Where to Stay When Visiting Olympic National Park

Port Angeles sits on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and puts you 17 miles from Hurricane Ridge, the park's most dramatic viewpoint. Front Street runs along the waterfront with a dozen solid restaurant options. The Olympic National Park Visitor Center is on Race Street, a 10-minute walk from most hotels. You can catch the Black Ball Ferry to Victoria, BC from the Marine Drive terminal. Most hotels cluster along US-101 and Lincoln Street near the ferry dock. It is the most practical base for first-time visitors, with the widest range of lodging, grocery stores, and gear shops on the whole peninsula.

Best for

First-time visitorsfamiliesday trips to Hurricane RidgeElwha Valleyor the Victoria ferry

Walk times

Lincoln Street hotels to City Pier 8 min
Front Street to Olympic NP Visitor Center on Race Street 10 min
Downtown to Black Ball Ferry terminal on Marine Drive 5 min

Skip if: The Hoh Rainforest or coastal beaches are your main goal. Those are 90 minutes to 2 hours south on US-101.

Local tip: Book the Hurricane Ridge shuttle from the visitor center for the 7 AM departure. It sells out fast and the ridge road closes without notice in shoulder season.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$123per night

Forks

Budget base camp for the Hoh Rainforest and La Push beaches

Budget $75-$150/night

Forks sits 60 miles southwest of Port Angeles on US-101, 20 miles from the Hoh Rainforest entrance and 14 miles from First Beach at La Push on La Push Road. Forks Avenue is the commercial spine with a grocery store, Sully's Drive-In, and a handful of motels that run well under $100 on weekdays. The Forks Visitor Information Center on Forks Avenue issues free wilderness permits. Ruby Beach is 27 miles south, under 40 minutes. Lodging is the cheapest on the peninsula. The Twilight tourism signage is unavoidable but easy to ignore if that is not your reason for coming.

Best for

Budget travelersbackpackersvisitors focused on the Hoh Rainforest or La Push coastal beaches

Walk times

Forks Avenue motels to Visitor Information Center 4 min
Forks Avenue to Sully's Drive-In 6 min
Town center to Olympic Peninsulas Trading Co gear shop 3 min

Skip if: You want restaurant variety or reliable WiFi. Town closes early and options are thin past 8 PM.

Local tip: Pick up wilderness permits at the Forks Visitor Center instead of driving to the Hoh trailhead permit station. Same permits, no line, saves 40 minutes round trip.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$84per night

Sequim

The dry, sunny gateway with good food and easy eastern park access

Mid-range $100-$190/night

Sequim sits in the Olympic rain shadow and gets 16 inches of rain annually while the rainforest 60 miles west receives 140 inches. Washington Street and Sequim Avenue form the commercial core with coffee shops and farm-to-table restaurants better than anything in Port Angeles. Purple Haze Lavender Farm on Bell Bottom Road runs through August. Dungeness Spit, the longest natural sand spit in the United States, is 10 minutes north on Kitchen-Dick Road. The Olympic Discovery Trail passes through town for cyclists. Port Angeles is 17 miles west on US-101 when you need park access. Most hotels sit along US-101 near Sequim Avenue.

Best for

Couplescyclistsvisitors who want a calmer base with solid restaurants without needing to be deep in the park every day

Walk times

US-101 corridor hotels to downtown Sequim Avenue 12 min
Sequim Avenue to Olympic Discovery Trail trailhead 6 min
Town center to Sequim Bay State Park 22 min

Skip if: The rainforest or coast is your main target. You are adding 45 to 90 minutes of driving each way compared to staying in Forks.

Local tip: The Lavender Festival runs the third weekend of July and books lodging 3 months out. Avoid or plan ahead. June is quieter and fields are still in bloom.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$112per night

Lake Quinault

Sleep inside the rainforest with trailheads at your door

Mid-range $150-$290/night

Lake Quinault Lodge on South Shore Road opened in 1926. Franklin Roosevelt stayed here before signing the Olympic National Park Act in 1938. There is almost no town. South Shore Road and North Shore Road circle the lake with old-growth Sitka spruce and Douglas fir trailheads every half mile. The Quinault Loop Trail starts at the lodge and covers four miles of cathedral forest. Annual rainfall here averages 137 inches. You are inside the park boundary, not adjacent to it. The lodge has a dining room, a Roosevelt Bar, and a fireplace. A small general store near the lodge is the only supply option within 40 miles.

Best for

Couplesphotographersvisitors who want total immersion without driving to every trailhead

Walk times

Lake Quinault Lodge to Quinault Loop Trail start 2 min
Lodge to lake shoreline 3 min
South Shore Road trailhead to Graves Creek Campground 18 min

Skip if: You plan to visit Hurricane Ridge or the north side of the park. That is a 3-hour drive from the lodge.

Local tip: Book the lodge dining room for dinner even if you are not staying there. It fills up by 6 PM and the salmon chowder is genuinely good. The alternative is a 40-mile drive to Hoquiam.

Compare prices across providers

Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$168per night