The Gum Wall is a colourful and gloriously sticky Seattle landmark tucked in Post Alley beneath Pike Place Market where visitors have added chewing gum since the early 1990s.
4. Blog Title (catchy · 50 characters · mentions place and location) Stick Around: The Gum Wall of Seattle Awaits
The Gum Wall is a colourful and gloriously sticky Seattle landmark tucked in Post Alley beneath Pike Place Market where visitors have added chewing gum since the early 1990s.
Washington: Olympic National Park
🏕️ Tent Poles, Wal-Mart, and the Great Olympic Adventure Begins
We rolled into the Seattle area on a gloriously sunny summer’s afternoon, blinking in the unfamiliar brightness and feeling rather pleased with ourselves. The plan — and it really was a proper plan, written down and everything — was to spend two magnificent days exploring the Olympic Peninsula. We were going to camp under the stars, breathe in the crisp Pacific Northwest air, tramp through the famous Olympic mountains, and generally behave like people who are extremely comfortable in the outdoors.
The Olympic Peninsula, for those unfamiliar, is a remarkable chunk of Washington State that juts out into the Pacific like America forgot to tuck it in. It’s home to Olympic National Park, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, covering nearly a million acres of glacier-capped peaks, temperate rainforest — yes, a proper rainforest, in Washington — and wild, driftwood-strewn beaches. It is, in short, spectacular. We were very excited.
First things first: find the campsite and get organised. We had come well equipped, or so we thought. Two tents — one sensibly sized for the grown-ups, and a second for Jack and Emily. All very civilised. Except that when we pulled everything out, one tent was missing its poles entirely. Not a pole or two. All of them. Gone. Vanished. The tent in question had last been used by the children, and somewhere between its last outing and this particular sunny Tuesday in Washington State, the poles had simply ceased to exist.
Now, we do not operate a blame culture in the Hobbs household. We are mature, reasonable adults. It was clearly Jack’s fault.
Rather than spending the morning admiring the extraordinary scenery, we found ourselves admiring the tent aisle in Wal-Mart, which, it has to be said, is a rather different experience. Sam Walton opened his first Wal-Mart in Rogers, Arkansas, back in 1962, and the chain has been cheerfully bailing out disorganised campers ever since. We found a spacious, sensibly priced replacement tent that turned out to be considerably better than the one we’d originally planned to sleep in. Jack was forgiven. Camp was set up in no time. The adventure, finally, could begin.
🏔️ Hurricane Ridge
With the afternoon already getting away from us, we decided there was just enough time for a drive up into the mountains of the Olympic National Park to visit Hurricane Ridge — the viewpoint and visitor centre perched at the top of the range that looms over the peninsula.
We left behind the warm, sheltered calm of our campsite, which sits rather pleasantly at the foot of the mountains where they nudge up against the sea, and began the long, winding climb of several thousand feet to the ridge. The Olympic Mountains are no modest affair — this is serious terrain, the kind that makes your ears pop and your engine work for its living.
Arriving at Hurricane Ridge, we understood immediately how it got its name. The wind was not, strictly speaking, a hurricane — but it was doing a very convincing impression of one. It was also bracingly cold. Bracing being, of course, the English word for absolutely freezing.
From the National Park visitor centre, the views were genuinely spectacular — sweeping green meadows rolling away toward snow-capped peaks in the middle distance, the sort of scene that makes you briefly forget you can no longer feel your fingers. We were joined by a small herd of remarkably unbothered deer, who had clearly weighed up the options and decided the lush grass was considerably more interesting than the panorama. Fair enough, really.
A short walk along a trail over the crest of the ridge rewarded us with a view across Puget Sound all the way toward Vancouver in Canada. Despite it being the height of summer, there were still generous patches of snow clinging on up here — the mountains apparently not having received the memo about the season.
The wind eventually made the decision for us, and we retreated smartly into the visitor centre to watch a short film about the geology and ecology of the Olympic Mountain region. It was, as these things go, rather good. Then we made a brisk dash back to the car and headed down, gratefully, toward the calm and comparatively balmy sanctuary of our campsite.
