Olympic National Park is pretty massive, so planning a trip can be really overwhelming! From the mountains to the rainforest to the ocean, we’ve got you covered with some of the best things to do in Olympic National Park with kids. We’ve even included a map so you can easily plan your trip. These activities will help you have the best family vacation ever!

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1. Take a Scenic Drive up Hurricane Ridge

Hurricane Ridge is an iconic area of Olympic National Park and you should definitely visit if you have time to add it to your itinerary. It’s about a 40 minute drive from Port Angeles up the mountain to Hurricane Ridge but totally worth it.

The drive up is really beautiful through the mountains and once you reach the top, there are EPIC viewpoints and some fun hikes you can do. There used to be a visitor center, but sadly it burned down a few years ago. I think they will eventually rebuild this, but currently it’s just an empty space where the visitor center used to be.

2. Swim in Lake Crescent

Lake Crescent is a stunningly blue lake located in the Northern section of Olympic National Park. It’s a really clean lake with beautiful views and it’s one of the more kid friendly areas in the park. If you’re looking for a place to swim, this lake is really great. There are also several hikes in this area and a campground (Fairholme) if you’re looking to stay in the area.

The best beach is at the Lake Crescent Lodge. Here you can also grab something to eat with a view, check out the lodge, and rent kayaks. Visiting Lake Crescent is part of our 1 Day Olympic National Park Itinerary as well as our two day Olympic itinerary and even 3 day itinerary!

3. Go Beachcombing on Kalaloch Beach

Kalaloch Beach is one of the most family friendly beaches in Olympic National Park. The beach is really wide open (especially during low tide) with tons of room to run and play in the sand, go beachcombing, and find the Tree of Life – more on that below.

If you’re staying in Kalaloch, getting to the beach from the campground is just a short walk. If you’re not staying at the campground, it’s still well worth your time to come explore this beach! We also found some cool sand sculptures while here, so who knows what you’ll find when you visit.

4. Hike to Sol Duc Falls

Sol Duc Falls was our favorite hike of the trip and it definitely lives up to the hype. This trail leads you through a beautiful forest where you can find slugs, mushrooms, really cool trees, and much more. You’ll eventually see an old shelter which means you’re almost to the end. Then you’ll reach an epic view of a really unique waterfall!

We had so much fun as a family on this short hike. It’s totally kid friendly it’s only 1.8 miles and 262 feet of elevation gain. We’ve also got you covered with 9 stunning family friendly hikes in Olympic National Park!

5. Get Ice Cream at Granny’s Cafe

Granny’s Cafe might just be one of the coolest spots in Olympic National Park that you’ve never heard of. While it’s not technically inside of the park, you’ll drive right by it if you’re headed to Lake Crescent. This cafe has food, soft serve ice cream, milkshakes and…. walk out back to see some of the biggest birds on the planet.

The back of the cafe has farmland that you can walk around to see the animals while you eat your ice cream. They have goats, chickens, and the coolest part – Emus! Truthfully, they freaked me out a little bit, but it was such a fun and unexpected stop. Granny’s Cafe is one of the coolest things to do in Olympic National Park with kids for sure!

6. Get a Passport Stamp!

Getting our National Parks passport stamped is one of our favorite traditions on our National Park trips. So head to one of the visitor centers, passport in hand to grab your stamp. We also like to buy a sticker for the page too.

Olympic National Park Visitor Centers

• Hoh Rainforest Visitor Center
• Olympic National Park Visitor Center (Port Angeles)

7. Get a Junior Ranger Booklet at the Visitor Center

Another tradition we have on our National Park trips is to grab a Junior Ranger packet at the visitor center. Our kids are a little young to complete all of the activities, but they do love to get their own special packet, look at the pictures in the book, and do some coloring!

The Junior Ranger program really gives kids a sense of ownership for the parks. The packets also have great information about the wildlife in the park and how to protect the landscape. I’ve actually learned a lot from those booklets!

If you’re looking resources to plan an epic trip to Olympic National Park, check out our FULL GUIDE to Olympic National Park with kids!

8. Soak in Sol Duc Hot Springs

Sol Duc Hot Springs is a total gem in Olympic National Park. It’s a little bit off the main road, but one of our favorite things to do in Olympic with our kids. They sell tickets for 2 hour sessions. Just show up at the start of the session and you should be able to get in. Tickets are not sold ahead of time, they are first come first serve.

There are several pools of varying temperature. A couple of really hot ones don’t allow kids less than 4 years old, but there are a couple more pools that little ones can be in. We hiked to Sol Duc Falls and then came and soaked in the hot springs. It was a perfect way to relax after a big hike!

10. Hike the Moments in Time Trail

The Moments in Time trail was an awesome trail that we didn’t even plan on doing originally. We had a little bit of time to kill, so we decided to do the short hike (0.8 miles, flat) while we were visiting Lake Crescent. The trail has a lot of interpretive signs, huge mossy trees, and evidence of how humans impacted the area. You’ll also get to see some cool views of Lake Crescent, or even stop along the way for a swim if it’s hot!

This loop has several different trailheads, we parked at the Lake Crescent Lodge and started there so we could spend some time at the beach afterwards.

11. Visit Madison Falls

Madison Falls is the perfect stop if you’re looking for a cool view with very little effort. This waterfall is just a short drive off the main road, and you can hike just 0.1 miles to see it. The waterfall is very beautiful and there are some cool roots and trees along the way as well.

