Olympic Peninsula, Washington
June 19 - July 19, 2025
During my month up in the Olympic Peninsula, I stayed in Sequim as a homebase.
Fun Fact: Sequim is known as the "Lavender Capital of North America" because its location on the Olympic Peninsula creates a unique rain shadow, resulting in a climate with more sunshine and less rain. AND I happened to be there during their Annual Lavender Festival!
Land Acknowledgement: The Olympic Peninsula is on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the Coast Salish and Makah peoples. The Chimacum, Hoh, Makah, S'Klallam, Suquamish, Quileute, Skokomish, and Quinault tribes have been stewards of this land for generations and continue to be connected to this place.
Along the Way …
TRAIL LOG —
Sequim Bay State Park
Olympic Discovery Trail: Sequim Bay State Park to Olympic Peninsula Gardens — 7.9 miles ; out & back
Olympic National Park
Lovers Lane, B-Loop, and Sol Duc Nature Trail Loop — 5.8 miles ; loop — takes you to the iconic multi-channeled cascade where the Sol Duc River splits into three chutes photos
Hurricane Hill via Hurricane Ridge — 3.4 miles ; out & back — this became my favorite place to watch sunset in the entire park photos
5-Mile Island via Hoh River Trail — 10.1 miles ; out & back — starts in the magical Hoh Rain Forest photos
Hole-in-the-Wall from Rialto Beach — 3.3 miles ; out & back photos
Ozette Triangle Trail — 9.4 miles ; loop
Mount Storm King — 4.3 miles ; out & back — the last ¼ mile of the trail involves some scrambling with a series of ropes photos
Spruce Railroad Trail: Lake Crescent — 11.2 miles ; out & back — a fun trail to do paired with a swim in Lake Crescent
Klahhane Ridge via Switchback Trail — 2.9 miles ; out & back — black bear on the trail so I turned around! photos
Mount Townsend via Little Quilcene Trail — 6.9 miles ; out & back photos
Mount Ellinor via Upper Trailhead — 3.3 miles ; out & back — a steep climb of over 2.3k ft. elevation gain in just 1.6 miles!
Putvin Trail to Lake of the Angels — 7 miles ; out & back w/ about 3.5k ft. of elevation gain! photos
Lake Angeles Trail — 7.1 miles ; out & back photos
Makah Indian Reservation — the Makah Tribe has called the Neah Bay, Washington area home since time immemorial
Shi Shi Beach Trail — 8.9 miles ; out & back photos
Cape Flattery Trail — 1.2 miles ; out & back — the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States
Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge
Dungeness Spit Trail — 10.3 miles ; out & back photos the longest natural sand spit in North America at more than 5 miles long
Salt Creek Recreation Area
Beach to Bunker Trail — 2 miles ; out & back
Wildlife I saw: Mule deer (almost always up Hurricane Hill), pacific harbor seals, and black bears.
Notable Eats & Drinks …
Nourish Sequim — organic & gluten-free meals sourced from an on-site farm
Finnriver Farm & Cidery — organic cider farm on 80 acres with live music and different food stalls
Buena Luz Bakery — incredible bakery in Port Angeles
Yodelin Broth Company — a Surfrider Ocean Friendly Restaurant serving bone broth noodle bowls and more
Butcher & Baker Provisions — pretty much the only place that was open in Port Gamble when I visited, but glad it was!
Barhop Brewing and Artisan Pizza — brewery with pizza across the street from the Port Angeles wharf
Spruce — local focused menu
The Rail — burger spot across from the Port Angeles wharf
Coffee:
Better Living Through Coffee — coffee shop right on the water in Port Townsend
Hoodsport Coffee Company — women-owned coffee shop in Hoodsport
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
While staying in Sequim, I took the 90-minute ferry from Port Angeles across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Vancouver Island for a long weekend.
TRAIL LOG —
Strathcona Provincial Park
Mount Becher Trail — 6.9 miles ; out & back — from the summit of Mount Becher, you’re graced with an epic view of one of the five glaciers left on Vancouver Island, Comox Glacier photos
Helen Mackenzie to Battleship Lake Loop Trail ; 5.3 miles ; out & back
Bedwell Lake Trail — 6.4 miles ; out & back photos
Mount Arrowsmith Regional Park
Mount Cokely via Old Ski Route — 2.4 miles ; out & back photos
Notable Eats & Drinks …
Bayview Brewing Company — brewery with food in Ladysmith
French Press Coffee Roasters — in Qualicum Beach
Mudsharks Coffee Bar — in Courtenay
Session Taproom + Kitchen — women-owned in Campbell River across the street from the water
