As I finished loading the car, I turned to look at the clouds sitting on the tops of the towering Sitka Spruce and Douglas Firs, cementing the light gray mist hanging over the Hoh Rainforest canopy, breeze rustling through the trees, and seeming threat of rain on the horizon (though it never rained while I was there) in my mind. I’d tried to take pictures of this moment every morning since arriving at the Hoh Rainforest Campground in Olympic National Park, but none of them did it justice. So I settled for this moment and memory, sitting there, staring at the forest before starting Princess and heading to the coast.
There are places, like Glacier, that I put on my itinerary because I’d been fixated on them for years. There are others, like Theodore Roosevelt National Park, that just made sense given the route. Then there are places like Olympic National Park. Places that weren’t on my radar, but when they got on it, I started to plan my entire trip around them.
I have no regrets.
Olympic was better than anticipated and everything I needed. Showcasing 360-degree views of the Olympic Mountain Range, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Canada across the way; glacial lakes; hot springs; two entrances into a temperate rainforest—the only one in North America; rugged coastlines, tidepools filled with starfish and anemones, and freezing surf, it was stunning. But more importantly for me, for the first time on this trip I felt like I’d found my rhythm. And the first time since I left Nicaragua in April, I felt like I was taking an actual break.
Given that I’m on sabbatical you might find that surprising. Then again, if you know me well, you’re probably just saying “surprise, surprise.” Even on sabbatical, I find it hard to slow down, be still, and pause. But stepping into the Hoh Rainforest felt like an open invitation to do so, so I did the only thing that made sense. I took out a comfy camping chair, pulled out a book, and sat for a while.
Getting Started at Olympic
I came into Olympic from the North through Port Angeles after a short drive and ferry ride down from Bellingham, which you know from On the road, was my destination after North Cascades.
Olympic is a massive park and, unlike Glacier, there is no full scenic drive through it. Instead, you take Hwy 101 through the park, with other roads bridging off into the distinct park sections. Because Olympic is massive and diverse—the only park where you can move from mountain to glacial lake to rainforest to coast—it discourages a quick viewpoint-to-viewpoint drive through, encouraging instead longer stops along the way. It asks you to linger, explore, and stay for a while in each place.
So I did, putting those 360-degree mountain to ocean views at the start of my trip before moving south to the Hoh Rainforest to camp for three days, and then to the coast.
Port Angeles & Hurricane Ridge
To get to Olympic from the north it requires a ferry ride and a little driving. Despite my best efforts, I didn’t make the 10:15 a.m. ferry from Coupeville, WA to Port Townsend as planned (I was so close, I could taste it, just 3 cars back when they cut off entry), so after waiting a few hours, I rolled into Port Angeles late in the afternoon. I started my visit by heading to the park visitor center which sits at the edge of Port Angeles. As usual, the ranger on duty had excellent advice on day hikes in the distinct areas in the northern section of the park: Hurricane Ridge for views, Heart of Hills to walk through an old growth forest, Lake Crescent to hike or kayak, or Sul Duc for hot springs and hiking. He also had suggestions for Port Angeles, the best time to get to the Hoh Rainforest campground so that I didn’t have to wait to enter (the rainforest has limited parking meaning there is often a long line to get into the campground area), and a handy Junior Ranger booklet signed by him in beautiful calligraphy should I want to complete it. (All the feels here, guys. All the feels).
Even though I was ready to see the park, I decided to take him up on his Port Angeles “must sees” first. Besides, I needed gas and ice since life on the road is more than just scenic views. It’s also an on going examination of key questions like, “Do I have gas and ice? Will I be able to get gas and ice? The result? Gas and ice first and then a stroll down the Port Angeles boardwalk and downtown, looking in stores, looking out for sea life, and finally heading into the park.
I took the winding road directly to Hurricane Ridge, where I was greeted with mountains, alpine meadows, and so many deer.
