The incredible rainforest found within Olympic National Park is home to a tree canopy over a thousand years old, and an incredible ground layer of moss, fern, and fungi. Any visitor can choose whether to meander through the cedar, hemlock, and giant spruce trees found throughout the park, or take a trip out to the coast, where they will become familiar with the beach ecosystem. In addition, the mountain lakes and dramatic peaks of the park offer endless opportunities for exploration.
Following our time in Seattle, Washington, the next destination on our Summer 2019 Road Trip was Olympic National Park, located about three hours west. On our drive into the park, we stopped at the Visitor Center to get some information on the area, some recommendations from the rangers there, and also enjoyed viewing a movie about the park. We then headed on our way to the start of our afternoon hike, to Marymere Falls.
Upon our arrival at the trailhead at Marymere Falls, we were thrilled to see an RV parking spot open up almost immediately. It was a small lot with very few other parking options for an RV our size, so we felt like we had won the lottery. We hiked to Marymere Falls, and really enjoyed exploring the lush forest and creeks along the way.
After our hike, we headed to our home in Olympic National Park, the Log Cabin RV Resort and Campground, seated right on the edge of Lake Crescent. What a GORGEOUS spot! Our family had a wonderful time enjoying the lakeside in the late afternoon – playing Farkle, Cornhole, Ladder Ball, and skipping rocks. The location of this resort and campground cannot be beat, and they also have a wonderful small restaurant and ice cream shop on property, not to mention a dock with water rentals.
After sleeping in a bit the next morning, our family headed out to the coast of the Olympic National Park for the day, to Rialto Beach. The kids LOVED exploring this area of the park and the beach ecosystem there, and we all really enjoyed the diversity of our first beach hike of our trip. The beach was covered with smooth logs and large rocks, and we found tons of crabs on the way to Hole In the Rock, our destination.
Upon our arrival at Hole In the Rock, we witnessed a helicopter rescue (a woman slipped on a rock at the tide pools and was taken by Medivac from the beach to the hospital), and the kids were mesmerized watching this rescue take place. We explored the tide pools for some time, and found anemones, hermit crabs, sea stars, and shells. It was a really fun time exploring together along the coast.
After our hike, we returned to our lakeside sweet spot, and enjoyed some soft serve ice cream before spending the afternoon by the lake. Our family played a new card game, “Name That Park,” as well as cornhole and ladder ball. It was a great evening wrapping up our stay in Olympic National Park.
