Washington State has glaciers, volcanoes, islands, whales, and three national parks. No wonder we chose it for our summer vacation!
“Arrival” AKA Portland
Our trip started in Portland, a little over two hours to Mt. Rainier. We opted for Portland VS Seattle because A was meeting us in Portland after we drove from our house, approx. 4 hours south.
Sullivan’s Gulch made sense for the night based on easy freeway access. We had a flight at Steeplejack Brewing then made our way to EEM for dinner- hands down, great foodie experience!
Day 1: Mt. Rainier + Ruby Beach + Forks
Stop 1: Mt. Rainier National Park
2024 was the first year Mt. Rainier implemented a new system to enter the park by choosing a time slot. Recreation.gov says that 2025 will only have timed entry for the Sunrise Corridor. For more information around permits, go to Timed Entry Reservations – Mount Rainier National Park. The Paradise Corridor/ Nisqually Entrance had the more popular sights to see if you are short on time.
We left Portland before 6 AM to make our entrance time. We stopped at the following places:
- Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center + Paradise Inn~ Located next to Paradise Meadow is an upper and lower parking lot. We parked in the upper lot next to the inn. From there, we walked along the Skyline Trail to glimpse wildflowers and the mountain before wandering into the inn’s store and coffee shop.
- Inspiration Point~ This is a quick turn off where you can take in the view of the mountain on a clear day.
- Reflection Lakes~ At the right time, the reflection of Mt. Rainier is picture perfect. Unfortunately, we missed it.
- Narada Falls~ Park in the lot, walk across the bridge and down a short .4-mile RT to the overlook. The waterfall flows under the bridge, so stop there if it’s all you have time for.
This portion of the trip flew by, but it was worth the stop. I’m a sucker for mountains, views, and wildflowers- Rainier had all three in just the first parking lot!
Stop 2: Washington Coast: Ruby Beach
Four hours later, we arrived at the coast of Washington. This was an obvious tourist destination. It was after four in the afternoon, and the parking lot was still full.
We walked down the path from the parking lot to the beach, met with many others doing the same thing, and hopped over driftwood to get to the water and see a few of the iconic sea stacks in the fog.
Stop 3: Forks, WA/ Bogachiel State Park
30 minutes north of Ruby Beach is Forks. It was pretty much everything I pictured- including life-size vampires! The town is on the smaller side with few stores open and limited restaurant options.
About 8 minutes south of Forks is Bogachiel State Park, our campground for the night. Bogachiel is now one of my favorite campgrounds. It had a small trail through moss-covered trees and Bogachiel River access. We enjoyed a beer and the sunset by the river.
Day 2: Rialto Beach + Hoh Rainforest
Stop 1: Rialto Beach
This beach was 20 minutes from Forks and very easy to get to. We didn’t have a chance to do the trails, but the driftwood along the beach gave it a pretty cool vibe!
Stop 2: Hoh Rainforest
My best advice if you visit this section of the park is to get there early! I know, I know, that’s a common suggestion for any popular place, but you’ll be glad you did! Even with a permit, we waited over an hour just to park. To read about our overnight on the trail, you can go here.
Day 3: Sol Duc Falls + Lake Crescent + Port Angeles
On our way out of rainforest, we stopped for lunch and coffees at Hard Rain Cafe. Friendly staff, great food, even better coffee!
Stop 1: Sol Duc Falls
We hustled and hiked the 1.6 mile RT trail to the falls. The trail was easily marked, and we were even greeted by alpacas.
Stop 2: Lake Crescent
This was my favorite place in the park. The rest of our day was open, so we pumped up the inflatable paddle board we brought along with us just in case.
The Lodge had that summer camp vibe to it with a great bar in the main area. We were able to order margaritas to-go and sit on the beach with them. The lake was freezing but crystal clear.
Stop 3: Port Angeles, WA/ Elwha RV Park
Port Angeles was a surprising gem! I pictured a small town on the water, but it was so much more than that. Good vibe, good food, and good people with the Olympic Mountains as the backdrop.
Our first night we walked the shops, had dinner at Yodelin Broth Company, and grabbed a beer at Angeles Brewing Supplies & Taproom.
