing beach, but also contains a gorgeous working lighthouse.
Sol Duc Falls and Hot Springs is a great resort and sooo relaxing.
Hurricane Ridge
Hoh Rain Forest

Quick Tips:

Make sure you plan your trip well, and call ahead for the day trips. I suggest calling the visitor center and talking with the park rangers. They are better than a travel agent for planning this kind of trip. We solely relied on National Park maps, and were disappointed when some of the day trips took longer than we thought they would. For example, we started out to see the Dungeness lighthouse very late, and were unable to see a tour or go inside, because the park closed at a set time.

Bring lots of layers and a raincoat. The temperature changes quite a bit every day. I found myself going from a swimsuit to a bundled up, within the same day.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around is by car or RV. This a great trip for an RV. If I had a family, I would definitely rent one for this vacation. Unlike other national parks, such as Acadia, there is no mass transportation system.

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Kalaloch Lodge If you have ever wanted to stay at a Grand National Park lodge, but could not afford it, think again. Kalaloch Lodge is the steal of the century. Located on the Ocean in Olympic National Forest it boasts only ten rooms, but also has many cabins. The setting is on black sand beaches surrounded with old growth forests, and is extremely accommodating. The lodge accepts pets, and is extremely family friendly. There are many hiking trails, and the lodge offers nature tours. A must is the hike to Ruby Beach, which was rated one of the ten best beaches by National Geographic Adventure Magazine. NGAM is how we found out about Kalaloch and I am sure that this place will flourish with the much-deserved press. Reservations are necessary, and should be made well in advance for summer months. There are special deals available for the off months, but the beaches are best in the summer.
The rooms are well maintained and each morning a new bundle of firewood accompanies the clean towels. Although, this is located in a National Park there are modern conveniences near by including grocery stores and theatres.
EatingAll cabins come with Kitchen supplies, but make sure to visit the restaurant, which has the best cedar plank salmon I have ever eaten. Reservations are required for dinner, and the restaurant is only open for breakfast lunch and dinner. The dining room closes early for dinner, so plan ahead. Like everywhere else in Washington, they have a coffee shop that also serves alcoholic beverages. This is a great place to mingle with locals and staff, or just unwind after a beautiful day on the beach.

Best Things Nearby:
In addition to the park activities mentioned above, this campground is located very near Port Angeles, which has a lot of nice shops and restaurants. There is a local winery on the road you turn into the KOA. They give tours and wine tastings, and it should definitely be visited if you enjoy wine. Also, there is a movie theatre approx. 2 miles away, but the campground also rents movies. Port Angeles as the name implies has a nice waterfront section that could also be of interest. From Port Angeles you can catch a ferry to British Columbia, so this could be a great jumping off point as well.

Best Things About the Resort:

Hot Tub
This is the best amenity in the world after a long hike up Hurricane Ridge, which I highly suggest. This is the best way to relax, and if you are stiff from camping, this will fix you up, or at least hold you over until you get to Sol Duc Resort.

Resort Experience:
The campground is located just outside of Port Angeles Washington, and about 15 miles from the Hurricane Ridge welcome center. It also about ten minutes from the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge. However, it is very far from the Hohr Rainforest, and probably should not be the only campground you stay at while visiting the park. My best advice would be to stay here and see the things on this side of the park, and then stay a few nights on the other side of the park in another campground or at the Sol Duc Resort.

The campground itself has a heated swimming pool that is open until 10pm, and a hot tub (open only to adults). This is a nice feature, because even in the middle of summer it got pretty chilly at night. Also, there is a game room with selected video games, pool, and ping-pong. They have a mini golf course, but it is honestly pretty run down. The bathrooms were clean, and the showers hot. However, I would say that there did not seem to be enough facilities. There were only three showers in the women’s side, which was not sufficient for a campground that size.

We had a tent site, and the most secluded site was only separated by a row of tall bushes. This wasn’t too bad but we were so close to our neighbors we could here every word they said. The RV sites were much more spacious. The store seemed reasonably priced, which usually isn’t the case for National Park KOAs, and the staff were extremely courteous and nice.

