All 63 National Parks the Complete Travel Guide: First Edition

By Valerie F Pontiff

THERE IS NO BETTER WAY to enjoy the United States of America than to explore some of the country's 63 national parks. Journey to two parks above the Arctic Circle, three in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, eight on the Colorado Plateau, and many in the heartland and eastern forests. Valerie Pontiff presents a complete guide to the parks using a

• Language: English
• Publisher: Travel Writer, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9780578902500

Book preview

WASHINGTON

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK

You can count on my help in getting that national park, not only because we need it . . . but for a whole lot of young people who are going to come along in the next hundred years of America.

—President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on a 1937 visit to Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula near what is now Olympic National Park

KAYAKING ON CRESCENT LAKE, OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK

TRAVIS MANLEY/SHUTTERSTOCK

Washington State is home to two mountain ranges. The volcanic Cascade Range separates populous western Washington from its eastern agricultural region, while the smaller Olympic Range lies in the center of the Olympic Peninsula at the western edge of the state. Olympic National Park is centered on the Olympic Range but also includes a substantial portion of the coastline. The peninsula has a lot to offer—world-class peaks, low-elevation glaciers, spectacular rain forests, small villages, and pristine beaches on the its 73-mile west coast.

The illusive focal point of the nearly one-million-acre Olympic National Park is Mount Olympus at 7,979 feet. Home to the 2.6-mile-long Blue Glacier, and others like it, this is one of the most glaciated areas in the Lower 48. Mount Olympus is the center of the park, but surrounding mountains block visibility from Seattle, Tacoma, and even nearby Port Angeles. Instead, visit the park’s Hurricane Ridge area for views of Mount Olympus and much of the range. Named a national monument in 1909, President Franklin Roosevelt established the area as a national park in 1938. Today most of the park (95 percent) is wilderness area, including its major peaks and most of the coastline.

In the mid-1980s, the spotted owl was used as a catalyst for preserving old-growth rain forests. Ground zero for the preservation effort was the Olympic Peninsula, where clear cutting had decimated the old trees. Today about 3 percent of the original rain forest remains. Satellite images from 1984 to 2016 show substantial regrowth due to natural regeneration and intentional planting. Areas of the national park have hiking trails through some of the original rain forest, making this park special indeed.

SCHEDULING AND LODGING

Olympic National Park is about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Western Washington, which often remains cold and rainy through June, offers the perfect climate for the park’s four lush rain forests—Hoh, Quinault, Queets, and Bogachiel—as well as the many smaller rain forest areas in the park like those found in Sol Duc and Marymere Falls. Save yourself a muddy, cloudy vacation by waiting until July, August, or September to go to Olympic National Park.

Olympic National Park has five lodges and 14 campgrounds. In addition, the park offers extensive backcountry and beach camping via permit. The lodges include the Log Cabin Resort and Lake Crescent Lodge, Sol Duc Hot Springs Lodge, the Kalaloch Lodge on the Pacific Ocean, and the historic Lake Quinault Lodge. Associated campgrounds include Fairholme on Lake Crescent, Sol Duc, Kalaloch, and South Beach (in Kalaloch) and the Willaby, Falls Creek, and Gatton Creek Campgrounds on Lake Quinault. There are 10 additional campgrounds interspersed throughout the park that provide more private settings. All lodges have restaurants serving breakfast and dinner to guests and the general public. There are also markets at Lake Crescent, Kalaloch, and Quinault and grocery stores in Port Angeles and Forks.

A NOTE ABOUT BEACH CAMPING

The easiest beachfront lodging/camping is in Kalaloch, with a ranger station, market, restaurant, lodge, and two campgrounds. Unfortunately, Highway 101 runs along Kalaloch Beach, making it less peaceful than it would otherwise be. The gold coast of the Olympic Peninsula is quite a bit farther north, in the car-free Olympic National Wilderness area. If time permits, divert into the backcountry and hike the Shi Shi Beach Trail to Point of the Arches or the Lake Ozette Trail to Sand Point and Cape Alava. Though Olympic National Park is open year-round, all lodges are seasonal except Quinault Lodge (open year-round) and cabins at Lake Crescent Lodge, which are open during winter weekends. Serviced campgrounds are seasonal.

THE TRIP

Day 1: Start your visit in Port Angeles at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center. After getting oriented, buy lunch at a nearby grocery and head to one of the hearts of the park—Hurricane Ridge. The stunning Hurricane Ridge can be viewed from the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center viewing deck or from three trails uphill from the visitor center. The first of these is the paved Hurricane Ridge Nature Trail with both flat and steep sections that can be hiked together or in part. A short offshoot of this system is the High Ridge Trail providing sweeping almost 360-degree views at its peak. Hurricane Hill is the classic hike in this area, at 3 miles round trip with 800 feet of elevation gain. On a clear day the summit delivers views of the Olympic Range, Port Angeles, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands, and even Canada.

After your hike, drive an hour to Lake Crescent. From Lake Crescent Lodge enjoy the spectacular 1.7-mile round-trip level hike through a lush rain forest to Marymere Falls. Another wonderful way to explore the lake is to rent a canoe or kayak—available from both Lake Crescent Lodge and the Log Cabin Resort.

