Visit Olympic Peninsula Region

From snow-capped peaks and magnificent mountains to rugged coastlines and ocean beaches to temperate rain forests, get ready to explore the natural beauty of the Olympic Peninsula. Here you’ll also find charming small towns and fascinating communities plus culinary and cultural delights > OlympicPeninsula.org 

Olympic National Park is the crown jewel of the peninsula and the third most visited of the western US national parks with nearly a million acres and 900 miles of hiking trails. Renowned for the diversity of its ecosystems, the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. In the center of the peninsula are the Olympic Mountains with 60 glaciers. To the west are dense rainforest valleys where rainfall can approach 200 inches a year and along the pristine Pacific coastline are 73 miles of beaches you can walk and explore, only accessible by car in a few places. The park is surrounded by the Olympic National Forest with hundreds of wilderness trails to wander. 

When you’re visiting Olympic National Park, don’t miss the Hoh Rain Forest, visit the wild, rugged ocean beaches, be amazed at gorgeous Lake Crescent and Hurricane Ridge with their spectacular views. 

In addition to the national park, there are 13 state parks and nearly 100 counties, city and privately operated parks for outdoor recreation, offering opportunities for biking, walking, fishing, boating, beachcombing, and camping. It’s a perfect area for wildlife viewing of Roosevelt elk, deer, an array of birds including eagles, falcons and hawks, whales, marmots, fishers, and salmon.

While you’re visiting, immerse yourself in the small communities around the Olympic Peninsula. Each town has its own personality and unique history. Enjoy the local culinary scene at farmers' markets, restaurants, cafes, wineries, cideries, and distilleries. Visit nearby farms, art galleries, and boutique shops. 

Discover the rich native heritage on the peninsula. Local tribes share their history and culture at tribal centers, museums, art galleries, and events. Take the opportunity to experience stories of their past and learn about the entrepreneurial endeavors of the present and future. Visit any of the tribes’ five casinos.

Walk or bicycle the Olympic Discovery Trail, spanning 130 miles from Port Townsend to the Pacific Ocean, where 80 miles of trails are in place. Golf at one of the dozen courses scattered across the peninsula. Take a magical misty tour of the Olympic Peninsula Waterfall Trail, boasting two dozen exciting waterfalls.

Best Places to Visit on the Olympic Peninsula

Cities and Communities

LAKE QUINAULT AREA: Explore the “Valley of the Rain Forest Giants” with record-setting trees. Access to wild backcountry hiking, birdwatching, and camping. Waterfalls and scenic ocean beaches are nearby. 

FORKS/WEST END: Brought to life in the fictional “Twilight” books and movies. Camping, hiking, wildlife, and photography can be enjoyed. The historical logging industry is fascinating. Pacific Ocean beaches and Hoh Rain Forest are nearby. 

CLALLAM BAY/SEIKU: Highway 112 Scenic Byway ends and Cape Flattery Tribal Scenic Byway begins, concluding at the most northwestern tip of the contiguous US. Beaches, hiking, birding, kayaking, surfing and tide-pooling are highlights of the area. 

PORT ANGELES/LAKE CRESCENT AREA: Check out the Olympic National Park Visitor Center and the historic Port Angeles waterfront. Enjoy art, theater, and music as cultural activities in the city. Salt Creek Recreation Area is nearby as well as tide-pooling, kayaking, hiking, and the Sol Duc Hot Springs. A ferry runs between Port Angeles and Victoria, BC, Canada. 

SEQUIM/DUNGENESS VALLEY: Considered the Lavender Capital of North America, fields bloom in late June. The charming downtown celebrates the arts, music, eateries, and wines. Explore the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge and Dungeness Audubon Center as well as the family-favorite Olympic Game Farm. 

PORT TOWNSEND/CHIMACUM VALLEY: Wander through this Victorian seaport to see historic architecture with shops, restaurants, and galleries along the waterfront. The Larry Scott Trail is the beginning of the Olympic Discovery Trail. Festivals occur year-round, including the Wooden Boat Festival. Check out the cideries, wineries, and farms in Chimacum Valley. 

HOOD CANAL: This 63-mile, the glacier-carved fjord is home to world-class shellfish beds of oysters, clams, and geoducks. It’s the scenic route to waterfalls, beautiful viewpoints, and the eastern side of Olympic National Park at Staircase Rapids Nature Trail, 15 miles northwest of Hoodsport. 

SHELTON/SOUTH HOOD CANAL:  World-class SCUBA and skydiving can be found here, along with a vibrant culinary scene celebrating locally sourced and wild-caught fare. A variety of festivals and community events offer live music and opportunities to enjoy the beauty and bounty of the area. 

Scenic Byways 

THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA SCENIC BYWAY: STATE HIGHWAY 112: This dramatic coastline extends farther into the North Pacific than any other mainland point in the lower 48 states. 

CAPE FLATTERY TRIBAL SCENIC STATE BYWAY: This is the first tribal road in the nation to be awarded scenic status. 

