Planning a Trip to Olympic National Park? Here’s What We Wish We Knew First

Olympic National Park: What We’d Do Differently Next Time

Don’t get us wrong—we love a good national park moment, even if it means powering through rain, wind, and unexpected inches of snow. (Because what’s a little weather when there are views involved, right?) But sometimes… the elements aren’t the issue—it’s the crowds.

We squeezed Olympic National Park into the final stretch of our Alaska honeymoon trip. What we didn’t realize: we accidentally picked the busiest day of the season—May 24th, aka the first official weekend of summer travel. 🚗🚗

May can be a sweet spot to beat the crowds—but not on a Saturday before Memorial Day. Lesson learned. If you prefer peaceful trails over bumper-to-bumper trailhead traffic, stick to weekday visits!

To make the most of our one-day park visit, we tried to cram in everything: Sol Duc Falls ➡️ Hoh Rainforest, which sounds dreamy—until you realize it’s a 2-hour drive between them. That, plus the traffic, meant we hit some of the most popular spots right during peak hours. Oops.

Next time? We’d slow it down. Olympic is massive, and it’s best explored in chunks. Pick one area, explore it fully, and save the rest for another day (or be ready to backpack like a boss 💪).

Aside from the waiting and the rushed journey, it was an absolutely beautiful park—and we’d love to go again… but maybe with fewer people. (It’s the introvert in us.)

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Quick Tips if You’re Headed to Olympic:

• Arrive early—like 5:00am early. (We know… brutal. But worth it!)
• Avoid weekends if you can. Everyone else is thinking the same thing you are.
• Break up your visit into multiple days. It’s too big to rush!
• Visitor centers open at 9am—so plan your hikes first, shop later 🛍️

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Despite the chaos, Olympic was stunning. We’re definitely going back—just with less traffic.