A recent trip to Washington State offered me a first trip into Olympic National Park. It was all about the trees from my perspective. We were able to visit most of the northern and central hotspots–Hoh Rain Forest, Sol Duc Falls, Lake Crescent, Hurricane Ridge, Ruby Beach, the Tree of Life and Cape Flattery, which technically isn’t part of Olympic National Park. June Gloom was in full possession of the skies, so there was very little sunshine while we were there.
We stayed in a two person Airbnb cabin situated nicely on the northern perimeter of the park, enabling a sunrise trip to the Hoh Rain Forest, which was about an hour south. This is one spot where it’s highly recommended to arrive early.
On another morning, we knocked-off the most popular local hike before breakfast—Marymere Falls. Very pleasant short hike, which we followed with a lovely breakfast at Lake Crescent Lodge. I could spend some time here.
Regretfully, we weren’t able to visit Mount Rainier, but I did get to snap a few photos as I climbed Snoqualmie Pass, a short but intense hike with over 2,500 feet of elevation gain and a great view of Rainier. Thankfully, we had great weather for the hike. Getting back down this steep trail was hard enough in dry conditions. I’ve yet to get to Mt. Rainier or Mt. Hood when I was in the vicinity in recent years.
Cape Flattery was a surprising gem. It’s an interesting little trek out to the lookout after acquiring a recreational permit, as this area falls within Micah Tribal land. It is the furthest north, western point of the contiguous 48 states. This was also about an hour away from our rental cabin. Worked out perfectly and walked away with some interesting shots.
copyright Amy Linn Doherty
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Amy Linn Doherty 
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