What to DoOlympic National Park
How Far Is Olympic National Park From Seattle?
Olympic National Park is across Puget Sound from Seattle. The ferry takes 30 to 35 minutes. NPS drive times, a one-day and two-day plan, camping and 2026 fees.
Olympic National Park
Rain forest, mountains and Pacific beaches on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, west of Seattle across Puget Sound.
From Seattle you cross Puget Sound on a Washington State Ferries boat. The Seattle to Bainbridge Island crossing takes about 35 minutes, and Edmonds to Kingston about 30 minutes. A car and driver costs $20.25 on both routes. Neither route takes reservations, so it is first come, first served.
The park has no single entrance. NPS drive times from Port Angeles are 45 minutes to Hurricane Ridge and 30 minutes to Lake Crescent. Sol Duc is 1 hour 15 minutes, and the Hoh Rain Forest is 2 hours 15 minutes. Entrance waits at the Hoh can reach 2 hours, and NPS says to arrive before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. The Hurricane Ridge lodge burned down in 2023, so there is no food or drinking water at the top.
NPS suggests Port Angeles as a base for Hurricane Ridge and Sol Duc, and a base near Forks for the Hoh. Rangers often suggest splitting your nights between the two sides. Entry is $30 per vehicle for 1 to 7 days in 2026, and the park does not take cash. Olympic is not on NPS's list of 11 parks with the extra $100 fee for non-US residents.
What to Do