Washington’s Olympic Peninsula’s dominate feature is nearly one million acres of playground in rain forest valleys, alpine meadows, and sixty miles of wilderness coastline.  Perhaps you’ve heard of Ruby Beach, Kalaloch, the Victorian Seaport of Port Townsend, Hurricane Ridge, Hood Canal, or Cape Flattery?  These places are just part of the Olympic Peninsula.  Here you’ll find world class recreational lands and water.

Bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the east by the Hood Canal, and on the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Olympic Peninsula is anchored by the majestic Olympic Mountains.  No other place in American can match its diversity in terrain and weather in such a compact geographic area.  From Seattle, take a Washington State ferry and a sixty minute drive or a two hour drive northwest from SeaTac International Airport.

You’ll find easy access to rugged ocean beaches, exploration of the lakes, waterfalls, rivers, and rain forests.  Olympic National Park is a designated World Heritage Site and Biosphere which rests in the heart of the peninsula.  Herds of Roosevelt elk roam the rain forest and the green river valleys.  Lavender is grown in abundance here and the yearly Lavender Festival is a favorite of those who live in the surrounding areas. 

Lodging ranges from quiet bed and breakfast inns, to fishing resorts, country motels, famous historic lodges, and RV parks.  This area of the United States will keep you coming back for years to see it all.

Hurricane Ridge is one of the most popular destinations of the Olympic National Park.  Formidably spectacular its name is derived from the howling storms that occur in winter.  Magnificent vistas reveal glacier-covered peaks and steep river valleys.  A variety of nature trails allows for panoramic views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and alpine meadows.  An eighteen mile paved road with pull-outs allows the photographer to capture breathtaking photos.

Lake Crescent is a 600 deep twelve mile long lake offering many varieties of nature hikes.  It is also the site of Lake Crescent Lodge, a beautifully preserved historic lodge.  The lake is excellent for boating, including canoeing, kayaking, and camping. 

Sequim is a small town with unique gift shops, murals, antique stores, galleries, and fine restaurants.  From May through October the oldest continuous festival in Washington State occurs, the Open Aire Market, where on Saturdays, local growers sell fresh produce and artisans display their hand-crafted items.  In Sequim, bring your bike, kayak, golf clubs, walking shoes, and binoculars.  You’ll find yourself picking berries along the nature trails, eating Dungeness crabs, and savoring the lavender fields.  Visit many colorful lavender farms here in the Sequim Valley.  Considered the Lavender Capitol of North America, the picking season lasts from July to October. 

Port Angeles  is ideally suited where all the Olympic Peninsula can be accessed.  Summer and fall activities include kayaking, hiking, camping, biking, fishing, scuba diving, and skateboarding.  Winter months bring skiing; snow shoeing, and snowboarding activities.  Winter rentals are available.  In the heart of downtown, City Pier offers views of the ships that use the deep water harbor. Here you’ll enjoy the pier markets and the Fiero Marine Life Center. 

The Strait of Juan de Fuca Scenic Byway on state highway 112 was designated as a National Scenic Byway in Washington State in 2000.  If follows the shoreline of a glacial fjord that connects Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean, separating the Olympic Peninsula from Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  The remote stretch of coastline with rugged cliffs and forests, reaches out farther into the cold waters of the North Pacific than any other mainland point in the lower forty-eight states.  Eagles and gray whales are common sights, depending on the time of year.  Along the route are the colorful fishing villages of Clallam Bay and Sekiu, the historic Merrill and Ring Tree Farm at Pysht, and the principal town of the Makah Indian Reservation.

For those who love lighthouses, the Dungeness Spit and old Dungeness Lighthouse should be on your list of things to do here in the Olympic Peninsula.  The Dungeness Spit is the world’s longest naturally occurring sandspit, and home to the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge.  Here over 250 species of birds, forty-one land mammals, and eight species of water mammals find refuge.  The Dungeness Lighthouse, built in 1857 and now on the National Register of Historic Places, is open year round to visitors.

Check out these particular RV parks and resorts:

Pleasant Harbor RV Resort –

Port Ludlow RV Park –

Fort Worden State Park –

KOA Kampground of Port Angeles/Sequim –

Log Cabin Resort –

Olympic Paradise –

Rainbow’s End RV Park –

Saltcreek RV and Golf –

Sams RV Park –

Snow Creek Fishing Resort –

Happy RVing in Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula

(Photos courtesy of The Olympic Peninsula Tourism Board)