• Campground Type: Private
• Campsite Type: Tent
• Price Range: $20 - $30
• Cleanliness: Excellent
• Campground Facilities: Very Good
• Recreational Facilities: Satisfactory
• Campsite Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Best Things Nearby:
Sol Duc Falls This has got to be one of the most amazing waterfalls I have ever seen. It is actually three waterfalls in one, and you can climb down to sit on the top of it. Be very careful, as the rocks have a tendency to be very slick, and a fall from the top of the falls would most likely be fatal. The trail to the falls is easy, and has a cool historic cabin along the way. There are plenty of longer more strenuous hikes in the area, as well as, hikes to other waterfalls. See the other falls first and save this one for the grand finale.

There are horse stables nearby the resort, and the resort can make arrangements for you. I am afraid of horses, and did not take part in this, but the family at the cabin next to us assured us this was great fun.

Best Things About the Resort:
Hot Springs This is the main attraction and the reason for coming here. The resort offers three pools at varying temperatures, a swimming pool, and a child’s spring pool. The pools are very clean. There are other natural springs in the park, but they are very muddy. This is a great way to unwind from hiking or the rigors of everyday life. This is a great weekend getaway from Seattle or even Portland. The Hot Springs were very crowded when we there. So if you’re looking for something private this may not be for you.

Resort Experience:

Accommodation
The resort has small cabins for rent or RV hook ups. The cabins are clean and beautiful with comfortable beds. All the cabins have porch swings, an outdoor cooking area. They also provide plenty of towels, which is useful for enjoying the hot springs. The accommodations are very basic in comparison to the grand lodges of other national parks. They run about $100 dollars a night, and do not include the other amenities of the resort, but they also offer package deals.

Dining
The resort restaurant called the The Springs serves healthy spa type meals. It is open for breakfast and dinner, and boasts a decent wine list (with lots of local organic choices). The service was mediocre, but the food was fresh and creative. Given its location in the park, it is probably the best restaurant in a 50-mile radius. There's also a poolside deli, gift shop and grocery store. The deli is open from lunch to early dinner (11-7), and serves and array of choices from sandwiches to soup in bread bowls. It also serves wine and beer, and the deli is more reasonably priced than the grocery. The grocery has a small selection and has very inflated prices. If you are planning to camp nearby or cook your own food at your cabin, buy your food before you arrive.
Massages
The resort offers massages which can enhance the Hot Springs experience. My husband and I both signed up for massages, and had mixed reviews. I enjoyed mine, but my husband felt that it wasn’t worth it. He enjoys a deep tissue sports massage, and thought that the massage wasn’t intense enough. I on the other hand was fully relaxed and rejuvenated by the experience. So I would say, if you’re looking for corrective massage, your money might be better spent elsewhere, but if you’re simply looking for an enjoyable relaxing experience, this is awesome.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Good

There is a small fee to enter the refuge that goes to maintain it, and the station is manned by well informed volunteers, who will happily answer any questions. There are two trails; an easy 3/8-mile trail takes visitors through the forest from the Refuge parking lot to an overlook on the bluff above Dungeness Spit. There are telescopes for peering all the way down the spit. The trail continues down a steep hill for about half a mile to the beach and continues for 4 1/2 miles along the beach to the New Dungeness Lighthouse. The Lighthouse gives daily tours and has public facilities such as restrooms and picnic tables. The Lighthouse tour is definitely worth it, and if you can time it right so is the sunset. The walk is impressive, and is filled with rare birds, and unlike driftwood sculptures. Make sure to provide plenty of time, because the refuge closes promptly as sunset.

There is no camping allowed on the refuge, but there is camping in the park, and it appeared to be well maintained and had many amenities. The campground included showers, bathrooms, and playgrounds. However, it was full when we arrived, so it may fill up early. There is swimming allowed in certain areas, but the water was very frigid.

This gives a panoramic view of Olympia National Park from Port Angeles and the Puget Sound to the Straits of Juan de Fuca. The trail connects with other trails to make a loop, or you can come back the way you came. Wildflowers bloom all along the trail in the summer time. This is a great short trail with impressive scenery, and although I rate it easy, serious hikers should not skip it.

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.