Camping in the Olympic National Park

Jeremy and I LOVE the fall. It's one of our favorite seasons. And after getting married, we decided to go on an annual camping trip around the Columbus Day holiday. In years past, we've explored the Oregon Coast and Sandlake/Honeyman ATV parks; Long beach and Cape Disappointment; and Lake Quinault & Kalaloch.

This year, we decided to go to Sequim and Port Angeles. We camped in the Olympic National Park; at the base of the road to Hurricane Ridge. The camp ground was called Heart O' the Hills, and it was aptly named. We drove about 5 miles up into the hills from the Visitors Center to get there. It was BEAUTIFUL!! The fall colors along the road were glowing with pretty sunlight. The mossy trees were full of green. The campsites were a little smaller than we are used to in the State parks. But, we were able to find one that was close to the bathrooms and had plenty of room for us. Behind our campsite was a glorious natural playground. There were lots of downed trees and old growth forest for us to explore. It was perfect.

We spent 3 nights and 4 days in the area, cutting our trip short by just one night. We visited Hurricane Ridge, Sol Duc Hot springs, and the Dungeness/Sequim area. We cooked great meals, roasted marshmallows, and cuddled up under the covers at night. The only big blemish on the weekend was Jeremy's lumberjack accident. He was trying to split a branch from a fallen tree, when it snapped and sprang back up into his face. It hit him just above his eye, scraping and cutting the skin open. It also hit his nose and gave him a black eye. It was a scary moment for us, as we assessed the damage. The good news: his eye is fine and the rest of it will heal. No stitches needed. It was a good lesson for the whole family about safety.

I knew going out there, that it would be cold, especially at night. So, I packed lots of warm clothes and blankets for the family. However, it turned out to be A LOT colder than we expected. Clear nights in the mountain hills makes for some COLD sleeping experiences. Jeremy and I could handle it, but keeping the kids warm and happy proved to be more challenging. Derick was most affected, and was more verbal about it than Darla. After two freezing nights, and lots of whining, we stopped at a sporting goods store and purchased a portable heater. It took the brittle chill out of the air, which helped.

Overall, it was a fun trip. We got to see some amazing scenery. The views from Hurricane Ridge reminded us of Paradise on Mount Rainier. Beautiful. The Sol Duc hot springs was interesting, and it gave us a chance to shower and clean up-mid trip. We didn't spend alot of time at Dungeness, but decided we'd come back another time to explore it when our children were better hikers. Derick enjoyed our visit to the Olympic Game Farm alot. He kept asking to see more animals.




We look forward to making more camping memories and hopefully teaching our children about the beautiful area we get to call our home.