1 Day Itinerary for Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is one of the three gorgeous national parks in the state of Washington and it really is so, so special. Whether you’re looking for mountain hikes, rocky coastlines, rainforests, or anything in between you’re likely to find it at Olympic. While you could spend MANY days here and never run out of things to do, sometimes you only find yourself with one day in Olympic National Park and you need to figure out the top things to do. So, if you are planning for that situation, here is my recommended one day itinerary for Olympic National Park.

1 Day Olympic National Park Itinerary: The Short Version

For more details on this one day itinerary including these Olympic National park things to do, Olympic National Park lodging, and more, keep reading for the long version! And as always, if you make any purchase from any link in this one day itinerary, I might make a commission. I appreciate any and all support!

1 Day in Olympic National Park: The Long Version

So you might be asking yourself, “how far is Olympic National Park from Seattle?” and the answer is about three or so hours depending on traffic. You might also be wondering “what is the best time of day to get to Olympic National Park” and my vote (as always) is as early as possible. What that means is the best way to explore this gorgeous Washington national park is to stay in the park itself or nearby in one of the cute towns so you can get a little sleep before your full day ahead. 

There are two ways to really explore Olympic National Park in one day, either driving yourself or taking a tour.

Olympic National Park Organized Tours

If you prefer an organized tour over driving yourself, check out one of these awesome excursions and see if the key stops match my favorite Olympic National Park things to do: 

Rent a Car

If you’re not joining an organized tour, you’ll definitely want to rent a car for your Olympic National Park day trip.

Where to Stay

When it comes to Olympic National Park lodging, I think where you stay totally depends on how long you have in the park. I have stayed in Port Angeles twice and Forks once (which is in the park itself and of Twilight fame) and really loved both. If you only have one day in Olympic National Park and aren’t spending any additional time in the peninsula, you might want to stay within the park itself and Forks is a great option.

However, if you’re spending time exploring the Olympic Peninsula as a whole, Port Angeles is a great option!

Map of Your Day in Olympic National Park

This is where each of the recommended stops/trailheads are for this one day Olympic National Park itinerary. Feel free to download this map to your device and save it offline!

Sunrise at Hurricane Ridge

Hurricane Ridge is one of the most famous, popular spots in all of Olympic National Park and is the perfect place to start your one day itinerary IF… and I mean IF… the road is open. 

I have now been to Olympic twice and planned for a sunrise at Hurricane Ridge both times but unfortunately due to weather or construction, the road was closed and I couldn’t go. However, I have many travel blogger friends who have had better luck than me and have told me how lovely it is, and their photos are absolutely stunning. So my recommendation is definitely to add sunrise at Hurricane Ridge to your one day itinerary for Olympic, but to make sure to check the National Park website for road status and plan accordingly.

Go Hiking

There are so many amazing Olympic National Park trails to add to your one day itinerary, but unfortunately (unless you’re an absolute madman/madwoman) you probably won’t be able to get more than one done in a day. So, depending on how hard you want to go, here are some top trails in the park to choose from:

• Easy Trail – Sol Duc Falls Trail
  Sol Duc Falls Trail is an easy hiking trail that leads to a super cool waterfall. It’s full of gorgeous views around every turn and feels just quintessentially Pacific Northwest. 
• Moderate Trail – Hurricane Hill via Hurricane Ridge Trail
  This Olympic National Park hiking trail will have some gorgeous views of the mountains during good weather, and if the road is open to Hurricane Ridge this is a great moderately difficult hike for your one day in Olympic National Park.
• Hard Trail – Mount Storm King Trail
  This is an iconic hike in Olympic National Park but it is rated difficult because of some scrambling and steep ascents requiring a rope. 

Hang Out at Lake Crescent

This is a genuinely perfect place to rest after your hike! Lake Crescent is a stunning lake in Olympic National Park and I had a great time hanging out here and enjoying the view. I’d recommend going to hang out at Lake Crescent Lodge and have yourself a little picnic or you could enjoy some pretty sunset views there as well if you speed through this one day itinerary. 

Visit the Hoh Rainforest

The Hoh Rainforest might be the most iconic spot in all of Olympic National Park and that is for good reason; it is ABSOLUTELY stunning. Go in the Visitors Center here and chat with the rangers about what you’ll see on the gorgeous Hall of Mosses Trail and truly just soak in the beauty of this spot. If ONE spot is an absolute must-do on this whole Olympic National Park one day itinerary, it’s the Hoh Rainforest.

Depending on what time of year you visit and how late you go, there may be a line to get in. I have been to Olympic National Park 3x and only saw a wait 1x at the beginning of September around 1pm. From fall through spring, you’re safer from lines.

Find the Tree of Life

It’s time to head to the coast now and we are officially ready for the first beach stop on this one day Olympic itinerary but it’s something you might not expect; the Tree of Life. This spruce tree has somehow stayed hanging on while it seems the majority of the ground under it has crumbled away. This tree is super special so make sure you’re not climbing on it and causing any damage to this fragile slice of nature.

You’ll find the Tree of Life at Kalaloch Beach so after you’ve admired the tree, feel free to continue exploring this gorgeous beach.

Sunset on Ruby or Rialto Beach (or hit up both if you have time)

These two beaches are both gorgeous and you’ll love wandering around both to end your perfect day at Olympic National Park.

Ruby Beach

Ruby Beach is so gorgeous and it is so iconically just, “Pacific Northwest beach” that you’ll just fall in love immediately. It’s also SUPER close to the Tree of Life so if your day is running late, this is probably the option for you.

It’s a short hike down to the beach and then a climb over some fallen trees before you get to the beach itself. Once you’re down, then you can just explore the area and walk as far as the tide will let you.

I haven’t been here yet for sunset but I can only imagine how beautiful it would be!

Rialto Beach

It’s La Push baby, it’s… La Push. Okay, the Twilight lovers knew I just had to do it! BUT, Rialto Beach is another stunning beach in Olympic National Park worth visiting! It is highly recommended to visit at sunset, so if you have some good weather in the forecast you’ll have a tough decision to make regarding which Olympic National Park beach to watch sunset at.

This is one of the most recommended sunset spots in Olympic National Park because of how far west it is but it’s also a VERY easy walk from the parking lot to the beach, whereas some of the other beaches have slightly more of a challenge.

So there you have it, my one day itinerary for Olympic National Park. There is so much to see and do in this gorgeous park that no matter what you can get to, you’re going to have a blast. Just make sure you’ve got a rain jacket and comfy water-proof shoes (I wore my favorite hiking boots) and you’ll have an amazing time. As always, reach out if you have any questions and make sure to check out my Olympic National Park story highlights on Instagram as well as my national park playlist on TikTok. Have so much fun at Olympic!

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