We chose Elwha RV Park for its proximity to everything. The camping was in a patch of grass, but the staff are friendly and willing to help with anything, including giving you recommendations.
Day 4: Hurricane Ridge + Lake Crescent (Pt. 2) + Port Angeles
Stop 1: Hurricane Ridge
Hurricane Ridge is about 45 minutes from Port Angeles using Hurricane Ridge Road. We found out there was a bus that would take us there for 2 dollars a person. If you take the bus, it picks you up at the Port Angeles Transit Center and you skip the line to get in at the entrance.
Pro tip: Take the bus. You’ll be glad you did.
We took the first bus up and the parking lot was filling up fast for the earlyish time. The day was clear and there are views for miles so just the drive is worth it.
In between getting off and on the bus, we walked the Meadow Loop Trail and connected to Sunrise Point before looping back to catch the next bus.
Rest of day: Port Angeles & Lake Crescent
Back in Port Angeles, we had lunch at Next Door Gastropub, coffee at Great Northern Coffee Bar, frozen yogurt at Fat Yeti Froyo, and shopped at MOSS.
Instead of driving to check out more popular sights (like Neah Bay or Cape Flattery), we spent our remaining time at Lake Crescent.
That night, we checked into our hotel in downtown Port Angeles, went to the pier, and had dinner at Hook & Line Pub.
Day 5: Poulsbo + Seattle
Stop 1: Poulsbo, WA
Somewhere on this trip, I found a brochure with nearby towns. Poulsbo was one of them. It’s also called Washington’s Little Norway because of its Scandanavian-themed main street. The town was on the way to Seattle, so we stopped, walked the waterfront, popped into Sluys Poulsbo Bakery, and got a to-go cup from Caffe Cocina.
Stop 2: Seattle, WA
Seattle was an adventure itself, and we tried to pack so many things into our day there.
- Pike’s Place Market~ the oldest farmer’s market in the country ~ open daily with over 200 booths!
- Cloud Burst~ Funny beer names, cool location, great IPAs
- Space Needle~ We walked around the park at the base of the Space Needle, great view of it and many other interesting things to look at
- Fremont District~ Home of the Fremont Troll, open-aired Sunday Market, canal walk, bohemian-vibe, & Lighthouse Roasters
- The Nest~ rooftop bar with 180 degree views of the water!
We stayed in a downtown hotel so we could be in walking distance of most of the things on the list.
“Departure” AKA Driving Home
A was flying out of Seattle (SeaTac) later that day and we were driving home, so we hit the road before 6 AM to beat commuter traffic.
Distance Between Destinations
All of these stops are on the way to other stops (exception: Hoh Rain Forest Visitor’s Center) so if you plan on skipping it, just add the time to the next destination.
| Starting | Ending | Approx. Time/ Mileage |
| Portland, OR | Nisqually Entrance- Mt. Rainier | 2:20 hr/ 138 mi |
| Nisqually Entrance- Mt. Rainier | Forks, WA | 4:30 hr/ 225 mi |
| Forks, WA | Hoh Rain Forest Visitor’s Center | 1:10 hr/ 36 mi |
| Hoh Rain Forest Visitor’s Center | Sol Duc Falls | 2 hr/ 77 mi |
| Sol Duc Falls | Lake Crescent Lodge | 40 min/ 23 mi |
| Lake Crescent Lodge | Port Angeles, WA | 28 min/ 21 mi |
| Port Angeles, WA | Poulsbo, WA | 1:20 hr/ 62 mi |
| Poulsbo, WA | Seattle, WA | 1:20 hr/ 80 mi |
| Seattle, WA | Portland, OR | 2:42 hr/ 174 mi |
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Trip Highlights
If you are short on time, here are my top 5 musts / what I would do next time:
- Mt. Rainier- spend a whole day there
- Port Angeles or Lake Crescent home base instead of Forks
- Spend more time in one area and hike around instead of bouncing around to see everything
- Seattle- Fremont District as home base after briefly stopping in downtown Seattle
- Beaches- planning around the fog for hiking & photography
I would likely skip Hoh Rain Forest in favor of other things. I think it would be more worth it if it were off-season, but the time getting there was time consuming if you are on a short trip.
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Have you ever been to Washington? What are your favorite outdoor locations?
-C
The BLT Guidebook 
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