🌿 Hoh Rainforest
We woke to one of those mornings that makes you question your life choices — grey, misty, and thoroughly uninspiring. Clouds sat low over the Olympic Peninsula like a damp blanket that someone had forgotten to collect from the washing line. Our plan for the day was to follow Route 101, one of America’s great coastal drives, sweeping around the western arm of the peninsula through the rugged heart of Olympic National Park. The park itself is a staggering 922,000 acres of wilderness, established back in 1938 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and it sits in the north-west corner of Washington State — about as far from a sunny holiday brochure as you can reasonably get.
We were heading for the Hoh Rainforest, which sits on the western slopes of the Olympic Mountains at an elevation of roughly 200 metres. This is, by any measure, one of the wettest corners of the United States, receiving somewhere between 140 and 170 inches of rain a year. That’s not a typo. One hundred and seventy inches. So yes, visiting on a cloudy, misty morning felt entirely on brand. The Hoh is one of only a handful of temperate rainforests in the entire world — most of them are here on the Pacific coast of North America, where the warm, moisture-laden air rolling in from the Pacific meets the cold wall of the Olympic Mountains and simply gives up, dumping everything it’s carrying.
As luck would have it, just as we closed in on our destination, the clouds parted and warm sunshine broke through. Most unusual in these parts, apparently. We were not complaining.
Our first stop was the National Park visitor centre — always a sensible move when you’re somewhere genuinely wild and unfamiliar. It was here that we encountered a sign posted by the Park Rangers, politely warning visitors that some of those who had got too close to the local Elk had been charged. I could only wonder — how much had they been charged? Five dollars? Ten? Has the world gone completely mad? Even the Elk had gone commercial. Anyway, once we’d had our chuckle, it was time for some serious tourism.
We were a little early for one of the Ranger-led tours, so we set off on a self-guided trail through the forest. By this point the sun was properly streaming through the canopy above us, lighting up the iridescent greens of the undergrowth in a way that made you feel like you’d wandered into a David Attenborough documentary. One of the most extraordinary things about this rainforest is the moss — thick, trailing, improbably lush, hanging off every branch and trunk like something draped there deliberately by a slightly eccentric set designer. Our path wound down to the Hoh River itself, which has spent the last few thousand years quietly carving out the valley to which this forest clings. Genuinely magical.
We made it back to the car with just enough time for a spot of lunch before the Ranger-led tour got underway. This took us along a different set of trails and was, frankly, worth every minute. The Ranger introduced us to the main tree species of the forest — the towering Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, Western hemlock, Western red cedar, black cottonwood, red alder, and the big leaf and vine maples. By the end of it, we could actually identify each one, which felt like a genuine achievement for a couple of chaps more accustomed to telling oak from beech and calling it a day.
The forest is dominated by conifers — the Douglas fir and Western hemlock in particular — with the cottonwoods taking hold in the wetter riparian zones along the creeks and rivers. There were, however, notable exceptions, where deciduous trees had fought hard for their patch and won. The finest example was a grove of big leaf maples, their broad canopy filtering the afternoon light into something soft and dappled on the forest floor below. The constant damp had allowed lichens and mosses to colonise every available surface, draping from the branches like fine lace shrouds. It was a place with a genuinely spiritual quality — the sort that even the most resolutely agnostic visitor would struggle to shrug off.
🪵 Ruby Beach – Where the Pacific Means Business
The weather had, rather remarkably, behaved itself throughout our entire visit to the Hoh Rainforest. Rain-free days in Olympic National Park are about as common as a British summer, so we were already feeling suspiciously lucky. Emboldened by our good fortune – and perhaps slightly deluded – we decided to push that luck a little further and head down to the coast.
A short drive south along US Route 101 brought us to Ruby Beach, one of the most dramatic stretches of coastline on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. The peninsula itself juts out into the Pacific like a defiant chin, and the coast here has been taking a battering from the ocean for millennia. Ruby Beach sits within the boundaries of Olympic National Park, which was established in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and is one of the most geologically and ecologically varied national parks in the United States – covering rainforest, alpine meadows, and a wild, untouched coastline all within the same park boundary. You’d be hard pressed to find anywhere quite like it.
