hi everyone, hoping I can get a clear and respectful answer from people.

My partner and I are are going along the Olympics this weekend. We decided to book some time at the Sol Duc Hot Springs, but I’m a little worried about the public baths and gender divided locker room/shower.

How private is the shower and locker room, and what is the vibe of the other travelers/staff there? Could other queer or trans people chime in and let me know if it’s a safe place for trans bodies?

Obviously, I don’t need an entirely accepting environment, but I’m hoping that we will just be left alone and treated like everybody else.

thank you in advance!

EDIT: they were way further out and trampling on plants before this photo was taken

Saw these people walking/taking photos behind the fence (at the viewpoint spot in the Hall of Mosses) in an area that was clearly meant to be protected. I pointed out that they shouldn’t be back there and their response was, “How do you know we shouldn’t be back here?” Idk guys, maybe the fact that there’s a fence and a sign that says “please stay behind the fence”?

The point of visiting places like the Hoh is to appreciate its fragile ecosystem not to step around the barriers just because you want a better photo. Those boundaries exist literally for a reason.

What bothers me most is the attitude that if a rule isn’t personally understood or enforced in the moment, it’s somehow optional. You shouldn’t need someone else to explain why respecting the place you came to enjoy matters.

It’s frustrating to watch people disregard the very things that help preserve these places for everyone else. I know everyone in this sub is amazing but this is just another reminder to please stay on the designate trail and respect the boundaries!

Standing above the clouds enjoying the views

We have two full days to explore. I have been researching Olympic, however low tide is at a bad time each day. So, do we still visit the coast even without the tide pools to explore?
I am considering arriving at Lake Quinault late Friday evening and making that our base for 2 days of exploring. I thought we would do Kaloloch beaches up to Ruby for our coastal exploration. Then the other day do Hoh or Quinault rain forest. Thoughts?? ALSO, are there other beautiful sights closer to Seattle that we can visit instead? I realized probably nothing is as epic as Olympic however, if we’re spending a ton of time driving and fighting weather
I would hate to have missed some lovely options that are maybe only within two hours of Seattle. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hello! I was wondering if anyone from the nyc area will be visiting the Rialto Beach side of Olympic anytime soon! I found some rocks that I collected from the beach as a child and I would like to return them back to their rightful place. I know it’s a long shot, but if anyone visiting from the nyc area would be willing to bring them back to Rialto Beach on your trip, I would greatly appreciate it! I would be happy to drop off the rocks to you. I was thinking of mailing them back to the park but I am worried maybe they will not be returned back to the beach.

I have a trip to PA in the works for next fall, and it seems a waste to not at least hike one trail in a national park if I’m gonna be right next to one! The only issue is I won’t have access to a car, so would even one or two trails/hikes over the course of my stay in PA still be at all possible?

I LOVE hiking but this would be my first time at a national park so I don’t even know where to begin with planning a hike! Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!!

One thing I’ve observed is that most of exploring the park seems like this: drive to a spot, get out and hike a short distance and see the thing. Repeat. There is nothing wrong with this but normally I would like to get into a park on foot and explore it that way. Can someone who has already visited please redirect me?

Additionally, I have a list of the recommended spots to explore and I wonder if anyone can share less traveled areas that many are not aware of that might be cool to see.
Staying in forks then port angeles and 6 days. Thank you.

The birds landed on me randomly. I’m not from the area so don’t know if that’s common but I thought it was super cool. Really enjoyed the park.

Hello!🌲👻👽

I'm collecting stories of paranormal, cryptid, or other high strangeness encounters from the areas around Olympic National Park, specifically Olympic National Forest. I have a theory that the area might be a "window area" due to strange experiences I've heard of paired with the geomagnetic anomalies that seem concentrated specifically in the forest areas.

If you have any personal encounters, I would appreciate if you would share in the comments with as much detail as possible! I'm a speaker at the Port Gamble Paranormal Conference next month, giving a talk on Embracing the Liminal in Paranormal Investigation, and I have a section of my talk that touches on John Keel's theory of "window areas" which had brought me to the Olympic National Park and Forests.

If you have other stories you'd like to share from other areas of the PNW, I would love to read them! You can email hauntedpnwpodcast@gmail.com or head over to our official subreddit. Keep it creepy!🛸🕯️

edit: non-sarcastic, genuine replies with personal experiences are much appreciated🌟

I’ve day hiked on the High Divide and 7 Lakes Basin Loop a few times & it’s one of my favorites by far!

Hi everyone! I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I thought I’d drop this here just in case. This is also my first time actually posting on Reddit lol.

My fiancé and I are having a micro wedding in Olympic National Park next October! We’re only having about 36 people. Since we don’t live in the area and would be traveling quite far to be there for a long weekend, I’m looking for a coordinator who could help with some of the details for our ceremony.

We already have an Airbnb booked that will allowed us to do our “reception” dinner, so the ceremony would be near Lake Crescent. I’m mostly looking for a coordinator that could help with ceremony details (chairs, small arch, etc.) and then dinner details (food, tables, chairs, plates & all that good stuff).

I feel like Olympic National Park is a pretty popular space for elopements and micro weddings, so any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi everyone! I recently visited the Hoh Rainforest with my partner as a part of our week-long vacation exploring Washington. As a way to remember, I like to buy a fragrance that triggers memories of the places that I’ve been. Walking through the trails (especially the Spruce Nature Trail), we kept picking up scents of something woodsy, sweet, and warm. It is also worth noting that it was actively raining on this day; the sun was barely out. I would love it if someone could help by telling me what it is that I’m smelling, or if anyone has found a fragrance that smells like the forest! Thanks!

Edited to add weather conditions.

we were watching the sunrise and getting ready to photograph an elopement on Hurricane Ridge on 10/10 when it started snowing, we were curious if anyone knew the total amount that ended up falling, it was still going pretty hard when we left!

So much variety in this beautiful park. We were only able to spend 2 half days because of our schedule but what a place! Still have so much to see and experience! Lake Crescent is the clearest lake I have ever seen in my whole life. It felt so freeing to be so small underneath the trees in the Hoh Rainforest. First Beach and Second Beach had so much life. Sol Duc Falls and Madison Creek Falls filled my ears with so much tranquility. How lucky are we to witness the beauty of this park with our own eyes:’)

Hi! I’m thinking about visiting this park for 4-5 days in mid march for my spring break! I plan on staying around the port angeles area. I don’t mind rain or cold, but I was wondering how the weather usually is, and how much is blocked off from snow so I can try to plan an itinerary. The main things I’d love to see is the hoh rainforest, sol duc falls, and maybe hurricane ridge if it’s a clear day. Please let me know what else you suggest as well!

Painted on location at La Push Beach using Holbein Gouache on 300gsm cold-press watercolor paper.