Olympic National Park With Kids

A family guide to the rain forest, the coast, and the mountains, without overdoing it.

By Chris Hayworth, Nestward

Olympic is really three parks in one (glacier-capped mountains, old-growth rain forest, and over 70 miles of wild coastline) and they are an hour or more apart by car. That variety is the whole appeal, but it also means you can burn a day driving if you try to do it all. With kids, pick two of the three and keep the walks short.

The layout: it's big, and it's spread out

There's no single road through Olympic. Highway 101 loops around the outside of the park, and you drive in on spur roads to reach each area. Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, the Hoh Rain Forest, and the coastal beaches are all separate destinations. Plan on more driving than you'd expect and you won't be disappointed.

The park is open 24 hours year-round, but roads, campgrounds, and facilities run seasonally. Entrance is $30 per vehicle for seven days, and kids 15 and under are free. July through September are the driest, warmest months (highs of 65–75°F), the easiest window for a family. Base yourself in Port Angeles for the north side, or Forks for quick beach access.

Easy walks that pay off

You don't need a big hike to get the good stuff here. A few short, high-reward options:

• Moments in Time Trail at Lake Crescent: a flat, easy loop through old-growth forest at Barnes Point. Gentle enough for little legs, and the lake is right there.
• Madison Falls: a paved, wheelchair-accessible path of just a few hundred feet to a waterfall. About as low-effort as a waterfall gets.
• Peabody Creek Trail near the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles: a short loop that's a good warm-up and a place to grab the Junior Ranger booklet.
• Salmon Cascades on the Sol Duc road: a quick stop where, in fall, kids can watch salmon leaping upstream. Easy win.

The beach and tide pools (kids' favorite)

Rialto Beach is the classic family stop on the coast, with driftwood logs, sea stacks, and crashing surf. Ruby Beach has reliable tide pools where, at low tide, you can find ocher sea stars and anemones in the rocks. This is often the highlight for kids, so build the day around the tide chart: check the low-tide times before you go, because the pools simply aren't there at high tide. Keep a hand on younger kids near the surf. These are wild, log-strewn beaches, not a calm bay.

Hurricane Ridge and a little snow

If the weather is clear, drive up to Hurricane Ridge for big mountain views without a hard climb. There are short, paved paths right from the visitor area, and kids have a real shot at spotting deer at sunset. In winter and early spring the road opens on a limited schedule for sledding and snow play near the lodge. Check the road status the morning you go; weather closes it often, and it's a long drive up to turn around.

Bringing the dog? Read this first

Be realistic: Olympic restricts pets heavily, like most national parks. Dogs are not allowed on the vast majority of trails, in the rain forest, or in the backcountry. They're limited to roads, parking areas, campgrounds, and a few specific spots. The park runs a BARK Ranger program and allows leashed pets on a short list of pet-friendly stretches, including portions of Rialto Beach (north to Ellen Creek) and the Peabody Creek area. If hiking with your dog is the point of the trip, Olympic will frustrate you; plan the dog days around those few areas and leave the long trails for another time.

A sane plan for pacing

Two destinations a day, max. A good rhythm: one morning at the coast for tide pools, one day at Lake Crescent and a forest walk, and one clear-weather trip up to Hurricane Ridge. Pack layers (it's common for the park to have different weather in different areas at the same time) and have everyone do the Junior Ranger program. It turns the drives into a scavenger hunt.