What makes this stretch of coast so striking is the way the old-growth temperate rainforest comes right down to the cliff edges, which then drop away to the ocean below. These cliffs are made of relatively soft sedimentary rock – greywacke and shale mostly – and the winter storms that roll in off the Pacific are absolutely merciless. The waves generated by North Pacific storm systems can travel thousands of miles before slamming into this coastline with considerable enthusiasm, undercutting the cliffs and causing whole sections to collapse. When that happens, the trees that were standing on top go with them – straight into the ocean.
Those fallen trees don’t simply sink and disappear. Instead, they embark on a rather undignified career as driftwood. Stripped of their bark and foliage by the action of salt water and abrasion, they get tumbled and polished by the waves over months and years until they wash up on beaches like Ruby Beach as smooth, pale, often spectacularly twisted sculptures. Some of them are enormous – the towering Sitka spruces and western red cedars of the Pacific Northwest can reach 70 or 80 metres in height, and their trunks, even stripped bare, are impressively massive objects. Seeing one up close gives you a fairly humbling sense of scale.
Ruby Beach itself delivered rather brilliantly as a backdrop to all this. The shore was absolutely littered with these great silvery trunks, many of them piled up against each other by the waves in haphazard, monumental heaps – like some sort of giant’s game of pick-up sticks that had got badly out of hand. Sea stacks – those isolated columns of rock left behind as the cliffs erode – punctuate the view offshore, and the whole scene has a raw, end-of-the-world quality to it that you don’t really get on your average British beach.
We spent a good while wandering amongst the driftwood, which proved to be an inspired decision as far as Jack and Emily were concerned. Within approximately four minutes, they had transformed themselves into modern-day Robinson Crusoes – the fictional castaway marooned on a desert island in Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel, since you ask – and set about constructing shelters from the available timber with tremendous seriousness of purpose. This, as any parent will tell you, is parenting gold: the children are entertained, they’re not asking for snacks, and they’re not looking at a screen. We grownups were free to simply stand there, breathe in the salt air, and listen to the Pacific doing what it does best.
After an hour or so of this extremely civilised arrangement, the children had to be physically extracted from their construction projects – which had by then become quite elaborate, it must be said – and coaxed back to the car. Getting them away from those shelters was roughly as straightforward as negotiating a trade deal. We eventually made our way back north along the 101 to Port Angeles, tired, slightly windswept, and quietly pleased with ourselves.
Planning your visit to the Olympic National Park
📍 Location
Olympic National Park sits on the Olympic Peninsula in the north-western corner of Washington State, approximately three hours’ drive from Seattle. The park encompasses nearly one million acres, stretching from the glacier-capped peaks of the Olympic Mountains down through ancient temperate rainforests to 73 miles of wild Pacific coastline. Because the park wraps around the peninsula rather than following a single central road, visitors typically navigate between its four distinct regions — the northern highlands around Hurricane Ridge, the Sol Duc and Lake Crescent area, the rugged Pacific coast, and the lush western rainforest — by driving the loop of US Highway 101.
The main visitor centre is located at 3002 Mount Angeles Road, Port Angeles, WA 98362. Port Angeles serves as the primary gateway town and is where most first-time visitors begin their exploration.
🌲 About the Park
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve, Olympic National Park is one of the most biologically diverse places in North America. Within a single day, it is possible to hike past towering old-growth Douglas firs draped in moss, walk a wild driftwood-strewn beach, and look out over snow-capped alpine ridges — three entirely different worlds coexisting within the same park boundary.
The park is home to 60 named glaciers, more than 600 miles of trails, and a remarkable array of wildlife including Roosevelt elk, black bears, bald eagles, river otters, and mountain goats. Several species found here exist nowhere else on earth, a result of the peninsula’s long geographic isolation.
