Like a green blizzard, moss blankets everything in sight, hushing the sounds of the forest.

July 17–19, 2023

Having just spent three gorgeous days in Mount Rainier National Park, spirits couldn’t be higher as we travel back upstate through Seattle to Olympic National Park. We have some family friends in Sequim (pronounced “skwim”), a little town on the northern side of the park, who graciously offered their guest suite to us. So we pull into their house, settle in and spend the rest of the evening in conversation.

The next morning we are eager to hit the park. Our first stop is the Visitor Center in Port Angeles just west of Sequim. Inspired by a park ranger, my brother and I decide to spontaneously reserve a permit for backcountry camping that night. Yup, you heard right. Instead of returning to Sequim with our parents, we decide to pack our bags and camp tonight. We had toyed with the idea before we left home so all our gear is with us in the rental car. We just didn’t know if the expedition would be worthwhile. According to this ranger, it is.

The morning is passing so after obtaining our permit we push on to Sol Duc Valley to get some trail miles on our legs with our parents. Our goal is the notoriously beautiful Sol Duc Falls. Parking at the Sol Duc Trailhead, we hop out and hike the short 0.8 mile path back to the waterfall. I must admit, a small trickle of water halfway through the route confused us, thinking that was the acclaimed waterfall. Thankfully, it was not and we make it to the actual falls. A small wooden bridge spans the gulch in front of the waterfall. Walking across it we catch our first glimpse and it is just as spectacular as all the photos I’ve seen.

A whitewater river rushes down the valley and splits into three channels coursing into a gulch below. Green ferns and underbrush line the riverbanks. The whole is scene is delicious. The damp smell of rain in the air. The thundering boom of water crashing below. The perfectly carved channels of water spilling over the edge. In my mind, this is the essence of the Pacific Northwest.

Our plan is to camp just one night along the 17-mile Hoh River Trail, so after leaving Sol Duc Valley, the four of us continue on around the Olympic Peninsula to the Hoh Rainforest. My parents drop us off at the trailhead and make plans to pick us back up the next morning at 10 a.m. The forest is thick and dense with lush greenery as we set out on the Hoh River Trail. Like a green blizzard, moss blankets everything in sight, hushing the sounds of the forest.

We definitely don’t expect to make it all 17 miles on this trip so we find a nice spot about 4 miles down by the river to pitch camp. It’s dusk and the stars are beginning to pop out overhead. The sky grows a deep purple over Mount Tom in the south. The ground is unusually soft and spongy, making the perfect bedding as we drift off to sleep.

The next morning, we wake in time to meet our parents by 10 a.m. The morning light transforms the forest of yesterday into a golden green paradise. Sunlight filtering through the canopy illuminates everything in a soft warm green. I could get lost for days in a forest like this. We emerge from the forest a little early. Waiting for our parents, we run into a ranger corralling a herd of Roosevelt elk off the trail near the visitor center in anticipation of the coming crowds.

Reuniting with our parents we drop our bags in the car and all four of us check out the nearby Hall of Mosses Trail. As one of the iconic trails in the entire park system, it certainly lives up to its reputation. We stroll a paved 0.8-mile path through carpets of ferns and hanging gardens of moss. Giant trees cradle living things upon living things in accelerated growth. And this is just one section of the park.

Excited to see the rest of Olympic, we make our way down the mountains and toward the coast. Rialto Beach comes highly recommended so we plan to spend the rest of the afternoon and sunset there. The rocky beach is abuzz with activity. People stroll the shoreline, but so do seagulls and pelicans. Every now and then we spot sea otters and sea lions surveying the coast from afar.

As low tide approaches we explore the tidepools of starfish and urchins. We hike out to sea stacks, once guarded by the tide and now accessible on foot. Heading north from the parking lot, we walk 1.5 miles to the famous Hole-in-the-Wall sea arch. This giant fin of rock has a perfectly carved hole big enough to walk through at low tide. As the sun nears the western horizon, the wall catches the golden light creating a dramatic scene for us. It’s hard to believe these places are real—the Hoh Rainforest and now this.

With 1.5 miles back to the car and the day quickly fading, we start back for our car biding our time to enjoy sunset along the way. Soon, the sun melts into the sea turning everything a hazy orange. We were warned fog tends to roll in along the coast often obstructing views of sunset, but tonight we are lucky. A few spotty clouds hang overhead but nothing to ruin a sunset for us. Grateful, we pause our walk to admire the scene. Tall shapes of silhouetted sea stacks stand against a glowing orange sky. Waves lap along the shore and squadrons of pelicans roam the surf—one of the most idyllic sunsets I’ve ever encountered in my travels. Our hearts are full as we drive back to Sequim for the night.

The next morning is bittersweet. Our time in Washington has come to an end. But flying out late in the day means we have first half of the day to hit our last section of the park. We’ve explored the rainforest and the coast. Now is our chance to top it all off with a drive up to Hurricane Ridge among the mountains. Wanting to catch sunrise from the top, we leave before dawn and race up Hurricane Ridge Road. Unfortunately, the visitor center up here tragically burned down in a fire earlier in the spring. But conveniently, the area just opened to visitors a couple weeks ago. Our timing couldn’t be better. We have the place to ourselves.

At the top, we find Sunrise Viewpoint Nature Trail—seems appropriate enough. The short trail guides us up a ridge to a high point overlooking distant mountains to the south and Canada to the north. A few black tailed deer greet us and continue to graze along the path. Soon the sun we just watched set the night before now begins to rise again. Alpenglow starts to creep down glaciated Mount Olympus in the south igniting it in flames of orange and purple. The cool morning air warms up in the new daylight.

Spending a little more time on Hurricane Ridge, we survey a couple nearby trails before heading back down to Sequim to pack up and drive back to Seattle. These moments cap off an incredible week immersed in Washington’s wilderness—from Mount Rainier to Olympic. We experienced it all: gorgeous alpine vistas, cozy forest hikes, and a luscious beach sunset. Trips don’t get much better than this.