On this summer’s epic road trip our family crossed the last two national parks on the west coast off our list. Visiting Olympic National Park with kids was a fun experience. If you’ve never been before, it’s a really unique park! Keep reading for what makes this national park so special, as well as our tips for visiting with your family.

visiting Olympic National Park with kids

all about Olympic National Park

Located on the Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park offers four distinct regions, or ecosystems. In the 1,400 square miles that comprises Olympic National Park you’ll find rainforest, mountains, and beaches. The area was first established as the Olympic Forest Reserve in 1897. Then it became the Olympic National Forest in 1907, shortly after which it became the Mount Olympus National Monument. Finally, on June 29, 1938 it became Olympic National Park. Over its history, the park has seen a lot of changes to the people inhabiting it, as well as the development within its boundaries. This park is important because it protects a historically significant region and a variety of distinct ecosystems.

visiting three distinct areas of Olympic National Park with kids

the rainforests of Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park contains the only two rainforests that are in the contiguous United States. Hoh Rainforest and Quinault Rainforest are both located on the western side of the park, with the Hoh Rainforest being one of the most popular destination for park goers. Both areas also offer camping and a variety of hiking options.

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Our family visited Hoh Rainforest on a Sunday afternoon during an uncharacteristically dry week. Note that the line to enter this part of the park can get quite long and ideally you should plan your trip for midweek, or early or later in the day on the weekends.

the beaches of Olympic National Park

A good portion of Olympic National Park is along the Pacific Peninsula coastline and the beaches there are wild and beautiful. In fact, when asking my kids about their favorite part of Olympic National Park, several of them mentioned our visit to Rialto Beach. Rialto Beach is accessed by driving through the Quileute Indian Reservation and you can see La Push beach just across the river–any Twilight fans out there?! Our family recommends stopping at the Three Rivers Resort for some delicious burgers!

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There are several other beach areas in Olympic National Park and several of them offer camping, trailheads, and pit toilets at the parking lots. Rialto is a unique and beautiful rocky beach, but if you’re looking for traditional sand, you can head to Kalaloch and Ruby Beach located south on the 101.

the mountains of Olympic National Park

We explored the Hurricane Ridge area of Olympic during our visit. This is one of the most accessible parts of the park–just an easy drive from the Port Angeles Visitor Center. As such it is always one of the busiest parts of the park. If you’re visiting during the summer, weekends, or holidays, plan accordingly and get an early start. Or plan to visit later in the day. Hurricane Ridge also has a summer bus route from downtown Port Angeles to and from Hurricane Ridge. This is operated by Clallam Transit and riders must purchase their passes to the park in advance (unless they have a valid park pass) and must purchase bus tickets. You can learn more by clicking here.

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We hiked along Hurricane Ridge to the top of Hurricane Hill. This is a moderately strenuous hike, with periods of steep climbs along the 3.2 mile roundtrip trail. The trail is completely paved and there are benches dispersed along the trail. There is very little shade so be prepared for the sun and bring plenty of water. On a clear day you have a 360° view that includes Canada and Mount Olympus!

other areas of Olympic National Park

There are many diverse areas of this park that our family did not have time to explore. Some are highly popular, like Sol Duc Valley with their hot springs. Some are less visited, like Queets Rainforest. Find more details about all the areas of Olympic National Park on the nps.gov website.

what to do in Olympic National Park with kids

family friendly hikes

• The Hall of Mosses Trail, .8 miles: This easy trail leaves from the Visitor Center in the Hoh Rainforest. The loop will take you through an old growth forest that has been overtaken by moss.

junior ranger badge & ocean steward patch

I always recommend that families stop at the Visitor Center or Ranger Station and pick up workbooks so their kids can become Junior Rangers. Olympic National Park takes it one step further with their additional Ocean Steward patch. This is a separate workbook for your kids to fill out and once they do they can earn a really neat Ocean Steward patch! Be sure to ask for both a Junior Ranger book and an Ocean Steward book if you’re planning to visit the coast while at Olympic.

visiting with your four-legged friend?

Olympic National Park has a unique badge your furry friend can earn–a Bark Ranger badge. When you’re traveling together make sure to always follow the rules of BARK: Bag your pet’s poop, Always wear a leash, Respect wildlife, and Know where you can go. Those wishing to participate should visit the Kalaloch Ranger Station in Forks, Washington.

Note that pets are allowed on the following trails, as a well as all trails in the Olympic National Forest:

• Peabody Creek Trail (Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles)
• Rialto Beach parking lot to Ellen Creek (1/2 mile)
• The beaches between the Hoh and Quinault Reservations (Kalaloch area)
• Madison Falls Trail (Elwha)
• Spruce Railroad Trail (North shore of Lake Crescent)
• July Creek Loop Trail (North shore of Lake Quinault)

Service animals are exempt from these restrictions and may accompany their humans anywhere.

Have you been to Olympic National Park yet?

Follow along with our family’s adventures on Instagram!