If you’re not up for a hike, stop here to get your waterfall fix!

12. Play on the Driftwood at Ruby Beach

Let me preface this by saying, do NOT play on the driftwood near the water, rolling logs can be extremely dangerous and deadly. When I say play on the driftwood, you’ll know what I mean when you head to Ruby Beach! First, look at the view from the top of the path to see the beautiful beach below.

Then head down the short path to the beach and you’ll be greeted by a driftwood playground! There are so many fun driftwood forts, logs to climb over, and fun sticks to use as magic wands (or swords in our case). Our kids could have played here all day!

If you want to explore near the water, it will take a little bit of climbing over the wood to get there. This beach is not a great option for accessibility for strollers or wheelchairs. Also, make sure to check the tide schedule and visit at low tide if you want to be able to walk past the driftwood.

13. Explore the Hoh Rainforest

The Hoh Rainforest is an absolutely stunning display of mossy trees, lush greenery, and tons of banana slugs (a favorite of our kids!) The Hoh is a temperate rainforest that receives an average of 140 inches of rain every year. It’s one of those places that just feels like you’ve stepped into another world.

There are several hiking trails here including the popular Hall of Mosses Trail, a one way loop through some of the coolest trees you’ve ever seen.

If you are short on time, this is probably the stop I would recommend skipping for a couple reasons. It’s a pretty far drive to get there out of your way from most other things you’ll be doing. There is also a National Park entrance station which can cause major delays especially during peak times, so you may end up sitting in your car even longer.

If you do go to the Hoh Rainforest, make sure to visit during non-peak times and pack your patience! It’s a beautiful stop if you do have the extra time in your itinerary.

14. Spend Time in Forks, Washington

Did you watch or read Twilight as a teen? Then spending a little time in Forks might be something you should add to your itinerary. This moody little town was the setting for Twilight and after you spend a little time there you will know why! Here are a few stops you can make on your way through:

• Native to Twilight Gift Shop
• Longhouse Cafe (to try Indian tacos!)
• Fill up on gas – there aren’t many gas stations in the area once you leave town
• The Visitor Information Center to see character cutouts and Bella’s red truck

Outside of these stops, you’ll find fun themed coffee drinks or menu items at most of the places. There are several other Twilight stops you can make if you are really into getting the full experience!

15. Watch Surfers at Second Beach

Second Beach was our favorite beach of the trip. It does require a short 0.7 mile hike (one way) to reach the beach, but it’s totally worth the extra effort. Plus, the hike is really fun through the forest with some really unique trees.

Once you get to the beach, you’ll be greeted by beautiful rock formations and hopefully you’ll get to experience watching some of the locals surf. Second Beach was such a fun place to play with lots of open beach, and it’s one of the most beautiful placed we went on our Olympic National Park adventure. We also timed our trip with low tide and this was a great place to go tide pooling (more on that below!)

16. Look for Sea Creatures in the Tide Pools

Tide pooling is such a fun activity for both kids and adults. If you haven’t done it before, it’s basically exploring the shallow pools of water left behind during low tide – you can see starfish, snails, crabs, anemones and more.

If you want to experience the magic of tide pools you NEED to check the tide schedule. Make sure to time your trip to the beach during low tide. Depending on how low the tide gets that day, sometimes it’s still not low enough to see the tide pools on certain beaches. If you’re not familiar with tides and how to read the schedule charts, make sure to chat with a park ranger before going.

Places to go Tide Pooling in Olympic National Park:

• Second Beach
• Rialto Beach
• Kalaloch Beach
• Ruby Beach

17. Rent a Campervan

Olympic National Park is HUGE, so exploring the highlights of the park can be tough without either spending a lot of time driving, or packing up and moving places every night. We know from traveling with our little ones that neither of those options are great. Our solution? Rent a campervan so it’s your little house on wheels for the trip.

We explored with a roadsurfer campervan which you can rent in Seattle! Here is a link to our full review of our roadsurfer campervan.

18. Drive to the Big Cedar Tree Trail

This is another no hike highlight that is awesome for littles if you’re not interested in a long hike. This tree is definitely on the list of top 5 most impressive trees I’ve ever seen and it’s well worth a stop if you are in the Kalaloch area. The road to the path is a little rough, so drive REALLY slow or have a high clearance vehicle. Luckily it’s a short drive so we didn’t find it to be a big deal.

19. Visit the Town of Poulsbo (AKA Little Norway!)

Poulsbo is one of our favorite Washington towns and is worth spending a little time in if you are driving through. It’s a Scandinavian themed town that is super fun and we had a blast hanging out here with our kids. A few must do things? Check out the waterfront, hit up Sluys Bakery, and browse the bookstores. If you want to spend more time, here are 14 fun things to do in Poulsbo with kids!

20. Walk Along the Black Sand at Rialto Beach

If you’re looking for a unique beach in Olympic National Park, it’s definitely Rialto Beach! Most of the sand and rocks on this beach are black which makes for an even moodier Pacific Northwest vibe. The tide here felt extra dangerous when we were there, so I would recommend staying clear of the water with your little ones. In contrast to the black sand there were some really beautiful colorful rocks that I loved looking for.

Rialto Beach is also where you’ll find the Hole in the Wall hike. You’ll have to pay extra close attention to the tides, and because this walk is all along the beach, it feels even longer than a normal trail.

Map of Things to do in Olympic National Park