2 Days in Olympic National Park Hurricane Ridge, Hoh and the Coast
2 days in Olympic National Park means picking one side, and this is the side worth picking first.
No road crosses Olympic National Park, so two days means picking one side. This route stays on the Port Angeles-Forks side: alpine views at Hurricane Ridge, old growth at Lake Crescent, the Hoh Rain Forest, and Rialto Beach.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”
10 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→2-Day Olympic Itinerary: every stop pinned in order.
Port Angeles · Hurricane Ridge · Hoh · Rialto Beach
Every stop on this trip, in order, opens as one driving route in the Google Maps app. No copying addresses across one at a time.
Plan and book your 2 days in Olympic in 2 Days, one step at a time
- Mora Road is closed beyond Mora Campground from July 8 to October 15, 2026, so Rialto Beach cannot be reached by road until then. Second Beach, off La Push Road on the other side of the Quillayute River, is the nearby swap. Source
How 2 days in Olympic in 2 Days split up
Plan 2 days for Olympic in 2 Days. Nights: 1-2. Park entry: $30. Fly into: Seattle. 2 days in Olympic National Park is enough for one side of the peninsula, not the whole park. No road crosses Olympic National Park: US-101 rings the outside of the mountains, and every destination inside sits at the end of its own dead-end spur. This plan stays on the Port Angeles-Forks side, alpine views one day, rain forest and coast the next, which is the pairing that fits in two days without a rushed, hours-long drive between them.
Day 1: Port Angeles, Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent
5 stops · Day one
Day 2: The Hoh Rain Forest and Rialto Beach
5 stops · Day two
Port Angeles, Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent
Take the Edmonds-Kingston ferry (about 30 minutes, frequent sailings through the day) rather than driving around the Hood Canal Bridge; it is the faster way onto the peninsula. A boarding pass is required for vehicles at Kingston between 8am and 8pm. From Kingston, US-101 runs west into Port Angeles, your base for the night.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Drive from
~2.5 hr with the ferry · Drive - Edmonds-Kingston Ferry
~30 min crossing · boarding pass needed 8am-8pm at Kingston · ViewpointOfficial info → - Hurricane Ridge
17 mi south of Port Angeles · Hike - Marymere Falls Trail, Lake Crescent
~18 mi west of Port Angeles · easy old-growth walk · Hike - Stay in Port Angeles, WA
Base for day one · lodge
The Hoh Rain Forest and Rialto Beach
Drive from Port Angeles to Forks, then out to the Hoh Rain Forest: about 2 hours total from Port Angeles, under an hour once you are in Forks. Parking fills in summer; NPS recommends arriving before 8am or after 5pm, midday waits have run up to 2 hours. The Hall of Mosses is the short version: an easy loop through Sitka spruce and hemlock wrapped in club moss.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Drive Port Angeles → Forks → Hoh
~2 hr total, under 1 hr from Forks · Drive - Hall of Mosses Trail, Hoh Rain Forest
Easy loop through old growth · Hike - Rialto Beach
Under 30 min from Forks · Viewpoint - Stay in Forks, WA (optional second night)
Drive home fresh in the morning instead of a late return · lodge - Return to Seattle, WA
~4 hr with the ferry · Drive
Book the 1 night
Beds near the trailheads are the one thing on this trip that genuinely runs out. Everything else can be decided later.
Tell us your dates and we will do the checking. We find what is still open near each trailhead and email you this plan back with a booking link for each night. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookWhat to pack for Olympic in 2 Days
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
Specific to Olympic in 2 Days
What a 2-day Olympic trip asks of you.
Pick a side, not a loop
No road crosses the park. Two days is Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh together, not both sides of the peninsula. That takes three days; see the 3-day loop for it.
Hurricane Ridge has no lodge right now
The day lodge burned and has not been rebuilt. Bring food and water; there is nothing to buy at the top.
Check the Hoh River Bridge closure
US-101 south of Forks has scheduled closures through September and October 2026. It does not touch this route, but it decides whether Ruby Beach is reachable.
