Olympic National Park 1-Day Itinerary

If you're looking for a 1-day Olympic National Park itinerary consisting of a 5-minute walk to a waterfall, relaxation time at Lake Crescent, sightseeing in Forks, WA where the movie Twilight was filmed, Ruby Beach, Tree of Life, and the Hoh Rainforest, keep reading as I've got you covered if you're starting your journey from Port Angeles, WA. 

Watch my recap video below:

Madison Falls

The 5-minute walk on a paved, wheelchair-accessible trail leads to an awesome waterfall. Surprisingly, the waterfall wasn't crowded when we arrived around 10am. The beginning of the trail is located right across from the Elwah River. 

Unlike waterfalls and natural landmarks that I'm used to, it was amazing not to see the area vandalized by graffiti and trash. Please, let's keep it that way! 

Easiest hike to a waterfall

Having hiked the Tokopah Falls trail in Sequoia National Park, CA only to end up seeing a trickle of water, Madison Falls was a great surprise and I love how it wasn't strenuous at all. 

Lake Crescent 

Photo by Steven Buena

Driving through the scenic park, we made a stop at Crescent Lake. It reminded me of Convict Lake in Mammoth, CA but on a greater scale. The layered trees, blue-green water, and serene views made this a great stop. 

Photo by Steven Buena

Forks, WA (Twilight - Bella's Truck)

This was a great stop along our route to Ruby Beach. By lunchtime, we were hungry; this town consisting of a population of 3,300, is one of the few places to grab food. We stopped at Pacific Pizza as recommended to us by a local in the Twilight merchandise shop. (Watch my tour of the shop in the video above). 

The food did not disappoint! 

Bella from Twilight's truck at the Fork's Visitor's Center

My brother Sean ordered the French Dip sandwich

My brother Steven ordered a meatball sub

I ordered beef ravioli with Alfredo sauce

Ruby Beach

It was my first time actually visiting a beach within a National Park! We loved the pebbles and driftwood that covered the area. There were so many visitors with their dogs. I loved seeing all the happy pups enjoying the ocean breeze. My brother spotted a small dog carrying a big stick. 

Photo by Steven Buena

One of the coolest parts of this beach was being able to walk through a sea cave/tunnel. Watch my video above to see it in action. 

Photo by Steven Buena

We also enjoyed crossing a bridge, which was built by a kid. He named it "Brother's Bridge." Even after he left, people were still using his bridge. Unfortunately, we didn't get his name. 

Tree of Life

If you want to see a tree hanging in the middle of a cliff, you better do it soon. This tree might not last much longer. I'm glad we were able to see it along with its roots clawing into the side of the mountain.

Hoh Rainforest - Hall of Mosses Trail

The Hall of Mosses trail was an easy 3/4 of a mile-long hike consisting of dramatic draperies of clubmoss and only lasted 1 hour. It was by far one of the best scenic hikes we've done. It was like Sequoia National Park but on a bigger scale. We saw moldering logs, trunks shaggy with moss, a mix of decay and fresh plants, and different textures of greenery. Without a doubt, we loved being surrounded by nature. 

Photo by Steven Buena

What we learned at the Hoh Rainforest: Signs Transcribed 

"Rainforest Threshold

Green drapery softens the outlines of the forest. With your senses discover how this environment is special: damp smells, a mix of decay, sounds of water from streams or dripping leaves; and the cool breath of fog against your cheek."

Photo by Steven Buena

"Treetop World

The upper reach of the conifers - many well over 200 ft tall - is an environment apart. Birds and flying squirrels you might never see near ground level nest up there. Examine fallen cones and bits of lichen. Focus upward, learn to identify the trees: Sitka spruce with sharp needles growing all around the branch; drooping tops of western hemlock; Douglas-fir with thick, deep-furrowed bark."

Photo by Steven Buena

"Hall of Mosses

Lush beards of clubmoss are attached to boughs but feed only on air and light. The rainforest atmosphere supplies enough moisture and wind-borne nutrients. 

Certain trees like these bigleaf maples support denser clusters of airplants or epiphytes (lichens and hanging mosses.) Compare different types of limbs, available sunlight, and relative dampness." 

Photo by Steven Buena

"Nurselogs

When a big tree falls it can provide a stage for new life. Hemlock and spruce seedlings, unable to survive on the tangled forest floor, absorb minerals, moisture and warmth from the decaying trunk. Even on this perch competition is fierce. Only a few seedlings last.

After their roots reach soil, new trees often seem to stand on stilts as the nurselog moulders away."

Fungus growing on the trees

Moss covered trees

Trails in the Hoh Rainforest

Olympic National Park Pro Tips

-Download offline maps of the area. We lost cell signal near Ruby Beach and the Hoh Rainforest. Thankfully, I downloaded offline Google Maps beforehand so we could navigate through the forest roads. 

-Pack your patience if you're planning on visiting the Hoh Rainforest. We ended up waiting in line for an hour to enter the rainforest and we noticed people giving up and making a U-turn as they were sick of waiting. It was worth the wait and we took our time enjoying our hike. It was $30 to enter but if you have the "America the Beautiful" annual pass, you're golden.

-If you're planning on visiting more than one National Park in a year, then I highly recommend getting the "America the Beautiful" annual parks pass for $80. Passes are available online and at REI. 

-We stayed in Port Angeles, WA and it was perfect for us as we planned to board the ferry to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada during our trip. Keep in mind, it will take ~2 hours if you want to see Ruby Beach and the Hoh Rainforest from Port Angeles. The drive is scenic but long, so beware. We're used to driving long distances so we were able to cram all these stops into one trip. Luckily, it was summer when we visited and the sun would go down around 9:30pm-10pm. If you're spending more time in the park, it's better to split your stays in Port Angeles and in Forks just to cut down on driving time.

TL;DR: If you're looking for a diverse National Park, then Olympic NP is the one for you. It has it all from waterfalls, rainforests, beaches, lakes, and more. My favorite part of the entire trip was walking through the Hall of Mosses trail as it was like being in a Lord of the Rings and/or Jurassic Park movie. If we had more time and proper hiking gear, we'd visit Sol Duc Falls, Marymere Falls, and more. 

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Trip Resources

If you’re planning a road trip, here are some helpful sites that I use. Note, below are affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission for every booking, with no extra cost to you. Thanks so much, in advance!

Booking.com - Anytime we need a rental car, we use this site to find deals. 

Expedia.com - I like to use this site to explore upcoming cruises that I'd like to take. I also refer to it to compare hotel prices, flights, and car rentals. 

GetYourGuide.com - Book things to do, attractions, tours and discover new food. 

VRBO.com - When we’re not staying in an AIRBNB, we’re in a VRBO rental. We use this option when we want to enjoy a full house with individual bedrooms, a kitchen, backyard and other amenities. 

TripAdvisor.com - Anytime I want reputable reviews, tips, and overall advice about a vacation area, I leverage this site. 

Viator.com - Looking for cool tours in your vacation area? This site has a number of options.