Day 2: Enjoy any remaining Lake Crescent activities before the 45-minute drive into the Sol Duc Rain Forest to the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. Make two stops along the way—the Salmon Cascades, where salmon may be seen migrating up the Sol Duc River, and the half-mile Ancient Groves Nature Trail, where some of the most spectacular rain forest trees are found. Once at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, hike one of the spectacular rain forest treks in the park—Lover’s Lane Loop. This 6-mile round trip hike with 600 feet of elevation gain leaves from the Sol Duc Resort via the Mink Lake Trail before it quickly cuts left to follow the Sol Duc River. Pass through old-growth hemlock, Douglas fir, and waterfalls at Canyon Creek to the apex of the loop—the beautiful Sol Duc Falls. After this relatively easy hike, veer onto the Mink Lake Trail for a 5-mile round-trip hike to the high mountain Mink Lake. End the day enjoying the hot-spring-fed and freshwater pools at the resort. The pools are open to the general public for a fee.

Day 3: After breakfast, pack your water shoes and drive about an hour and 15 minutes to Rialto Beach. Almost the entire west coastline of the Olympic Peninsula has been preserved as national park or wilderness area. Because much of the coastline is wilderness (no cars allowed), the Rialto section is somewhat unique in that it is both accessible by car and a good representation of the pristine Pacific Northwest coast. Endless sea creatures fill tidepools at low tide, and when the tide is in, visitors may glimpse sea lions, seals, and sea otters. Some beach enthusiasts prefer to veer south at the intersection with Mora Road and instead continue to La Push and Second Beach. This is a less family-friendly area, harder to reach, with rougher surf. But some consider it even more spectacular.

After a beach walk, head back to Forks and pick up lunch before traveling about an hour to the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center. From the visitor center, hike two short but lovely nature trails—Hall of Mosses at 1.1 miles and Spruce Bottom at 1.4 miles. Both are flat loops. The main hike in this area is the Hoh River Trail along the Hoh River and traveling to the Blue Glacier and Mount Olympus through the Hoh Rain Forest. This trek is 33 miles round trip and requires backcountry overnight permits. Hikers on the full 33-mile trek typically plan four nights in the backcountry. The start of this trail is spectacular, through the lush, dense Hoh Rain Forest and along the Hoh River. A half-day hike of three hours is enough to get a good feel of the splendor of this section of the park. When finished, drive an hour to Kalaloch Lodge or campgrounds for the evening.

Day 4: About a 10-minute drive north of Kalaloch is Ruby Beach. For more time on the Pacific Northwest coast, take a short detour to this pristine beach. Ruby Beach is a long, wide, fine-sand beach with a warm saltwater inlet perfect for peaceful swimming and wading. After the beach, drive about an hour southeast to the Lake Quinault area for a 5-mile hike through the Quinault Rain Forest. Before the hike, the Northshore Grocery in Quinault offers lunch and snacks.

Known as the Valley of the Rain Forest Giants, the Quinault Valley is home to some of the largest trees in the world. These include giant Sitka spruce and western red cedar as well as Douglas fir, Alaska yellow cedar, western hemlock, and mountain hemlock. The signature hike in the Quinault Rain Forest section of the Olympic National Park is the 26-mile round-trip Enchanted Valley hike. The hike’s first section, the Quinault River Pony Bridge Trail, is a wonderful way to be introduced to this special area. Take the South Shore Road to the Graves Creek Campground. Not far beyond is the East Fork Quinault River Trail to Pony Bridge. At 2.7 miles each way and with about 1,000 feet of elevation gain, this rewarding trail terminates just past the bridge at a backcountry campsite on the river—a perfect place for lunch. Head back and make your way to Lake Quinault Lodge or campgrounds. Spend the rest of the day relaxing on the lake. Kayaks and canoes are available for rent from the lodge.

See the appendix for useful lodging, camping, and activity contact information.

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK

The mountain receives our expressions and becomes part of us; we imprint our memories upon it . . . Mt. Rainier does not exist under our feet. Mt. Rainier lives in our minds."

—Bruce Barcott, The Measure of a Mountain: Beauty and Terror on Mount Rainier

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK

JOSHUA DRUDING/SHUTTERSTOCK

Established in 1899, Mount Rainier National Park is the fourth oldest national park, after Yellowstone, Sequoia, and Yosemite. Centered around the 14,410-foot stratovolcano Mount Rainier, with 25 named glaciers, the park is visually stunning. Though technically active, Mount Rainier has not erupted since the late 1800s. Spring runoff from abundant winter snows yields carpets of wildflowers by late June. Measuring 236,000 acres, 97 percent of the park is wilderness area.

Home to six native tribes, including the Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin Island, Muckleshoot, Yakama, and Cowlitz, the Mount Rainier area has a rich native history. The first non-native climber to summit Rainier was Philemon B. Van Trump in 1894. Along with John Muir and others, Van Trump promoted the area for conservation and was instrumental in Mount Rainier becoming a national park. At the same time, James Longmire was focused on recreation, promoting travel to his hot springs in what is now the Longmire historic area in the park’s southeast section. Even 120 years ago, there was tension between conservation and recreation.

This beautiful park is home to abundant wildlife, including rodents like marmots, ground squirrels, and pika, as well as elk, deer, and mountain goats. The famous 93-mile Wonderland Trail runs in a circle through the park, and the Pacific Crest Trail runs along its eastern border.

SCHEDULING AND LODGING

Though Rainier National Park is open year-round, the road to the main village of Paradise is only plowed on the weekends in the winter and the road to the smaller Sunrise is only open from July through early October. For residents of the Pacific Northwest, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the park in the winter. For those traveling, come in the summer or early fall. As to spring visits, be careful. Rainier has some of the highest snowfall in the Lower 48, at an average of 640 inches annually. Spring can deliver torrential runoffs, mud, and of course the classic Pacific Northwest sunless spring weather. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is two hours west of the