We spent a windy, rainy day exploring (or trying to explore) some of the Pacific beaches at Olympic National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Washington. The beaches are often described as “wild” in many park publications, and for good reason. They’re part of the longest stretch of undeveloped beach in the contiguous United States. This entry covers all beaches we visited except Shi Shi Beach.
There’s no doubt that Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga is popular, selling more than 100 million copies worldwide in over 50 countries and being converted into films. Twilight enthusiasts have been flocking to remote Forks, Washington, the setting for the series, in order to get a glimpse of the places they learned about from the books and movies.
Neah Bay is a town on the Makah Reservation in Washington. It’s a popular place for fishing and hiking to places such as Cape Flattery and Shi Shi Beach.
If you’re looking for a bit of adventure, Shi Shi Beach can give it to you. This remote Pacific coast beach can be accessed via a two mile trail starting at the Makah Reservation and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Olympic National Park.
Cape Flattery is the most northwesterly point of the contiguous 48 states. It’s located in the Makah Reservation in Washington, near Neah Bay, and offers dramatic views of sea stacks and caves.
If you’re visiting Olympic National Park in Washington, the town of Forks is the biggest settlement on the western side of the park to base yourself in. We spent two nights in Forks to explore parts of the park and found it to be very centrally located.
The Sol Duc Valley in Olympic National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Washington, features a historic resort, hiking trails, and an incredible natural phenomenon. The main feature running through it is the Sol Duc River. We visited the area after checking out Lake Crescent.
After our original plan to visit Hurricane Ridge fell through, we decided to head to the Lake Crescent area of Olympic National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, for a quick look at the lodge and a short hike. Lake Crescent is only 18 miles west of Port Angeles, Washington.
With snow-capped mountains, pristine lakes, magical rain forest, and wild Pacific beaches, Olympic National Park is one of the best. This park in northwest Washington, established in 1938, is a UNESCO World Heritage site with almost a million acres of wilderness waiting to be explored.
Port Angeles, Washington, is the location of the headquarters of Olympic National Park, and where visitors can access Hurricane Ridge. It’s also the birthplace of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. The real attraction is the surrounding nature, and there isn’t much to do in town.