SEATTLE & OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK CAMPING

Camping & Hiking in Olympic National Park

I have wanted to go camping in Olympic National Park for a very long time! Each time I came to Washington we always came with family. This had us always staying in a rental, close to where my sister lived at the time. So I was pretty stoked to plan this part of the trip. This is one of three blogs that I will showcase of a 2 week road trip from Washington to San Francisco.

I started planning this trip a whole year before we went! Why? Well, most Airbnb’s and campsites book up that fast! Also, why do we book our sites? Because they all book up SUPER fast! OH, and we wanted to be able to enjoy most of our trip without worrying about where we were going to sleep. We only had a slight freak out twice, because we didn’t reserve our spots. BUT, because of this, we got to stay at a YURT and a campground just 100 yards away from the ocean! Stay tuned for blog #2 for those places!

First up, Seattle Washington:

We stayed at an amazing and super relaxing Airbnb just outside Seattle. It was just a bit away from the ocean, but we didn’t venture out that way. As each time we were “home” it was too late to find our way there. We were so thankful for the yummy treats and creamer they left for us. Breakfast was way more enjoyable, as we came in too late to shop.

Our requirements for our Airbnb’s are:

• There must be a kitchen in some way – due to we like to save money and cook our own food.
• Comfortable bed.
• Safe looking & amazing reviews!
• Coffee maker or a way to heat water for some to make.
• Depending on where – we sometimes want TV.

While in Seattle we didn’t cook that much food, as we’re out and about most of the time. We munched on two bags of Ranier cherries while walking around downtown and Pikes Place Public Market. One day we dined at a German Pub called Feierabend. I had a German Old Fashioned, which had a while mini bottle of German bitters, Underberg! I DO NOT RECOMMEND putting the whole bottle! It takes like black licorice!

We were total tourists and saw the Gum Walls. To someone who really hates germs, I didn’t like how many germs there were surrounding me. It smelled like peppermint, which helped me not gag. We saw people touching the wall, YUCK! WHY!? There are so many germs there!

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We left Seattle for a day to hike around Snoqualamie Falls.

This is another place I have always wanted to experience! YES, it is a beautiful waterfall. To get the first photos, and the photos you see most online, you just had to walk a few hundred yards. Most came, got their photo and went back to their car. But, we had more time, so we walk down to the bottom for a better look. It was a pretty hike, but man the walk back up was killer! That is the reason why no photos were taken during that!

A friend of mine told us about a hike close by, but we couldn’t find it. But found another! We tried to find some falls, but they just never came! HAHA! So we turned around before it got dark, but we loved the quiet. We didn’t see a soul! Man, it was nice to get away from people, no cell service and just be in the calm nature! The trees of the Pacific Northwest always remind me of how small we really are! Another great reminder about life!

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After we left Seattle we photographed a rad couple just outside Tacoma Washington. This caused us to get a late start on the road to our campsite. We got to the site in the dark, but managed to find it, cook dinner and set up the tent! We camped at Wynoochee Lake Shore Campground. This campground was just off a damned lake. A lake we bathed in because we failed to see the sign to where the bathrooms were until we left. Yea, it kind of sucked, but oh well!

Our site was secluded for the most part and close to the restrooms which is always nice! But, not too close! We had amazing neighbors that weren’t too loud, which is another plus when camping! The only downside of the campground is that we had to drive a 30 minute drive on a dirt road. But, along that road a great Spanish Radio came in that we listened to!

We drove the main road through Olympic National Park & Forest all the way to La Push. If you look on Google Maps, that tiny peninsula, we walked out on that! It was a fun rocky walk, but beautiful! I didn’t take my big camera on that little walk, but the memories of that day are still so clear in my head. I love foggy and misty days!

On the way back we saw Ruby Beach, we should have stopped! As it was the same misty weather, and it was a killer site. But, we were so hungry, so we went back to camp.

We were on the hunt for the Kolalach Tree!

We stopped at a beach trail head then walked down the beach trying to find this tree! The easiest way to do this would go to the Kololach Campground then walk down to the beach, FYI! But, we wanted to walk and enjoy the quiet misty beach. Again, there wasn’t anyone around! I was in awe of how that tree just held on!

We drove that road most of our time in Olympic, hiking random places and just enjoying life. We were present most of the time with no camera. Ending out time in the forest on Ruby Beach. It was a beautiful sunny day, where we almost went for a dip!

We cannot wait to go back and explore more!

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Photos by Natural Intuition Photography