The ferry is faster than the bridge
Edmonds-Kingston beats driving around via the Hood Canal Bridge. Book ahead on summer weekends; boarding passes are required at Kingston 8am-8pm.
2 days in Olympic National Park, answered.
Rialto beach: the questions people ask most.
Two days is enough for one side of the park, not all of it. This route pairs Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent with the Hoh Rain Forest and Rialto Beach, all reachable from the Port Angeles-Forks corridor without a long crossing. Adding Kalaloch, Quinault or Ruby Beach needs a third day, because no road cuts across the park to reach them quickly.
Hurricane Ridge for the alpine view, Lake Crescent for a short old-growth walk, the Hoh Rain Forest for the Hall of Mosses loop, and Rialto Beach for the Pacific coast. That is four distinct landscapes in two days without backtracking across the peninsula.
The fastest way is the Edmonds-Kingston ferry (about 30 minutes, frequent sailings) followed by US-101 west, roughly 2.5 hours total to Port Angeles. Driving around via the Hood Canal Bridge from Tacoma takes longer and the bridge closes periodically for boat traffic.
About a 2-hour drive, and under an hour from Forks, on Upper Hoh Road off US-101. Parking fills in summer; NPS recommends arriving before 8am or after 5pm to avoid waits that have run up to 2 hours at midday.
The road and viewpoints are open, but the day lodge burned down and has not been rebuilt; as of September 2026 reconstruction is still in early planning. There is no food service at the top, only portable restrooms, so bring your own supplies. Confirm current road status before you go, it can close for weather even in the shoulder seasons.
Rialto Beach, if you are staying on the Port Angeles-Forks side, which this route does. Ruby Beach sits south of the Hoh River, which has scheduled bridge closures on US-101 through September and October 2026 that cut it off from Forks entirely during work windows. Rialto is reached from Forks via Mora Road and is unaffected either way.
A private vehicle pass is $30, valid for 7 consecutive days and covering everyone in the car. The America the Beautiful annual pass also works.
Yes. Tell us your dates and we check what is still open for the plan on this page, then send it back with a booking link for each night and the total. Nothing is charged and nothing is held, and you pay the normal rate.
Pick how you want to go.
Same 2-day route. Same 5 stops.
- 1 night, a campsite near Port Angeles
- $24
- Rental car, 2 days
- $120
- Gas, about 519 miles
- $95
- Park entry, one car
- $30
- 1 night, a room in Port Angeles
- from $270
- Rental car, 2 days
- $120
- Gas, about 519 miles
- $95
- Park entry, one car
- $30
- A private local guide, rooms and campsites booked
- Included
- Airport pickup and every drive
- Included
- Park, permit and campsite fees paid
- Included
- All the gear and the trail meals
- Included
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
Last checked September 2026
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Guides for this tripOlympic National Park Day Trip From SeattleSeattle to Olympic National Park: Ferry, Drive Time and RouteBest Hikes in Olympic National ParkOlympic National Park Packing List
What adventurers say about us.
All reviews are from verified guests. ★★★★★ 5.0 average from 20+ bookings.
"Felt like going out with a really knowledgeable friend who just happens to know everything about the area. No awkward tour-guide energy, just a magnificent day."
"Yulia is an incredible guide. She knew every trail, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the day for our group. The photos she took of us were stunning. 100% booking again."
"I was visiting Seattle solo and this was the best decision I made on the trip. Yulia picked me up, had snacks, and took us to a trail I never would have found on my own. Absolute must-do."
"We did this as a couple's trip and it was perfect. Yulia adapted everything to us, our pace, our interests, our photo obsession. The mountain views were unreal."
"Phenomenal experience. Yulia has deep local knowledge and a real passion for the outdoors. She went out of her way to show us the hidden gems tourists never see. Will remember this forever."
"I've done a few guided hikes and this was by far the best. Yulia is warm, funny, and genuinely expert. The trail she chose had the most insane wildflower bloom, we got so lucky."
Fees, reservation windows, shuttle dates and trail closures are planning estimates. Confirm hours, road status and any reservations with the land manager before you go.
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