The Best One Day in Olympic National Park: Family Friendly Itinerary
If you only have one day in Olympic National Park, you will want to use your time wisely so you can see as much as you can of this incredible park! Because Olympic National Park is nearly 1 million acres, I will help you choose which areas to see with one day. We’ll make sure you get to spend as much time as possible enjoying the park, and less time sitting in the car.
Disclosure : Some of my blog posts do contain affiliate links which means I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you decide to make a purchase. Thanks for supporting me and helping me to continue to make free content on this platform!
This one day itinerary for Olympic National Park is based on starting your trip in Port Angeles. It’s a great jumping off point to start your trip (also check out Poulsbo – a bit farther away). If you’re driving into Olympic National Park from Seattle, keep in mind that it will take some time to hop on the ferry and drive over.
In my opinion, it probably wouldn’t be ideal to drive from Seattle and back in the same day. You’ll get a lot more out of your one day in Olympic if you start in Port Angeles, or camp near Lake Crescent or Sol Duc.
AND… this itinerary is based on late spring, summer, or early fall weather. Some of these areas can get snow in the chillier seasons. Especially Hurricane Ridge would probably not be the best spot with kids unless you are going for a snowy adventure. Okay, let’s get to planning your epic day in Olympic National Park!
How to Spend One Day in Olympic National Park
The best way to spend one day in Olympic National Park with kids is to avoid spending the whole day in the car. These spots are perfect for a short trip to Olympic to see a few highlights and get to enjoy the mountains and forest landscapes. Have two days instead? We’ve also got a great 2 day Olympic National Park itinerary and a fun 3 day itinerary.
Where to Stay For This Itinerary
The best places to stay for this one day in Olympic National Park itinerary are Port Angeles or Lake Crescent area. You could also start your day in Poulsbo – it’s a super fun Scandinavian themed town in Washington! But that would add about an hour of drive time to your morning.
Best Places to Stay:
- Fairholme Campground – located on Lake Crescent, absolutely beautiful!
- Kitsap Memorial State Park – camping near Poulsbo, very beautiful but more of a drive
- RV at Olympic – if you’re okay with RV park vibes, the location of this spot is great. It’s a gravel lot, but has really easy access to the park and all the amenities (shower, laundry, playground)
- Emerald Valley Inn – Perfect location right between Lake Crescent and the Olympic National Park visitor center
- Red Lion Port Angeles Harbor – beautiful views (and has a pool!)
Overview of Your One Day in Olympic National Park
Morning:
- Drive up to Hurricane Ridge
- Hike the Cirque Rim Nature Trail
- Visit the Olympic National Park Visitor Center
Afternoon/Evening:
- Drive to Lake Crescent – stop at Granny’s Cafe along the way!
- Stop at the Lake Crescent Lodge
- Play in Lake Crescent – swim or kayak
- Hike the Moments in Time Trail
- Watch Sunset on Lake Crescent
Drive up to Hurricane Ridge
Start your day with a drive up to Hurricane Ridge! If you’re driving from Port Angeles, it takes about 45 minutes to get to the top, but the drive up is really pretty so it feels like it goes much quicker than that.
Just outside of Port Angeles, on your way up the mountain, you will see the Port Angeles Visitor Center. Depending on how early you get started, you may want to stop at the visitor center on your way up or back down. We love checking out the visitor centers for our passport stamp, souvenirs, talk to a ranger, and to get a map!
NOTE: the visitor center at Hurricane Ridge burned down in 2023. As of 2025, it has not been rebuilt. So you won’t be able to get your visitor center stop up at the top. There were bathrooms available though! Don’t miss our other tips for visiting Olympic National Park with kids!
ANOTHER NOTE: if you are driving up in the fall or spring, make sure to check the road status before going. This road does close for some of the year because of snow.
What to do at Hurricane Ridge?
Once you get to the top of Hurricane Ridge there are a few things you can do. Just a quick few stops from the parking lot, you’ll be able to see epic views of the Olympic Mountains (they go on forever!) So I would highly recommend taking some time just to walk around the area. You can also see the spot where the visitor center used to be before it burned down.
I would also recommend doing a hike around the area to see some wildlife and some other epic views. Especially if you’re traveling with kids, you’ll want to let them stretch their legs and explore a bit before heading back down the mountain.
Hiking at Hurricane Ridge:
You can get so much more out of your experience at Hurricane Ridge if you take the time to do a short hike with your kids. We loved the Cirque Rim Nature Trail. It’s less than a mile, but you’ll get to see the views on the other side of the Hurricane Ridge lookout. We also saw some cool birds and an old ski lift. It was an easy hike in Olympic and one of the few that is actually stroller friendly!
Swim in Lake Crescent
The next activity on your one day in Olympic National Park itinerary is to explore Lake Crescent. It’s the best beach in the park for swimming and it’s stunning. I found the Lake Crescent area to be one of the most kid friendly parts of Olympic National Park and I would highly recommend adding it to your itinerary.
Hurricane Ridge to Lake Crescent
Driving from Hurricane Ridge to Lake Crescent will take about 1 hour, so it’s good to time this drive with nap time if it works out. Before you get to the Lake Crescent Lodge, there is one stop you have to make – it was one of our families highlights of our Olympic National Park trip!
Granny’s Cafe
Granny’s Cafe is an awesome ice cream shop and cafe that you have to check out on your way to Lake Crescent. They have soft serve ice cream, food, and the best part? If you walk out back, you can see a variety of farm animals including chickens, goats, EMUS and more! It was so fun to eat ice cream while looking at some of the biggest birds in the world (although they were a little creepy haha!)
Lake Crescent Lodge
Make your way a few minutes down the road to the Lake Crescent Lodge. It has a great beach area for swimming or just enjoying the view. You can even rent kayaks here if you want to explore more of the lake. AND if you’re looking for a little luxury to add to your day you can enjoy dinner on the deck of the the Lake Crescent Lodge.
I would recommend visiting this beach over some of the other beaches on Lake Crescent. We also visited East Beach and it wasn’t nearly as nice. And if you do make it over to the coast, you can explore our list of 5 beautiful family friendly beaches!
Moments in Time Trail
And if you have time left in the day, the Moments in Time trail was a great family friendly hike. It has some really beautiful mossy trees (similar to the Hoh Rainforest), lake views, and interpretive signs so you can learn more about the area. The loop is about 0.7 miles and is another great stroller friendly trail. If you are up for a little longer hike, you could also do the hike to Marymere Falls.
That is the best way to spend one day in Olympic National Park with kids! There are so many other things to do in Olympic National Park if you have more time. The Ultimate guide to Olympic National Park will help you plan your whole vacation from where to stay, how to get there, and all the best things to do!
Happy travels!