PACIFIC COAST SCENIC BYWAY: 350-mile byway outlines the entire Olympic Peninsula with spectacular scenery. 

State Parks

The state parks on the Olympic Peninsula are breathtakingly beautiful, often thickly forested with many located on saltwater or freshwater shorelines. Some are day-use parks and others offer camping, some year-round. 

ANDERSON LAKE STATE PARK: Near Chimacum, remote day-use park with forests and wildlife

BELFAIR STATE PARK: 63-acre camping park on the saltwater shoreline at the southern end of Hood Canal

BOGACHIEL STATE PARK: 123-acre camping park on the river in the remote northwestern tip of the state

DOSEWALIPS STATE PARK: 425-acre year-round camping park with shoreline and trails

FORT FLAGLER STATE PARK: 784-acre marine camping park with three sides of shoreline on Puget Sound

FORT WORDEN STATE PARK: 434-acre marine and forest camping park with shoreline beach and trails

MILLER PENINSULA STATE PARK: 2,800-acre day-use park with forests, shoreline beach, and trails

MYSTERY BAY STATE PARK: 10-acre marine park with the saltwater shoreline, dock, and mooring buoys

OLD FORT TOWNSEND STATE PARK: 367-acre marine camping park heavily wooded on the shoreline

POTLATCH STATE PARK: 57-acre camping park with saltwater beachfront on Hood Canal

SEQUIM BAY STATE PARK: 92-acre marine camping park on the saltwater shoreline in the rain shadow

SHINE TIDELANDS STATE PARK: 249-acres day use marine park with tideland north of Hood Canal Bridge

TWANOH STATE PARK: 182-acre marine campaign park with saltwater shoreline on Hood Canal

National Wildlife Refuges

WASHINGTON MARITIME NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX

This complex received its status in 1907 and includes about 800 islands, reefs, and rocks that can be found along the shoreline from Cape Flattery to Copalis Head and includes the three following locations. 

COPALIS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: Southernmost refuge, located within the ancestral lands of the Quinault Reservation in Grays Harbor County.

FLATTERY ROCKS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: Northernmost of the three, located in Clallam County at the northwest tip of the peninsula.

QUILLAVUTE NEEDLES NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: Located between the other two, spanning both Clallam and Jefferson Counties.

PROTECTION ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: Located near the entrance to Discovery Bay outside of Port Townsend, a refuge for burrow-nesting seabirds.

DUNGENESS WILDLIFE REFUGE: Near Sequim, established in 1915, this 772.52-acre refuge is on a 5.5-mile long Dungeness Spit.

GRAYS HARBOR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE: Established in 1990, one of four stopover sites for shorebirds.

Farmers Markets

BELFAIR SATURDAY MARKET: May – September

CHIMACUM FARMERS MARKET: June – October

HARSTINEISLAND FARMERS MARKET: May – September

PORT ANGELES FARMERS MARKET: Year-round

PORT TOWNSEND FARMERS MARKET: April – December

SEABROOK FARMERS MARKET: June – August

SEQUIM FARMERS MARKET: May – October

SHELTON FARMERS MARKET: May – September

Wineries

CAMARADERIE CELLARS: Port Angeles

EAGLEMOUNT WINE AND CIDER: Port Townsend

FAIRWINDS WINERY: Port Townsend

HARBINGER WINERY: Port Angeles

HOODSPORT WINERY: Hoodsport

MARROWSTONE VINEYARDS: Nordland

OLYMPIC CELLARS: Port Angeles

PORT TOWNSEND VINEYARDS: Port Townsend

WINE ROSE CELLARS: Sequim

Cideries, Distilleries, and Meadery 

FINNRIVER FARM AND CIDERY: Chimacum

ALPENFIRE CIDER: Port Townsend

ADMIRALTY DISTILLERS: Port Townsend

HARDWARE DISTILLERY: Hoodsport

OLYMPIC DISTILLERS: Port Angeles

WILDERBEE FARM MEAD WERKS: Port Townsend

Golf Courses

PENINSULA GOLF CLUB: Port Angeles

SUNLAND GOLFAND COUNTRY CLUB: Sequim

CEDARS AT DUNGENESS GOLF COURSE: Sequim

SKYRIDGE GOLF COURSE: Sequim

DISCOVERY BAY GOLF CLUB: Port Townsend 

PORT LUDLOW GOLF COURSE: Port Ludlow 

ALDERBROOK GOLF CLUB: Union

LAKELAND VILLAGE GOLF COURSE: Allyn

SALISH CLIFFS GOLF CLUB: Shelton

OAKRIDGE GOLF COURSE: Elma

HIGHLAND GOLF COURSE: Aberdeen 

OCEAN SHORES GOLF COURSE: Ocean Shores

Tribal Casinos

ELWHA RIVER CASINO: 15 minutes west of Port Angeles

7 CEDARS CASINO: Five miles east of Sequim

LITTLE CREEK CASINO RESORT: Five minutes south of Shelton

LUCKY DOG CASINO: Near Hoodsport

QUINAULT BEACH RESORT AND CASINO: 30 minutes west of Aberdeen