Take Washington's Ultimate Road Trip on the Olympic Peninsula
In the U.S., it doesn't get any more Pacific Northwest than Washington's Olympic Peninsula, as far northwest as you can get without crossing into Canada or falling into the Pacific itself.
Home to Olympic National Park and its magnificent mountains, crystal clear lakes, fairytale forests, and many must-see beaches along the coast, plenty of this is available throughout the peninsula outside of the national park, too. You should absolutely traverse the park while you're here — in fact, you may not even realize every time you cross the boundary as you dip in and out on your way around the peninsula, but there's plenty of small-town charm and further natural exploration to be found outside the park's borders, as well.
While much of this area is among the most LGBTQ+-friendly regions in the entire nation for both residents and visitors, and you'll find plenty of opportunities to support pro-LGBTQ+ businesses along the way, the focus on this visit is decidedly more natural than commercial.
To spark some inspiration for your own personal adventure we've mapped out some potential highlights below. You could spend anywhere from 1-3 days at any of these stops, easily, and plenty more if you wanted to camp or really dive into some more extensive hikes and activities, so consider this a skeleton itinerary of 5+ days. Of course, if you're just looking for a long weekend getaway, you could certainly slim this down a day or two by cutting a stop here and there. Either way, here's the minimum of what you'll find on an epic Olympic Peninsula road trip in northwest Washington.
Hit the Ground and Get Going
If you're flying in, aim to arrive at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport sometime in the morning, then pick up your rental car and hit the road right away. Of course, you'll probably be hungry, assuming those airplane snacks didn't fill you up, so head first to the small city of Gig Harbor, only about an hour away, where you can have a proper lunch at Tides Tavern, directly on the water. Clam chowder and fish tacos are the specialties here, but the signature pizzas are also a solid choice, too.
Take a bit to stroll around town, then head to Finnriver Farm and Cidery about 45 minutes north toward the edge of the peninsula. There's a 50-acre farm here, with orchard tours available on weekends, but you can also dive straight into the ciders if your legs are tired. This entire property is organic, and that may make its ciders the most expensive on the market, but you won't regret paying for quality sips from the likes of habanero, perry, and black currant ciders on a list that spans the traditional to the contemporary.
Afterwards, head into nearby Port Townsend, originally intended to be the NYC of the West, but instead a colorful port town of steady activity that does see some major action for events like the annual wooden boat festival in September, when 350 boats make their way to town. This is also the home of Olympic Pride, which began in 2018 as Jefferson County Pride, and is steadily growing.
For dinner, journey on to The Fireside Restaurant a half hour away in Port Ludlow, where you'll treat yourself to an upscale meal of local bounty so fresh the menu changes daily. If it's too cold to eat on the veranda overlooking the bay. Large windows inside offer sunset views of their own.
Spend the night at Chevy Chase Beach Cabins, where utterly adorable tiny houses dot the ground above Discovery Bay, with well-placed Adirondacks offering the perfect spot to watch the morning light hit the water below as you sip your coffee. If you're feeling even more energized, you can also take the beach trail directly to the shore.
Trek the Northern Border
Today you'll head all the way west across the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula, stopping at key points along the way. Begin with an easy drive to Dungeness Spit, the continent's longest sand spit and one of the longest in the world, too. At nearly seven miles and growing by roughly 13 feet per year, you're welcome to walk the entire sandy stretch to the lighthouse at the tip, but feel free to tackle just a portion instead, as you also have to walk all the way back. It takes a bit of a (beautiful) woodland walk just to get down to it once you park, so no one will blame you for choosing an abbreviated expedition. Try to avoid high tide for easier stepping, though the pics are more dramatic then.
Afterwards, head to the small town of Sequim, which just celebrated its first Pride event this summer, for a well-earned lunch at Rainshadow Café, where you can choose from seasonal sandwiches, salads, and more, all made in-house, and paired with local craft beers and wine. It's perhaps best known as a coffee roastery, too, so no worries if you're more in need of caffeine right now. Bonus if you're here in July: You'll learn why Sequim is called the lavender capital of the country.