🏔️ Key Areas to Explore
Hurricane Ridge is the most visited area and arguably the easiest place to appreciate the grandeur of the Olympic Mountains. Located just 17 miles south of Port Angeles along a scenic mountain road, the ridge offers panoramic views stretching across alpine meadows, snow-capped peaks, and on clear days, Vancouver Island across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Hurricane Hill Trail (3.2 miles return) is suitable for families and rewards walkers with 360-degree summit views. In winter, the area becomes a hub for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
The Hoh Rain Forest on the park’s western side receives over 140 inches of rainfall each year, making it one of the few temperate rainforests in the world. Ancient Sitka spruce and big-leaf maple trees are smothered in club moss and ferns, creating an otherworldly, cathedral-like atmosphere. The Hall of Mosses Trail (under a mile) is a short, accessible walk that captures the essence of the forest, while longer routes follow the Hoh River deep into the wilderness.
The Pacific Coastline stretches for 73 miles of largely undeveloped shore. Ruby Beach dazzles with sea stacks, tide pools, and driftwood formations, while Rialto Beach offers access to the famous Hole-in-the-Wall natural sea arch at low tide. Shi Shi Beach, more remote and requiring a short hike through forest, rewards those who make the effort with dramatic views of the Point of Arches rock formations.
Lake Crescent is a strikingly clear glacial lake in the park’s north, ringed by forested mountains. The gentle lakeside trails are ideal for families, and the historic Lake Crescent Lodge, built in 1916, provides a charming base. Nearby, Sol Duc Valley offers hot springs, waterfalls, and some of the park’s best old-growth forest walking.
Lake Quinault, in the park’s south-west, is known as the southern gateway and is surrounded by lush rainforest, crystalline glacier-fed waters, and some of the world’s largest trees, including a record-breaking Sitka spruce. The 1926 Lake Quinault Lodge is a lovely place to stop for a meal or overnight stay.
🥾 Activities
Olympic National Park caters to an exceptionally wide range of interests and fitness levels. Hiking is the most popular activity, with trails ranging from gentle one-mile forest loops to multi-day backcountry routes through remote wilderness. Fishing is popular in the park’s many rivers and lakes, with freshwater fishing not requiring a Washington State licence (though salmon and steelhead require a catch record card). Kayaking, wildlife watching, tide-pooling, camping, and ranger-led interpretive programmes round out the options. In winter, Hurricane Ridge offers snowshoeing and skiing.
Visitors with dogs should note that pets are permitted in campgrounds, picnic areas, and along paved or dirt roads, but are not allowed on backcountry trails, interpretive walks, or in public buildings.
🏕️ Getting There and Getting Around
The park has no single central entrance and no road connecting all its regions. Most visitors base themselves in Port Angeles in the north, using it as a starting point for Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent before driving the loop of Highway 101 to access the coast and rainforest. Allow at least three to five days to visit the main highlights without feeling rushed. Cell phone reception is unreliable in wilderness areas, so downloading offline maps before arriving is strongly advised.
🕐 Opening Times
The park itself is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. However, many roads, campgrounds, and facilities open and close seasonally — Hurricane Ridge Road, for example, may be closed during winter storms or for maintenance. The main visitor centre in Port Angeles is open daily year-round (closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day), from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm in summer and 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in autumn and winter, though hours can vary. It is advisable to call ahead or check the park’s conditions page before visiting during the shoulder seasons.
💵 Entry Fees
All fees are quoted in US dollars and are valid for seven consecutive days from the date of purchase.
- Private vehicle (non-commercial): $30
- Motorcycle: $25
- Individual on foot or bicycle (aged 16 and over): $15
- Children aged 15 and under: Free
- Olympic Annual Pass: $55 (valid for 12 months from purchase)
- America the Beautiful Pass (all US national parks and federal recreation sites): $80 per year
Additional fees apply for camping, wilderness overnight permits ($7 per person per night), and commercial use. Free entrance days are offered several times a year on dates designated by the National Park Service — these waive entrance fees but do not cover camping or permit charges. Active-duty military personnel and their dependants receive free entry. An Access Pass is available for visitors with permanent disabilities.
Entry fees contribute directly to visitor facilities including trails, campgrounds, water systems, and visitor centres. Purchasing your pass inside the park means Olympic receives a larger share of the revenue.
