You're going on a hike ... Mountains or Beaches ... what would you choose?
Let's add another option ... Rain Forest. What would be your choice??
They all look fun ... Are you having trouble deciding?? Well then, may I suggest a visit to Olympic National Park, a biologically diverse park located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. Each day treated us to an amazing variety of beautiful sights!
First Up: Hurricane Ridge
Mornings in the mountains can also be a bit chilly, but it is nice to be able to pull out our down jackets and for a moment just pretend that we are heading for the ski hills. There were a few short trails around the Visitor Center that gave us ''international views'' as we looked across the water towards Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
After it warmed up, we walked up the road to find the Hurricane Hill Trail. This is a 1.5 mile out and back paved trail that gave us wonderful views of Mount Olympus on one side ...
... and the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Canada on the other side.
Because this trail is paved, I enjoyed the bonus benefit of being able to take in all the gorgeous vistas that surrounded us on the way up and down without worrying about rocks or tree roots ready to trip me up.
No hiking stick or careful navigation of the trail needed today ... Just enjoy the views!
Next Up: Railto Beach and Mora Campground
The next day we continued our journey along ''the 101'' to the beaches that line the western border of Olympic National Park. At first sight, I was a bit surprised by all the driftwood that lies on the beach for as far as I could see. Not just small pieces, but HUGE trees that have toppled down to become a favorite piece of art on the beach.
We enjoyed a long walk down the beach,
...past magnificent sea stacks rising from the ocean waters,
... to the Hole-in-the-Rock, a popular cave to explore ... if you get there before high tide. Unfortunately for us, the water was coming up quickly, so we didn't want to risk getting trapped on the other side. Save that RVenture for the next time around.
After enjoying sunset over the Pacific, we headed three miles down the road where we were able to get a site at Mora, a popular national park campground.
Next Up: Hoh Rain Forest
The next morning we drove an hour up towards the interior of the park to Hoh Rain Forest which is one of the largest temperate rain forests in the United States. This area of the Olympic peninsula receives an average of twelve feet of rain a year which supports the growth of the lush rain forest flora. Ferns, mosses, and lichens adorn the tall maple, cedar and pine trees and provide a spectacular hiking and camping experience.
Because this is a very popular destination for day visitors, we tried to avoid the crowds by doing a less popular out and back hike on the Hoh River Trail that afternoon. For the hardy hiker, this trail stretches 17 miles up to the glacier fields of the park. We were happy to hike the relatively flat first few miles along the Hoh River. Each step treated us to more rain forest surprises.
In the evening, the crowds thinned down considerably, so we were able to take our time to explore the Hall of Mosses and the Spruce Nature Trail. These loop trails led us under more towering trees and past interesting rain forest formations that seemed to enjoy their ''intermingling''.
This past winter, while in Colombia, I struck up a conversation with a young man who was pursuing his doctorate in fern biology. He was traveling the world to study some of the 10,000+ different types of ferns. At that time, I had a hard time understanding his enthusiasm. But after discovering the unique beauty of just a few varieties of ferns that surrounded us on our visit to the rain forest, I am beginning to understand his passion for ferns. Do you like my new art decor for Baby Beest?
Next Up: Back to the Beach
You have to get there early to snag a ''first come'' site at South Beach Campground. Located on a ridge overlooking a long stretch of deserted beach, it is even more popular this year as more people are turning to camping as their end-of-summer vacation choice. Walking along the beach we found more wooden sculptures that happily doubled as climbing toys,
... including our largest fallen tree encounter up to this point. See Doug up near the top?
Another sunset over the ocean ended our varied journey through Olympic National Park.
In a time when some parts of the park (like Sol Duc Hot Springs) remain closed, there is still a variety of natural beauty to discover at Olympic National Park. What would you choose ... Mountains, Rain Forests, or Beaches??? I am grateful that we didn't have to decide!
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