2 nights around the Olympic Peninsula

[GHCreekside]

Ok this is my first attempt at a trip report so bear with me...

The wife and I ditched the kids last weekend for a few days by ourselves. Got a much later start on Friday then we anticipated due to unexpectedly being held over at work for six hours but finally left at 3pm. Stopped in Shelton for diesel then drove straight to Lake Quinault Lodge. We didn't have any plans other than to camp on the coast so we had dinner at the Lodge here before continuing. Figured we could camp at South Beach or Kalaloch since it was the third weekend of September, but nope! Everything was full! At the fourth campground we tried (Cottonwood by the Hoh River) we were stopped looking at the map after finding all the sites full. We were about to just find a pullout somewhere since it was dark and after 9pm, when someone knocked on the truck window. A friendly Scotsman (with a name I won't even try and spell) offered us a spot to park at his site since he had plenty of room. Score!

Long gravel road leaving the campground.

20170923_095016 (600x800) by GHCreekside, on Flickr

Then we drove back south to Ruby Beach again to see it during the day. Cool sea stacks and beautiful beach.

20170923_101948 (800x600) by GHCreekside, on Flickr

20170923_104942 (800x600) by GHCreekside, on Flickr

20170923_105800 (800x600) by GHCreekside, on Flickr

20170923_111240 (600x800) by GHCreekside, on Flickr

After that we turned north again and stopped in Forks and visited the logging museum. I love Northwest logging history and seeing the old pictures and how hard those guys worked. Worth the $3 admission.

From there we continued north and east on 101 with thoughts of camping on Lake Crescent but we missed the turn we wanted and got stuck in a bunch of construction so we decided to look for somewhere to camp around Port Angeles. Tried Salt Creek Park but it was basically full and pretty crowded so we ended up next door at Crescent Beach RV Park. This is normally the type of place I try to avoid, but they have an amazing half mile stretch of private sandy beach so it was worth the $50something for one night and wall to wall RVs.

20170923_181136 (800x600) by GHCreekside, on Flickr

You can just barely see our rig tucked in there.

20170923_183532 (600x800) by GHCreekside, on Flickr

The next day we decided to drive up to Hurricane Ridge and hike a little bit. If you're ever in Port Angeles and the weather is clear, it's worth the 18 mile drive. This is the third or fourth time I've been here but I don't know if I've ever been able to see this far. We could see Vancouver Island to the north, and even Mt. Baker and the Picketts to the east.

Vancouver Island
20170924_110435 (800x600) by GHCreekside, on Flickr

Looking east
20170924_112216 (800x600) by GHCreekside, on Flickr

Looking south. If you look real close you can see the camper in the center of the picture.
20170924_112754 (600x800) by GHCreekside, on Flickr

From there we stopped in Sequim for ice cream and then east across the Hood Canal floating bridge to head home. Great first trip with our Northern Lite and I was happy to see 14.9 mpg (hand calculated) with the camper on!

[campingken]

If you visit here again I would suggest camping at the Salt Creek campground. While there take a day trip to Lake Ozzette and hike out to Cape Alava.

[GoinThisAway]

An excellent trip report! Thanks for the tour of a beautiful area.

[Grit_dog]

Thank you for posting! Have lived up here since 2011 and still have yet to make a camping trip to the Oly Pen. Maybe this winter........

[Naio]

Beautiful! Thank you!

[searun]

Great pic's.
It's good to see a swath of temperate rainforest in this neck of the woods without a clearcut scarring it - a rarity. Hurricane Ridge provides one of the best expanses to see this. Thanks for showing this!

[billyray50]

Great pics and report! Thanks.

[GpnAZ]

Great job on your first TR, nice pics and narrative! We were just there a couple weeks before Labor Day, beautiful NP!

[mi_drew]

Nice, wish I was there.

[WyoBull]

Great trip report and beautiful scenery! Nice camper as well!

[jmtandem]

Excellent trip report. Hurricane Ridge is spectacular.

[Bedlam]

Over Independence Day, we were on the southern section of coastline in Ilwaco - Long Beach - Ocean Park. Most likely, we will make a run down the OR coast (somewhere between Astoria and Coos Bay) over Thanksgiving. It's great having the mountains on one side and the ocean on the other - You can always find somewhere to go regardless the time of year.

[adamis]

This is an absolutely fantastic area. Coming from California, I was blown away with how beautiful it is. All of the coastal fishing towns, the greenery and the abundance of water. I literally came home and started looking at property to purchase (sadly couldn't make it happen).

I was also in this area without a plan and also found the campgrounds to be full as well. I ended up keeping my eye out for one of the many logging cutoff roads as I was driving. Most are very overgrown and difficult to get into but I found one that had been started but never finished cut right out of the thick of a forest (they must have been getting ready to harvest). I tucked the truck back into it and camped the night. It was a bit unnerving at first, not sure if someone would hassle me but I was far enough back that by nightfall, anyone driving by would have never known I was there.

I can't wait to visit this area again but for an extended period. Lot's to see and do, just not enough time to do it!

[Bedlam]

We do a loop at once a year. This Labor Day, we did Shelton - Hoodsport - Copalis - Sequim - Port Townsend - Concrete - Marysville.

[kohldad]

Great job on your first great trip report! Beautiful area I hope to be visiting in a few more years. Thanks for sharing.