Wild and almost otherworldly, Ruby Beach is where the PNW shows off everything it does best…read more From the moment you take the short walk down from the parking lot, you know you're in for something special. Massive sculptural sea stacks rise along the shoreline, rugged and dramatic. The beach is strewn with driftwood, some pieces arranged so naturally they feel like art instillations. Its name comes from the subtle reddish mineral flecks in the sand, which glow beautifully when the sun hits them. We loved exploring this area, and it's absolutely a must-stop if you're anywhere near Forks. Vault restrooms are available just off the parking lot; they're basic and don't have running water. Because this beach is part of Olympic National Park, you'll need to pay the daily entrance fee or better yet, grab an America the Beautiful Pass for access to all national parks. I wouldn't recommend walking barefoot or swimming here. The water stays around 45-55°F year-round, the waves are powerful, and the surf can be unpredictable. This is a place to admire, wander, and soak in the wild beauty of the coast.

Out of the multiple beaches on this stretch of coast, we found Ruby to be the most busy and the…read moreleast interesting of the beaches. Not much to tide pool and the sea scapes are interesting to look at but not much outside of the surface look.

We stayed at the campground here as we made our way through the Olympic NP. This was a great place…read moreto stay! It's not too large and was relatively quiet, although some sites are kind of close to the main road and might get some traffic noise. The sites are located in a beautiful forest with large trees, moss and mushrooms, and a river adjacent. They all have a picnic table and a fire pit, although we were there during a fire ban. There are nice clean bathrooms with shower stalls. I really loved that this campground had some small trails through and near it, and I loved walking down to the river at the end of the day. It was really beautiful! The whole campground is gorgeous and we had a great time.

Bad campsites. There are boulders placed "decoratively" as hazards. I've camped at the nearby…read moreNational Park and this State Park does not have it's beauty.

The Hall of Mosses Trail was easily one of the highlights of our visit to Olympic National Park…read more From the moment we stepped onto the trail, it felt like we had entered another world. Towering old-growth trees, lush green mosses and lichens draped from the branches, and the peaceful sounds of the rainforest created an unforgettable experience. The trail is short, easy to walk, and well maintained, making it accessible for families and visitors of all ages. Even though it isn't a long hike, there is so much to see that we found ourselves stopping constantly to admire the scenery and take photos. Every turn revealed another beautiful view, and the forest seemed to get more magical the farther we walked. One thing we would recommend is arriving early in the morning or later in the afternoon if possible. Parking can become busy during the middle of the day, but once you're on the trail, it's easy to slow down and appreciate the incredible beauty around you. If you're visiting Olympic National Park, the Hall of Mosses is an absolute must-see. It's the perfect place to experience the unique beauty of the Hoh Rain Forest and gain a new appreciation for one of the most remarkable ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest. We would happily visit again! Check out our videos on our social @reessroots

Definitely a magical place to visit! Large parking area, and a very easy stroll through the forest…read more Lots of moss everywhere which is so neat to see, but apart from here, you'll see moss throughout the park. A quick stop here probably about an hour and if you map out your driving, it's close enough to a lot of other amazing spots at the park!

Another beautiful rainforest in Olympic Park. Good parking, easy walking path and picnic tables. We…read morewalked down to the lake, it was a easy path. We did drive the 3 mile ring around the lake. You will see watefalls, beautiful lakes and wildlife. The air was so refreshing and clean. We timed this trip, to make sure it wasnt over run with tourist. We walked to the ranger station, and walked around the musuem. This was a nice stop as well. I loved all the totem poles! @noirvedanaturals

"Valley of the Rain Forest Giants"…read more I spent the last day of my trip to Washington in the Quinault Valley next to Lake Quinault. Quinault is located in the southwestern area of Olympic National Park. One way to experience this Valley is to drive the scenic 30 mile loop drive around Lake Quinault, up the Quinault River into Olympic National Park, and back around the other side. There are opportunities to see waterfalls and wildlife on this drive. I personally like to get out of the car and experience nature in person on a hike. In this Valley is the Quinault Rain Forest. This forest is a temperate rain forest that receives an average of 17 feet of rain per year. The Quinault Rain Forest is known for its lush, moss-covered trees and ferns. The Quinault Rainforest Nature Loop is a short easy hike that allows you to get up and close to this rain forest. The trail takes you through an old-growth forest all the way down to Willaby Creek. You can go either way to start the loop hike. Along the way, you will see massive trees, nurse logs, a small waterfall and lots of moss. I personally enjoyed all of the different colored Hydrangea everywhere. There are lots of things to discover on this trail. You might even spot some wildlife. This was my first visit to this area. I decided to stop at the Quinault Rain Forest Ranger Station first to learn more about the Quinault Valley. There was a park ranger on hand that answered my questions about the Quinault Rain Forest and how to get to my hotel. He gave me a paper map of some of the nearby hiking trails. You can also pick up a map at Quinault Lodge.

