Olympic Peninsula Loop

In this post I’m going to talk about a trip around northwest Washington! In December 2023 my mom and I went to Seattle to visit my brother, and he let us borrow his car to drive around for a few days while he was finishing up schoolwork. Visiting in December was perfect for this trip because there were no crowds and we weren’t planning on doing any big hikes.

Here is a (pretty confusing) map of where we went. The red markers are where we stayed for the night, and the blue markers are points of interest.

Day 1

We started the day with a lovely drive to Carlsborg’s Old Mill Cafe! I really liked the vibes here. It was the perfect place to drink a hot chocolate.

After breakfast we went for a hike to the Dungeness spit, which is the longest sand spit in the United States! The geese were really cute.

Later in the day we hiked the Marymere falls nature trail. Nature here looks much different than on the east coast! Very mossy.

Lake Crescent and Forks! Hopefully no vampires will attack me…

Day 2

Early wakeup for a track workout at Forks High School. I think I saw Bella and Edward in the distance…but who can say…maybe I was just delusional from workout exhaustion…or maybe not…

We went to Rialto Beach and walked along the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail until we reached the famous Hole-in-the-Wall rock! It was high tide, so we weren’t able to get super close, but the views were excellent nonetheless!

Back in Forks we saw Bella’s car that was used in the Twilight movies (right) and the car that was described in the books (left)! We also went to the Forks Timber Museum and learned about the logging industry in northwest Washington. 10/10 recommend this museum.

Sunset at Second Beach on the Quileute Reservation.

Day 3

We started the morning with lots of animal encounters as we headed towards the Hoh Rainforest. Cows (left) and elk (right).

We went for a walk on the Spruce Bottom Nature Trail. My mom thought a bear was going to attack her and was very happy to be back in the car.

Very tall trees!!

Quick stop at Ruby Beach. Lots of driftwood!

One of my favorite stops was the Tree of Life, also known as the Kalaloch Tree. The Tree of Life is somehow able to survive without proper soil support and clings onto the sides of the cliff. Unfortunately, it is predicted to collapse any day now.

In the afternoon we drove the Lake Quinault Loop Drive, which features the beautiful Quinault Lake, rivers, waterfalls, mountains, and the largest Sitka spruce tree in the world!

Day 4

We got up very early and drove to Darrington for breakfast at Moe’s Coffee Shop. Another excellent place to drink hot chocolate. This area was BEAUTIFUL! We had distant views of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the North Cascades.

On the way to Bellingham, we took the scenic Chuckanut Drive and did a little hike to Wildcat Cove. Chuckanut Drive follows the bay and is a nice alternative to the highway. I liked this sea monster worm thing on a tunnel mural in Larrabee State Park.

Another highlight of the trip for me was staying at an airbnb on a farm right outside of Lynden. There were cows, chickens, pigs, and beautiful farm views. We got dinner in town and walked around a local art gallery.

Day 5

I got up early to run to the Canadian border and said goodbye to the animals.

Pretty sunrise!

We drove back to Seattle and walked around the coolest store in the world, Metsker Maps.