Olympic National Park (Map, RV Route, RV Camping, Things to Do)

Planning a vacation in Olympic National Park? We have some great information to help you plan your road trip. Including the Olympic National Park map, route from Seattle, RV camping, and things to do. Don’t have time to read this now? Pin it for later!

Olympic National Park Map

Here is a link to the Olympic National Park map. There are three main visitor centers in Olympic National Park: Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge, and Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center.

We wanted to drive up to the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center but at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center we found out that it was foggy up there which meant no visibility. It wasn’t foggy at the visitor center so we were surprised to hear this but glad we asked. Before you make the drive up to Hurricane Ridge stop by the Olympic National Park visitor center to check the conditions. They have a live video of Hurricane Ridge in the visitor center.

Seattle to Olympic National Park

We traveled from Seattle to Olympic National Park by RV and this was our route. It was 183 miles from Tulalip Casino in Marysville to Walmart in Port Angeles.

This is where we stayed on our way to Port Angeles:

Marysville: Tulalip Casino - FREE overnight RV parking
- You must sign up for their Players Club
Suquamish: Clearwater Casino Resort RV Park
- Great spot to visit Seattle. Full hookups for $33.30/day
- The casino has a free shuttle to\from the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal
- Read about our stay in Seattle's Best RV Park For The Weekend
Sequim: 7 Cedars Casino - FREE overnight RV parking
- You must sign up for their Players Club and check-in
- Some spots have FREE electricity and water
Port Angeles: Walmart Supercenter - FREE overnight RV parking
- We stayed one night

Olympic National Park RV Camping

We explored the park by motorhome and these are our recommendations for RV camping near Olympic National Park:

Olympic National Park: Sol Duc Campground
- Beautiful campground deep in the forest. Highly recommended but the one-way road through the campground is very narrow and has a few tight turns. Campground states there is a 35’ motorhome limit. We stayed at a site close to the entrance and just backed out as we didn’t feel comfortable making the tight turns to drive through the campground. This only worked because it was mid-October and not busy.
- We stayed one night here. It was $22.80/night and had no hookups.
- There was a dump near the campground but it was an additional fee.
- If you prefer full hookups or are over 35’ Sol Duc Hot Springs RV Park is not far from Sol Doc Campground.
- The RV Park and Campground are closed during the winter so check below to see when they open and close.
  - Sol Duc Hot Springs RV Park: Opens March 20, 2020, and closes October 25, 2020
  - Sol Duc Campground Loop A: Opens March 20, 2020, and closes October 25, 2020
  - Sol Duc Campground Loop B: Opens May 1, 2020, and closes September 30, 2020

Sappho, WA: Forest Road 29
- Awesome FREE boondocking spot. Great spot for FREE RV camping in Olympic National Forest. Highly Recommended!
- We stayed for two nights.
Forks, WA: Bogachiel State Park
- Cute state park. Great spot to explore the Hoh Rain Forest.
- We stayed one night. It was $35/night for a site with water and electricity. The dump station was at the entrance of the campground.

Things To Do in Olympic National Park

Looking for things to do in Olympic National Park we recommend 1) Salmon Cascades, 2) Madison Falls Trail, 3) Ancient Groves Nature Trail, 4)Sol Duc Falls Nature Trail, and 4) Hiking in the Hoh Rain Forest.

Salmon trying to jump upstream at Salmon Cascades

Salmon Cascades

We headed to Salmon Cascades where we saw multiple salmon trying to jump upstream (up a small waterfall in fact!). We watched for a while, but we never saw one make it up the river. They would jump sideways and hit the rocks on the bank or not make it up high enough to get over. Check out our video here or on YouTube to see if you can spot the jumping salmon.

Madison Falls Trail

We did the short hike to Madison Falls and then we hiked until we got to the washed-out section of Olympic Hot Springs road due to Elwha River flooding. If you are looking for a very short but rewarding hike Madison Falls is it.

Ancient Groves Nature Trail

As soon as we walked into the forest it felt like we were in an enchanted forest from a fairy tale. It was magical! This is an easy and short hike.

Sol Duc Falls Nature Trail

It was an easy hike to the Sol Duc Falls and it was beautiful. Highly recommended!

Hoh Rain Forest

After spending a few days boondocking in Olympic National Forest we continued down the 101 to the Hoh Rain Forest. I am really glad we made the journey all the way around the park to get to the Hoh Rain Forest as the environment was unique.

We drove the Jeep to the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center and from there we did two short hikes: Hall of Mosses Trail (0.8 miles) and the Spruce Nature Trail (1.2 miles). Both are easy loops that take you through the beautiful Hoh Rain Forest and they start behind the visitor center. The major hiking trail is the Hoh River trail, which is 18 miles and leads to Blue Glacier. We did not hike that trail.

I was surprised by the size of the trees. Sitka spruce trees average 220 feet tall, but some grow to over 300 feet!

Rain Gear for Hiking

Penguin's Gear

Jeri's Rain Gear

Can you believe the Hoh Rain Forest gets 12 to 14 feet (not inches!) of precipitation each year?!

It rained the entire time we were at Olympic National Park but we still had an amazing time. We were properly equipped and didn’t let the rain stop us from our adventures.

What did we wear and why do we love it? Check out our Best Gear for Hiking in the Rain article. Get the gear that will keep you dry and out having fun!

Olympic National Park Weather

Always check the weather forecast before starting your adventure to Olympic National Park. The weather is unpredictable. Here is a link to the NPS weather page for the park.

Be prepared. Check out these graphics for the average temperature and rainfall by month.