Getaway Guide: Olympic Peninsula, Washington

Where the mountains greet the sea

The Olympic Peninsula is a special kind of magic — a place where the mountains greet the sea and the forest in between. It’s the lesser crowded half of Washington State, and former home of BOTP Founder Laura! This is the ultimate guide to the “OP” as it’s called by locals. Have questions? Shoot us an email!

Note: if you’re driving up from the Portland, Oregon area, here's a link to the general loop we suggest taking! Driving up the Hood Canal is something special, and you'll have the chance to stop at Hamma Hamma Oysters for a PNW experience straight away! Then, you can drive around the entire peninsula and down the coast for some epic Pacific views.

Hwy 101

Hamma Hamma Oysters: oysters & beer with a view of the Hood Canal – need I say more?

• Note: If you need to stretch your legs afterward, Mt. Walker offers a quick, but steep, two mile jaunt to a lookout where you can see Seattle on a clear day (or you can drive up...)!

Sequim Dungeness Lighthouse: accessible by a 5.5-mile walk along the longest natural sand spit in the United States.

Sequim

Hike

• Buckhorn Lake: six miles through old growth forest that opens up to wildflower fields & eventually dives down to an alpine lake.

• Silver Lake: four-mile "local's only" trail to a beautiful lake, complete with a ridge jaunt to a gorgeous lookout with 360-views of mountains & on a clear day, downtown Seattle.

• Goat Lake: if you're in for a suffer fest, you're almost guaranteed to have this high alpine lake to yourself.

Eat/Drink

• Peninsula Taproom: beer, cider, & wine, plus you can take any outside food in (I suggest more seafood from Salty Girl's, or pizza/pasta from Tedesco's – both next door).

• Alderwood: tiny, quaint, & slightly more upscale, but oh sooooo worth it.

• Oak Table: best place in town to go for breakfast! The apple pancake is their signature creation, but honestly everything is 10/10.

Camp

• Deer Park: about halfway between Sequim and Port Angeles and up nine miles up gravel road; some people think the drive is sketchy, but it's 1000% worth it for the sunsets.

  • Maiden Peak is a rad hike that shoots off from the Deer Park Ranger Station!

• For a waterfront option closer to town, there's Sequim Bay State Park or Voice of America Campground.

Port Angeles

Hike

• Lake Angeles: Close to town, steady 3.5-mile climb up to a gorgeous lake! You can make it a longer loop, too, by including Klahhane Ridge in the summer months!

• Hurricane Ridge: there are tons of options once you get to 'the Ridge' – take a walk around the visitor's center, and ask a ranger for suggestions!

• Moose Lake: escape the ridge crowds and drive the windy dirt road out to Obstruction Point; the views are epic, and so is this hike.

Eat/Drink/Shop

• Barhop: PA's only brewery. 10/10 would recommend the curry pizza and/or the mac 'n cheese.

• Angeles Brewing Supplies & Taproom: absolutely adorable taphouse. ‘Nuff said.

• Spruce: deep south meets PNW meets Montana. It's weird but it works.

• Next Door: gastro pub with a solid menu for both food & drink; if you have to wait for a table, head across the street to Great Northern!

• Great Northern Coffee Bar: the cutest PNW-vibe coffee shop (they also serve beer, cider, wine, & cocktails).

• MOSS is located in downtown right next to the fountain. It is the ULTIMATE woodsy Northwest store – with stuff for kiddos, women, men, and your cozy cabin.

Camp

• Salt Creek: awesome campground with a view of Vancouver Island. If you hit the tides right, you can search for starfish & other sea creatures!

• Fairholme: Camp on the shores of Lake Crescent with this view! Make sure to also stop by Lake Crescent Lodge for happy hour and/or a dip in the lake!

West End

Hike

• Pyramid Peak: super easy access from the Fairholme campground with epic views and little-to-no crowds (compared to the uber popular Mt Storm King, which has the same views and 100x the crowd). Note: The website says trail washout, but last I did it, it's totally fine!

• Mt. Muller: six-ish miles to some epic views!

• Cape Flattery: quick jaunt out to the most Northwest point of the lower 48!

• Capa Alava: hike through old growth and along board walks to a beautiful coastline! If the tides are right, make it a nine-mile triangle by hiking south along the beach to Sand Point & then back to the car.

• Shi Shi: One of the classic beach hikes in the area.

Eat/Drink

• West End Taproom: The only taproom in town — West End boasts a solid tap list, coupled with fresh-pressed paninis, homemade soups, and charcuterie boards.

Camp

• Three Rivers/Mora: camp next to the Twilight 'treaty line' lol

  • The little on-site restaurant makes a killer burger & milkshake.

• Kalaloch: camp (or splurge for a cabin!) and beach comb along the longest undeveloped stretch of coastline in the US (outside of Alaska). Visit the Tree of Life, too!

Phew! That just about covers it. There are certainly many more hidden gems around the area, but this guide will serve as a solid jumping off point should you ever visit this unique slice of this big ol’ world. If you have any questions (or want more info or backpacking suggestions), please shoot us an email! The cool thing about ONP is that there aren't a lot of roads that enter the heart of the park, so the really cool stuff is only accessible by foot. :)

Happy Adventuring!