Waterfalls (Sol Duc and Marymere) in the Olympic National Park

We drive from Port Angeles on the Strait of San Juan de Fuca (separating Washington State from Vancouver Island, British Columbia) into the Olympic National Forest to visit two waterfalls.  The first, Sol Duc Falls is 14 miles (23 km) off US Highway 101, the primary road through the park.  The waterfall splits into as many as four channels as it cascades 48 feet (15 meters) into a narrow, rocky canyon.

Trailhead parking lot

Along the trail

Reaching the falls

The trail back

Our next stop is Marymere Falls, near the shores of Lake Crescent.  The trail forms a loop, offering two spectacular viewpoints of the 90 foot (27 meter) high waterfall, one looking down on the falls as they plunge through a notch in the cliff; the other looking up from the base of the falls.

Trail and bridges to the falls

First glimpse of the falls

Views at the falls

We finish the loop around the two viewing sites and return to the shores of Lake Crescent, a deep lake located entirely within the Olympic National Park.  With an official maximum depth of 624 feet (190 meters), Lake Crescent is the second-deepest lake in Washington and is known for brilliant blue waters and exception clarity enabled by the low levels of nitrogen in the water that inhibit the growth of algae.

Lake Crescent

After our hikes up to the two falls, we return to Port Angeles to track down dinner.

Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park

We go hiking for a few days in the northern part of the Olympic National Park in Washington State.  The park covers nearly a million acres (404,685 hectares) of vast wilderness and numerous distinct ecosystems including glacier-capped mountains, old-growth temperate rain forests, and over 70 miles (113 km) of wild Pacific coastline.  We start with a hike on the Hurricane Hill trail, near Port Angeles on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, with expansive views of the mountains making up the Bailey Range, a subrange of the Olympic Mountains with one of the finest alpine routes in the Olympics.

We drive up to the Hurricane Ridge parking lot, located at an elevation of 5,242 feet (1,598 meters) and offering panoramic views.

Parking lot

Views from the parking lot

The road at the end of the parking to the Hurricane Hill trailhead is [still] closed due to snow and we start with a short hike up the hill next to the parking lot.

Short trail up

Views from the top

The trail soon turns into a snowy, slushy path and we  return to the parking lot and walk up the closed road to Hurricane Hill.

Snow trail

This path is also closed

Road to Hurricane Hill

Views along the road

We reach the end of the road at the small (and empty) Hurricane Hill parking lot, find the beginning of the trail relatively snow free, and start up the 3.2 mile (5.1 km) round-trip trail.

Hurricane Hill trail at Hurricane Ridge

Along the trail

About three quarters of the way to Hurricane Hill, the trail turns a corner away from the sun and is covered with snow the rest of the way.  The people behind us have brought crampons in their packs and are clearly better prepared for this eventuality that we are.  We turn around and return to the trailhead.

Shady side of the mountain

The trail back (sunny side)

The  signs at the trailhead warn of mountain lions, cougars, and bears, none of which we meet today.

Warnings at the trailhead

With our eyes now open for wildlife, we walk back up Hurricane Hill road to the parking lot and return to Port Angeles for the evening.

Views from Port Angeles (back at sea level)