Next, travel half way across the peninsula (it's only about an hour and a half) and turn slightly south into the national park for a visit to Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort for a quintessential Olympic experience. You don't have to stay here to take advantage of the pools of varying temperatures, all fed by hot springs, so stop by for a restorative soak to rest your car-cramped muscles.
Then, backtrack the tiniest bit for dinner at Lake Crescent Lodge, still in the park, for dinner on the shores of one of the region's most famous, and impossibly clear, lakes. Pair your farm-to-fork meal with Pacific Northwest wines.
If you're looking to add a few days to your itinerary for some deeper park exploration, this is an ideal place to shack up for a bit before returning to this itinerary. Otherwise, it's further west to Quileute Oceanside Resort to end the day at the Pacific. Options here range from camping to waterfront cabins, but don't be fooled by the motel category — these rooms are leagues above any "motel" you've seen before, comfortably appointed with oceanfront balconies and convenient to the property's coffee and breakfast shed.
Twilight, Moss, and More
Before turning south today, take a journey back into the park (by now you'll have noticed that roads here generally ring Olympic National Park, with virtually no significant drives through it) for a visit to Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center. On your way, though, make a pitstop at the Forks Chamber of Commerce. If Forks sounds familiar, it's probably because "Twilight" is set here, and the franchise brings visitors in the realm of 70,000+ per year to check out its oh-so-wet hometown. Fan or not, a quick visit to the Chamber of Commerce (it's a visitor center, open full-time now thanks to "Twilight") is worth the small detour to learn about the massive impact this phenomenon has had on the previously sleepy town.
Back on the road, journeying into the Hoh Rainforest will take you through an actual American rainforest that receives more than 12 feet of annual rainfall and features fantasy-scapes like the legendary Hall of Mosses Trail, among plenty of other less-touted trails with equal magic to offer. On your way out, grab lunch at Hard Rain Café, the seriously quirky roadside stop with a heartfelt devotion to its diverse clientele, where you can grab sandwiches, burgers, and other short-order bites before exiting the park and hitting the road south again.
If you've been relatively quick this morning and have spare time, stop at Ruby Beach along your way to meander (and surely photograph) the sea stacks. You may even spot bald eagles here.
Finally, journey southward along the coast before the 25-mile trek inland to Lake Quinault Lodge, where you'll settle in for a couple nights of relaxed rainforest exploration at the only accommodation within Quinault Rainforest.
Disconnect at the Historic Lodge
Okay, you'll actually have better Wi-Fi and cell service here than you'll have found at most of the locations along this gorgeous itinerary, but try to avoid spending the second half of your trip on your phone. The first lodge here was built in the 1880s, and the current stunner is nearly 100 years old itself, nestled lakeside among the mountains and rainforest that give this entire region the nickname, "Valley of the Rain Forest Giants." Save your screen time for the flight home.
Among your first orders of business, though, is making reservations for meals at the Roosevelt Dining Room. They're not required, but they do fill up, so it's best to make them as early as possible. President Franklin Roosevelt ate here in 1937, and signed the bill creating Olympic National Park just nine months later. Coincidence? You decide.
The indoor pool and sauna are included in every stay, but take advantage of lake activities like kayaking and canoeing (swimming, too, of course), and be sure to join the savvy for sunset on the sloping lawn with a sundowner from the lodge bar. This is a great time to meet other travelers, but there's plenty of space for quiet time away from others, too. In the forest surrounding Lake Quinault Lodge, eight miles of trails offer plenty of dazzling hikes and the ecosystem is especially ideal for birders who can take advantage of more than 300 species that thrive in this unique habitat.
There are also some fabulous scenic drives to be had, if you're not sick of your vehicle yet. Mature growth, cascading waterfalls, and more hues of green than you could ever imagine are on constant display here, leaving plenty to experience between breaks for two or more final nights before heading home.