📞 Contact Information
Visitor Information (general enquiries): 📞 (360) 565-3130
Wilderness Permits and Wilderness Information: 📞 (360) 565-3100, option 4
Road and Campground Hotline (current conditions): 📞 (360) 565-3131
Fax: (360) 565-3015
Mailing Address: 600 East Park Avenue, Port Angeles, WA 98362-6798
Email: General enquiries and wilderness backpacking questions can be submitted via the contact forms on the official NPS website.
🌐 Website
| Address: | 3002 Mt Angeles Rd, Port Angeles, WA |
| Website: | https://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm |
| Telephone: | T:(360) 565-3130 |
| Hours: | The Park is open all year around. The visitor centre opening hours vary by season. Check the Park website to get the current hours. |
| Admission Fees | Vehicle (Non-Commercial) – $30.00 Valid for seven consecutive days. Applies to private, non-commercial vehicles (15 passenger capacity or less). The pass covers all vehicle occupants. Motorcycle – $25.00 Valid for seven consecutive days. Fee admits one individual on a private, non-commercial motorcycle. Per Person and Bicyclists – $15.00 Valid for seven consecutive days. This fee admits one person without a vehicle, including hikers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Individuals fifteen years or younger are admitted free of charge. |
Best time to visit Washington State
Washington State is one of the most climatically diverse destinations in the United States, ranging from the rain-soaked rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula to the sun-baked vineyards of the Yakima Valley and the volcanic grandeur of Mount Rainier. The best time to visit depends entirely on what you hope to experience — and every season brings its own character.
🌸 Spring (March–May)
Spring arrives gradually in Washington, with coastal and lowland areas warming ahead of the mountains. The Skagit Valley erupts into colour with one of North America’s most spectacular tulip displays, drawing visitors from across the world each April. Cherry blossoms frame the Capitol Campus in Olympia, hiking trails in the foothills begin to open, and the crowds that dominate summer have not yet arrived.
Temperatures range from around 10°C on cool March mornings to a pleasant 18°C by late May. Rainfall is frequent, particularly in western Washington, so expect a mix of sunshine and showers. The Cascade and Olympic mountain passes may still carry snow well into April, limiting access to some higher trails.
Spring is an excellent time for wildlife spotting — grey whales migrate along the Pacific coast, and wildflowers carpet the meadows of the Columbia Hills. It is also shoulder season, meaning accommodation prices are lower and popular sites are blissfully uncrowded.
What to pack: Waterproof jacket, lightweight thermal base layers, walking boots with good grip, packable umbrella, quick-dry trousers, sunglasses, and a mid-layer fleece for cool evenings.
☀️ Summer (June–August)
Summer is Washington’s undisputed high season. Western Washington finally sheds its grey skies for weeks of reliably warm, dry sunshine — Seattle averages just one inch of rainfall across July and August. Temperatures on the coast and in the cities hover between 22°C and 28°C, whilst eastern Washington — particularly the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla — can push well above 32°C.
This is the prime season for outdoor adventure: hiking to glaciers on Mount Rainier, kayaking the San Juan Islands, cycling the Palouse, and exploring the North Cascades. Ferry queues are long, campsite reservations fill months in advance, and Olympic National Park sees its highest foot traffic. The trade-off for all that sunshine is planning and booking ahead — spontaneous travel in summer can be frustrating.
Festivals abound: Seafair in Seattle, the Bumbershoot music and arts festival, and dozens of farmers’ markets and outdoor concerts across the state make summer a culturally rich time to visit.
What to pack: Sunscreen (SPF 50+), wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, light breathable layers, sturdy hiking boots or trail shoes, a light waterproof for unexpected showers, reusable water bottle, and insect repellent for forested areas.
🍂 Autumn (September–November)
Autumn is arguably Washington’s most underrated season. September retains much of summer’s warmth whilst the crowds thin rapidly after Labour Day. The eastern slopes of the Cascades ignite in amber, russet, and gold; the Leavenworth valley — Washington’s Bavarian-themed mountain town — is particularly dramatic in October. Wine enthusiasts flock to Walla Walla, Yakima, and the Columbia Valley for harvest season, when many wineries open their doors for tastings and tours.
