Family Activities in Olympic National Park

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Many of you have written and asked our experts how and where to introduce your families to our national parks. This month, we're answering the call. In a new series, GORP tackles our nation's most popular parks and serves up the best picks for active families.

Olympic National Park has it all: one of the most dramatic coasts in the country; wild, wonderful, snow-capped mountains; and a lush, mysterious rain forest. In fact, it's often referred to as three parks in one. What better place to give your kids a taste of the wilderness in its many variations, throwing in some lessons on ecosystems while you're at it?

Olympic takes time to explore—four days to a week or more is ideal. Not only are there three main areas to the park—the coast, the mountains, and the rain forest—these areas are spread out, requiring travel time between each and time to explore once you're there.

Hiking

For the most part, hikes in Olympic National Park come in two varieties: short nature loops perfect for families with young children, and longer hikes, best for families with older children and backpackers. The National Park Service web site (www.nps.gov/olym/dayhike.htm) has a list of day hikes.

For detailed trail information, see Olympic Mountains Trail Guide: National Park and Forest (The Mountaineers), by Robert L. Wood. Out on the trail, watch for Roosevelt elk, frequently seen in the valleys of Hoh, Queets, and Quinault.

Here are a few of our favorite family-friendly hikes:

Geyser Valley Loop. A good five-mile day hike that's predominantly flat, in the Elwha River area in the Eastern Mountains section of the park.

Marymere Falls at Lake Cresent. A fairly gentle two-mile round-trip hikes through the northern section of the Western Forests, with wooden bridges your kids will love, that lead to a 90-foot-high waterfall.

Mount Storm King Trail. Experienced hiking families will be challenged by this 4.2-mile trail that climbs 1700 feet. The Storm King Information Station can be found near Lake Crescent Lodge.

Rain Forest Scenery. From the Hoh Ranger Station Visitor Center, explore the 0.75-mile Hall of Mosses trail, which passes through moss-draped Maple trees. Also wander through the 1.5-mile Spruce Nature Trail, which follows the Hoh River.

See the Surf. If your kids are up to a 9.3-mile hike, head for the Lake Ozette Ranger Station Rough on the coast. From there, take the 3.3-mile Cape Alava Trail, through lowland forest. Then hike three miles along the beach, finally returning via the Sand Point Trail.

Need a Ride? Hikers who need transportation to and from trailheads can arrange for a shuttle ride through Olympic Van Tours (360-452-3858).

More on Hiking Olympic NP

Move on to Exploring the Coast and Other Activities