Awesome hike with an easily accessible waterfall. Easy and short. This is also close to the…read moreentrance to the Mt. Storm King hike, so if marymere is too easy. There's also that hike available here as well

Anytime we get a chance to hike to a waterfall, we usually find away to make it happen! Marymere…read morefalls was our second hike of the day after we had a good meal in after hiking Mount Storm King. I generally like to embark on hikes early in the morning to get to see the sunrise and see everything wake up for the day as well as to beat the heat and crowds. But, Marymere hike was a much shorter hike and all descriptions stated it was pretty easy. We started from Lake Crescent lodge and headed our way there. The signs were somewhat easy to find and the map the hotel staff gave us helped us to find the trail head. The hike itself, though easy, had a lot to offer on the way to the waterfall. A clearing where there were river stones and sparkling water that birds seemed to wisp by, two wooden bridges to cross, one was a narrow one. Trekking across bridges like those are always a favorite for me, those bridges then lead you to a small loop trail that got you to a lower area to view the water fall and then you can head up further to a higher vantage point that pretty much took your breath away. The waterfall was so worth it to see and after doing such a strenuous hike in the morning this hike was a piece of cake. If you're heading to this area of Washington I highly recommend hopping out and hiking this trail. It's worth it!

Firstly, several of these reviews are for the wrong hot springs. If a review mentions a restaurant,…read moreor a resort, or a time slot, they are referring to the SOL DUC hot springs, not these ones. Also, the reviews that mention that the hike is easy are all outdated! It's a slog to get there! The Olympic hot springs are a 12 mile hike mostly uphill. It used to be a much shorter hike but about five years ago the road washed out and you now have to hike an extra 8 miles... 12 miles total... one way. It's a slog! The springs themselves, while pretty, are shallow, muddy, slimy, and overall pretty gross. The signs warn of fecal bacteria. If you're hoping to hike 12 miles to soak in pristine pools, think again. Nudity is common. If anyone is actually using the hot springs, they will likely be nude. Get over it!! Let the nudists have their place... and 12 miles deep in the woods is a nice place to be nude. You might also see nudists hiking or biking on the trail to the hot springs. It's not common but does happen occasionally. Just smile and say hi! The hike starts off easy on a paved road for about 3/4 of a mile. Then you have to use a single-track dirt bypass trail that is steep and rooty. If you're using a bike you'll be pushing and carrying it over things. Then you're put back on an old paved road again. It's another 2 miles to the Glines Canyon overlook which is fun to see. Then it's another 5 miles on the same road, but now 100% uphill and sometimes steep, just to reach the trailhead. Once at the trailhead, you're already over 8 miles into it and you have another 2.5 or so to hike... bikes not allowed. You have to park at the Madison Falls parking lot. You're supposed to have a National Park pass.

Enchanted springs in enchanted forest, I have camped here quiet a bit when in college…read more Most special hot springs on earth to me. Hike is fun not too strenuous

Overall a very solid and diverse national park compared to the others that we've been to. Tons of…read moredriving required for anything and a single spot will require hours on the schedule. Most of the famous spots underwhelm but there are many hidden gems that are less busy and more fulfilling. Food options nearby are very subpar so be ready to pack your own; everything also closes very early.

Better late than never! We made it to the Hurricane Ridge hike on 8/12/25 between 10am-12pm and it…read morewas too hot for me with barely any shade up top and throughout our way down. I would recommend going sooner 7-8am starting time. We camped the night before at HEART O' THE HILLS Campground without prior reservation. It was a quick drive up top to Hurricane Ridge the next morning for our hike. The hike didn't live up to our expectations! Not much to see and not much shade anywhere. Some decent views up top but you can get much better views without hiking up this way. What I appreciate is wheelchair accessible trails up to certain areas of the trail! Plenty of free parking areas up top. For me personally, the views, the landscape, the scenery aren't worth the hype and planning for me to make a trip out here during the second week of August. There are better choices for hikes elsewhere and in the next state, Oregon. The HEART O' THE HILLS campground was nice option for camping and I do appreciate they still offer spots without reservations as it should be as first comes first served instead of let people hoarding them way ahead of time because they have the means to do so and preventing available spaces for true camping spirit. The restroom was cleaned and maintained.

The Tree of Life at Kalaloch Beach was one of the most memorable stops during our visit to Olympic…read moreNational Park. Seeing this incredible Sitka spruce in person is truly something special. The way the tree appears to stand with its roots suspended above the ground almost doesn't seem possible until you're standing there looking at it yourself. The walk to the tree is short and easy, making it accessible for visitors of all ages. Along the way, you're treated to beautiful coastal scenery, fresh ocean air, and the peaceful sounds of the Pacific Ocean. Once you arrive, it's easy to spend time simply admiring the tree and appreciating how nature has found a way to keep it alive despite years of coastal erosion. What impressed us most was not only the tree itself but the reminder of how resilient nature can be. It's also a great opportunity to learn about the importance of protecting fragile natural landmarks by staying off the exposed roots and respecting the surrounding area. If you're exploring Olympic National Park or driving along Highway 101, the Tree of Life is absolutely worth the stop. It's one of those rare places that is even more impressive in person than it is in photos. We left feeling inspired, grateful, and very glad we made the trip before this incredible natural wonder eventually changes with time. Check out our video on our socials @reessroots

This is your time to visit thia tree we don't know how much more time we have with it the erosion…read moreis inevitable but the beauty is so captivating went around 5 pm -6 pm low tied it was perfect bring a cup or container to get some sand and some shells so you won't be lugging it around i grabbed some little drift wood 10/10