While the primary hike for this area (Hurricane Hill) was closed, there was more than enough to explore moving through short overlook and rim trail hikes to take in the sweeping views. By the time I felt like I’d had my fill, it was already after 5 p.m., and I was ready to head the two hours south to Hoh.
The Hoh Rainforest
The sun doesn’t set until nearly 9 p.m. during Washington summers, so I could have taken another hike in the north, but I had rainforest on the brain. You see, this was the original appeal of Olympic. While scrolling through Instagram one day, I’d seen a photo of the Hall of Mosses, THE HIKE in the Hoh Rainforest. The pictures showed golden slats of light shining through massive trees, yards of moss draped overhead. It looked otherworldly. It looked serene. It looked like something I needed in spades. I got off of Instagram, went straight to Recreation.gov, and booked three days of camping in the rainforest. Just like that, Olympic National Park made the road trip itinerary.
The Hoh Rainforest campground is deep into the rainforest itself. As I drove into the forest I could feel the rightness of my decision around me. This place, felt like those pictures had looked, no filters or caveats needed.
I got to my campsite by 7 p.m. with lots of light giving me time to slowly set up camp. I met my neighbors (a Washington family with really imaginative kids who played some intense make-believe games—I believe the boys were in another dimension of sorts while I was making introductions to their parents). I watched deer wander through the campsite, and settled into the next 3 days at an even pace.
The day hikes through the Hoh Rainforest—Hall of Mosses and Spruce Nature Trail—are short. But, taking the rainforest up on its invitation to relax a bit, I decided to take it slow, spending the next day exploring only this area. I could save the rest of the park for the other days.
I started my first morning there by staring out at the misty treetops over coffee, before strolling down the Spruce Nature Trail, and then taking a guided ranger hike through the Hall of Mosses.
To keep you in the know, here are four of my favorite facts learned on the guided hike:
- Salmon have rings in their ears that, like tree rings, tell you how old they are.
- There are mother trees through out the forest that feed nutrients to the whole community of trees around them through their roots.
- There are also nurse trees, fallen trees that provide fertile ground for other trees to spring up on and grow in the rainforest. Anytime you see a line of trees, chances are they started their life on a fallen log.
- Bobcats, or at least one of them in the Hoh Rainforest, can be lazy fishermen, though they are effective when they finally get down to it. For the curious, check it out.
Post-lunch, hiked the Hall of Mosses again on my own (its only 0.8 miles). Armed with all the facts and accompanied by only the sounds of the forest sounds, I had even more wonder at these big, beautiful trees and the moss-covered canopy around me.
All of this wonder, though, left me wanting more so I decided to stroll down the longer Hoh River Trail. This is an 18 mile hike, it but can be broken into sections for day hikes. My plan was to walk down the trail until I got freaked out. (Yes, the forest is peaceful and serene, but it’s still a rainforest with mountain lions, Roosevelt Elk, and bears, oh my!) As a result, walking until I got freaked out seemed like a plan. As luck and banana slugs would have it though, I ended up walking a steady distance behind a couple from San Diego (Shannon and Corey). At Shannon’s discovery of a banana slug we caught up with each other and chatted, when we were still together at the next trail spur I asked if I could hike near or with them. (Yes, this means that I was now freaking out. It took approximately 1 mile).
We spent four miles, one waterfall, a bear scratch tree, a lot of mud, and some good conversation together that evening. Images of the rainforest as well as the banana slug that brought us together below.
It was a perfect day, capped off by a slowly prepped dinner and an eveing kicked back in the camp chair with a book.
The Coast 1: Rialto Beach, First Beach, and Vampires
As I’ve traveled through the country, I’ve been in awe. Mountains, buttes, rain forests, little towns. But stepping on the coast at Rialto Beach it was clear. Wherever I need to be and whatever I need to do after this, it needs to be close to the coast. The first sight of that sandy shore and rugged coastline, the smell of the sea, well, it felt like coming home (though maybe just a little colder than I’d imagine home).
