If you’re looking for an adventurous and underrated honeymoon destination, consider heading to Olympic National Park in Washington. The park is home to a wide variety of landscapes, including rain forests, mountains, crystal blue lakes, and the coast. It’s the perfect honeymoon destination if you’re looking to connect with nature and your partner. And don’t worry, you don’t need to be a Twilight fan to enjoy an Olympic National Park honeymoon (although it certainly helps).
My husband, William, and I got married on the shore of Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park on September 22, 2022. Since we had already traveled to Washington for the wedding, we decided to stay in the area for a few days afterwards for an adventurous and outdoorsy honeymoon. This post shares our itinerary from our Olympic National Park honeymoon, including where we stayed and all of the activities that we did during our trip.
When to Plan an Olympic National Park Honeymoon
For the purposes of this itinerary, summer and fall are the best times of year to plan an Olympic National Park Honeymoon. Part of the itinerary includes a backpacking trip in the Olympic mountains that is only accessible from roughly July-early October. If you’re not interested in heading into the mountains, lower-elevation areas in Olympic National Park are accessible year-round.
You’ll find the nicest weather in Olympic National Park during the summer and early fall, but the area is known for its foggy weather. While you can (and should) go to the beach during your Olympic National park honeymoon, it’s certainly not a tropical beach vacation. With that said, the moody weather sets a romantic vibe that is perfect for cuddling up with your new spouse.
Olympic National Park Honeymoon Itinerary
Day 1: Olympic National Park Honeymoon
Quick Overview:
Where to Stay: Kalaloch Lodge
What to Do:
- Visit Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park
- Hike the Spruce Rail Trail
- Travel to Forks, Washington
- See Big Cedar tree
- Sunset on the beach
Lake Crescent
Since my husband and I got married in Olympic National Park, our honeymoon technically began as soon as we checked out of our Airbnb the morning after our wedding. We had stayed at a cabin on Lake Crescent, so after checking out we went over to the Spruce Rail Trail for a quick hike with our family to Devil’s Punchbowl. This is an easy, dog-friendly trail, so it was the perfect last-minute hike before dropping our dog, Becket, off at a pet-sitter in Port Angeles.
Once we said goodbye to our families, William and I began the drive from Port Angeles to the southern Olympic Peninsula. After driving through Forks we saw a sign on the highway that simply said “BIG CEDAR TREE,” so we obviously had to stop. William is a professional arborist and ardent tree lover, which heavily weighed into our decision to get married in Olympic National Park in the first place.
A short side road led us to a parking lot with a trail leading from it. The trail was wide and well-maintained, and meandered through a grove of old-growth forest that managed to survive the local logging boom in the early 20th century. It was drizzling, so we didn’t stay very long but William got in his big tree fix for the day.
Kalaloch Lodge
After our short excursion we continued driving to our accommodations for the night. We stayed at the Kalaloch Lodge during the first two nights of our honeymoon. We made last-minute reservations through hotels.com, which saved us around $100 per night vs. booking directly through the hotel. Our rustic-style log cabin had ocean views, a full kitchen, wood-burning stove, and 2 queen beds for about $250 per night. The cabin was cozy, clean, and the perfect romantic getaway.
We had a ton of leftovers from our wedding, so we didn’t have an opportunity to eat at the restaurant in the Kalaloch Lodge. However, it serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has a beautiful view of the ocean from the dining room.
Day 2: Olympic National Park Honeymoon
Quick Overview:
Where to Stay: Kalaloch Lodge
What to Do:
- Visit the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park
- Hike the Hoh River Trail
- Visit La Push Beach
- Sunset on the beach
Hoh Rain Forest
We woke up early on the second day of our Olympic National Park honeymoon to head to the Hoh Rain Forest. This is a popular area of Olympic National Park and has limited parking, so the National Park Service meters entry once parking is full. This can result in 2-3+ hour long waits to enter the park during peak season.
We entered the park around 7:30 am and had no trouble finding parking in the main parking lot at the Hoh Visitor Center. It happened to be National Public Lands Day when we visited, so entry into the park was free. Normally, entry into Olympic National Park is $30/vehicle (good up to 7 days) or you can use an America the Beautiful or other federal recreation pass.
The main trail in the Hoh Rain Forest is the Hoh River Trail. The trail weaves through the rain forest past towering moss covered trees and gigantic ferns alongside the Hoh River. The entire trail is very long and takes hikers deep into the backcountry of Olympic National Park. You can hike out and back as far as you’d like. We hiked just shy of 5 miles into the trail to a trio of towering red cedar trees.
La Push
After our hike we stopped by the Visitor Center for some souvenirs, then hit the road to head to La Push (La Push baby, it’s La Push…). We debated stopping in Forks on our way out, but the small town was swarming with people, so we just drove through. There are a lot of Twilight attractions in town, so it’s worth making a stop if you’re a fan, but you may find yourself waiting in lines.
There are 3 beaches at La Push located on the Quileute Reservation. Be sure to respect tribal laws and customs while visiting. We walked along Third Beach and watched surfers taking advantage of the waves along the rocky coast.
After our beach adventure we went on a scenic drive back to our cabin. We ended the day with another sunset walk on the beach outside of the Kalaloch Lodge. We lucked out with a gorgeous sunset this evening, which was the perfect end to the day.
Days 3-5: Olympic National Park Honeymoon
Quick Overview:
Where to Stay:
Nights 3-4: Olympic National Park Backcountry
Night 5: Sol Duc Lodge, Sol Duc Campground, Lake Crescent Lodge
What to Do:
- Backpacking the Seven Lakes Basin & High Divide Trail
- Soaking at Sol Duc Hot Springs
Backpacking in Olympic National Park
The second portion of our honeymoon in Olympic National Park was a bucket list backpacking trip in the Olympic mountains along the Seven Lakes Basin & High Divide Trail. This is one of the most popular backpacking routes in the park and advanced permits are required. Backcountry permits for Olympic National Park go on sale on April 15th at 7am PST on recreation.gov.
The Seven Lakes Basin & High Divide Trail is roughly 21 miles with 4,000 ft. of elevation gain. It can be completed in one or two nights. The trail takes you through the forest before climbing onto a ridgeline with breathtaking views of the Olympic mountains and a basin of alpine lakes before looping back down to the trailhead.
Read my Seven Lakes Basin & High Divide Trail trip report.
Sol Duc Hot Springs
After our backpacking trip we spent the night at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. It’s right down the road from the Sol Duc trailhead and we figured what’s better after 3 days in the backcountry than soaking in a hot spring?!
We enjoyed our soaking experience at the hot spring despite the main pool being closed. The locker rooms and showers were recently renovated and very clean. Unfortunately, our cabin at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort wasn’t quite as nice (although the service was amazing), but the convenience of staying at the lodge was worth it for a night. However, in the future I would opt to stay at the Lake Crescent Lodge, which is about 40 minutes away.
I hope this article helped you find inspiration for your Olympic National Park honeymoon. If you have more time on the Olympic Peninsula, there are plenty of other hikes and places to see in the area, including Hurricane Ridge, Cape Flattery, and Ruby Beach. You can really pack as much or as little as you want into your itinerary, which is why Olympic National Park is such a great honeymoon destination.
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