Olympic National Forest

TimW

TimW

Adventurist
Hi everyone new member and first post! Great forum and look forward to participating.

In the last week of September some high school buddies from Maryland and I are driving from Los Angeles to Olympic National Forest. We have Sat to Sun so 9 full days. We plan to disperse camp, fish for salmon, drive dirt roads, hike and soak up the energy and beautiful scenery!

I've found lots of great info, MVU Maps etc.. a few questions for my new friends here--

Can you drive across the forest/park, or is the only way around to use the 101? Can you drive off road across the forest/park?

Any advice on where to disperse camp? There are so many options - rain forest, mountains, ocean..

Never been to the PNW, super excited! Thanks all-
 
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This information is somewhat dated. The last time I was over on the Olympic Peninsula was in 2015. We had a lot of snow this past winter, slides and flooding happen! That being said a few good place that I’m aware of.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/H...!3d47.3679876!4d-123.2799053?hl=en&authuser=0

This is the highest bridge in WA. Camping just north of the bridge in a clear cut that will get you down to the river.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/D...!3d47.9482334!4d-123.2596801?hl=en&authuser=0

Great views!

https://www.google.com/maps/place/G...2!3d48.0023678!4d-123.600155?hl=en&authuser=0

This is where the Elwha River Dam was torn down. You could get right down to the base on the dam. Very cool to see nature taking back over.
 
D9091FDC-4C91-42AE-B88B-FC75469D2227.jpeg
2DF885C1-05EC-4901-8C40-85EBE6A0BEE9.jpeg

Couple images from the Elwha
 
A couple pay to play campgrounds but worth the price of admission.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/S...!3d47.5678578!4d-124.3613036?hl=en&authuser=0

South Beach is great in that you can go to sleep with the pounding of the waves!

https://www.google.com/maps/place/K...!3d47.6130562!4d-124.3747213?hl=en&authuser=0

This is worth your time.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/K...!3d47.6130562!4d-124.3747213?hl=en&authuser=0

With you coming up in September I would suggest that you camp at the pay camp grounds during mid week. The dispersed camping is a free for all and shouldn't have any issues.
 
All those links were great- thanks! Cape Flattery is high on my list for sure. Our plan is to stay in the dispersed sites as much as possible. I like your idea of a mid-week night at a paid site to get refreshed. Maybe first few days dispersed near a good fishing spot followed by a night at an ocean front paid site, then a few more dispersed elsewhere in the forest.
 
I would suggest adding a stop at Lake Quinalt. The Lake Quinalt lodge is a national treasure, and there is a rain forest hiking trail loop nearby with some of the largest trees in the world (spruce, cedar, hemlock and Douglas fir). The loop around the lake is epic and if you head up the Quinalt river valley you’ll not be disappointed with the sights as it heads straight into the guts of the Olympics.
 
I'll second Deer Park, that is such a cool spot! I need to get back there. Its a great rip down on a bike too if you have someone to drive down.
 
Bookmarking for an upcoming WA trip in August. Not to hijack, but if you had one day and one night in the Olympic NF, what would you guys recommend?
 
WashingtonTaco said:
Cape Flattery is the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States. It is in Clallam County, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula, where the Strait of Juan de Fuca joins the Pacific Ocean
Click to expand...

Glad I went back and read that again...north WESTERN most point in the lower 48. In my head I just knew the northern most point was in Maine...WRONG...freakin' MN gets the nod...

To find the northernmost point in the lower 48, it's necessary to visit the Red Lake Indian Reservation. It lies in Northwest Angle, Minnesota, the only notch on the otherwise arrow-straight U.S./Canada border that runs along the great arc of the 49th parallel.
 
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