Temperatures begin to drop noticeably from October onwards, and rainfall increases across western Washington. By November, the mountains are receiving early snowfall and some higher trails close. Coastal towns grow quiet, offering a serene atmosphere for those who prefer solitude over sunshine.
Birdwatchers are rewarded with impressive migratory waterfowl arrivals at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and along the Columbia River. Mushroom foraging is also a beloved autumn pursuit in the Cascades’ forests.
What to pack: Warm mid-layers, a waterproof and windproof outer shell, scarf, light gloves, sturdy waterproof walking boots, warm hat, and a camera — the light in autumn is extraordinary.
❄️ Winter (December–February)
Winter transforms Washington into two very different destinations. In the mountains, resorts such as Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass, and Mission Ridge offer excellent downhill skiing and snowboarding, with the Cascades receiving heavy, reliable snowfall. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on trails around Snoqualmie Pass are popular weekend pursuits for Seattleites.
In the lowlands and cities, winter is mild by American standards — Seattle rarely sees prolonged freezing temperatures — but it is grey, wet, and persistently overcast. This is, however, an excellent time to enjoy the city’s world-class food and coffee culture, visit the Seattle Art Museum, or explore the Pike Place Market without the summer scrum. Hotel prices drop considerably, and the atmosphere in smaller towns takes on an unhurried, local character.
The Pacific coast in winter has a raw, dramatic beauty — storm-watching from the shores of Long Beach or the rocky headlands of Cape Flattery is a genuine experience, particularly during periods of high swell.
What to pack: Heavy insulated coat, thermal base layers, waterproof over-trousers, waterproof boots with ankle support, warm gloves, wool hat, merino wool socks, and — if heading to ski areas — appropriate ski or snowboard gear.
🗺️ Overall: The Best Time to Visit
For most visitors, late June through September offers the optimum balance of warm, dry weather, accessible trails, and full seasonal attractions — though it demands advance planning and comes at peak cost. Those seeking a quieter, more atmospheric experience should seriously consider September and early October, when summer’s warmth lingers, the foliage is magnificent, wine country is at its most animated, and the queues have largely dissolved. Travellers on a budget, or those drawn to skiing and snowshoeing, will find Washington equally rewarding in winter. The honest truth is that Washington State does not have a bad season — only different ones, each with its own distinct rewards for those willing to dress accordingly and embrace what the Pacific Northwest does best.
Where to stay near Olympic National Park
1. Kalaloch Lodge
Kalaloch Lodge sits on a bluff above the Pacific coast in the Olympic National Park, roughly 35 miles south of Forks. It has been running since 1926 and is one of the few places where you can stay right on this stretch of wild Washington coastline. The main lodge has rooms with ocean views, and there are also cabins and bluff cabins spread across the property, many of which can sleep families comfortably. The beach below is accessible directly from the grounds and is the kind of place where you find driftwood the size of tree trunks and tide pools worth exploring at low water. Facilities are straightforward — a restaurant, a small shop, and not much else — which suits the setting well. Wi-Fi is limited and the signal patchy, but that is not really the point. Kalaloch is best visited outside summer if you want to avoid the crowds.
2. Bond Ranch Retreat
3. Colette’s Bed & Breakfast
Colette’s Bed & Breakfast sits on a 10-acre oceanfront estate at 339 Finn Hall Rd, Port Angeles, on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula. The property has five guest suites, each with a king-sized bed, stone fireplace, two-person jacuzzi spa and direct views across the Strait of Juan de Fuca towards the San Juan Islands and British Columbia. Rooms have private entrances, furnished patios and iPod docking stations. The gardens — which featured on the cover of Fine Gardening magazine — include flower beds, towering cedars and evergreen forest. Each morning, guests are served a multi-course gourmet breakfast prepared with local Pacific Northwest ingredients. Electric bike rentals are available on site, giving easy access to the nearby Olympic Discovery Trail. The property is adults-only and has been featured in Sunset Magazine and Fodor’s. It is rated four stars and sits in the mid-to-upper price range. Check-in is from 4 pm and check-out by 11 am.
More to Explore