So how did I get there? I woke up bright and early the morning after my Hoh explorations and headed an hour northwest to explore the coastline. I’d learned from one of the rangers that the tide would be very low, meaning that the tidepools at Rialto Beach as well as the scenic Hole in the Wall (literally, a hole through the rocks) would be accessible. I’d passed that tip onto the Shannon and Corey, so we all found ourselves there bright and early, hiking down the beach together to the Hole in the Wall.
This coastline is stunning. As someone familiar with the white sand and blue waters of the Gulf and Caribbean, these coasts hold a different sway. They are dramatic. They feel as fierce as they do peaceful, and even on a cloudy day the images they provide are evocative. (Think, green forests jutting down onto beaches, white waves crashing into the sand, driftwood as large as the giant trees in the rain forest washed ashore).
Needless to say, it was a beautiful hike. Props to Shannon who was on the sea life discovery, stopping at tide pools, pointing out starfish, taking pictures.
When we reached the Hole in the Wall we took our time taking the quintessential Hole in the Wall photo, may have yelled fire in the hole a time or two, and shared a lot of confusion about why there was no creek crossing to get to the hole, which had been a prominent part of all of the hike descriptions. Luckily though, our lingering gave us the answer. Instead of easily walking out of the rocky area as we’d walked in, the tide had risen. To get out, we found ourselves traversing across the rock wall to work our way back to shore for the hike back. Having not rock climbed in months; this was a bonus.
At the hike’s end, we said our goodbyes as they headed north to the hot springs, and I headed South to see more of the coast. My coastal trek South started that day with lunch on nearby First Beach (giant driftwood from First Beach pictured above), where I sat watching the surfers, staring at the driftwood, and just being for a while.
On my way back to camp, I needed to get ice (again, the question of the day), so I stopped at a store in Forks. Even the stop at the store was not to be forgotten, because it was there I learned that the vampire threat was . . . low? off the charts? below the ground? Other interpretations welcome, please.
If you’re wondering why there is a question about vampires in Forks, that would be because the Twilight series is set there. Despite my proclivity for all books supernatural, I’ve never read it. Though if I had to imagine a beach where vampires and werewolves might roam, well, the rocky coasts near Forks just might be the place.
The Coast 2: Kalaloch
Since my heart lies with the coast, despite my love for the rainforest, I spent my last night in Olympic camping at Kalaloch Campground, which sits just above the beach about 45 minutes south of the Hoh Rainforest.
Though not quite as dramatic as Rialto, Kalaloch is a wide white beach capped off by cliffs and rock formations at both ends. Near it are a different set of Beaches 1, 2, 3, and 4 and Ruby Beach, which is the most famous of them. Ruby Beach was closed while I was there, but I have no complaints. Strolling down Kalaloch I was treated not only to beautiful views, but trees growing out of cliffs (See photo of the Tree of Life below), perfect sand dollars, and my fair share of rocks to climb. Oh, Olympic, I do love you.
I spent most of my day there though practicing yoga on the beach, laying out in the sun, taking it easy, before watching the sunset on the West Coast. (Full disclosure, so that you don’t think it was too perfect, despite my best efforts, I was taking it easy because I was nursing a tweaked lower back. Life, you see, happens on the road just like anywhere else).
My exploration of the coast didn’t end there though. Bright and early the next morning, I headed to Beach 4 to take advantage of another low tide. While the beachwasn’t as dramatic as Rialto, the tide pools were, and it was the perfect way to say goodbye to the Washington coast and to Olympic.
***
As I headed out, there was another stop for gas, more questions about ice, and a short conversation about vampires and sasquatch with the gas station attendant. Of vampires, she had seen none, but of sasquatch, she had seen one. Only a baby one, she said, and only once.
That’s a lot to contemplate.
But as you already know, the road ahead was long. No better time to marinate on it all.
**Please excuse all typos, grammatical errors, and other weird punctuation. Sometimes the light in Princess isn’t the best for proofing. Since this isn’t a legal brief, I’m just going to let it go until I get to a place where I can fix it.**
1 thought on “Rythm, relaxation, and magical moss in Olympic National Park”