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Best Olympic National Park hiking

TIME : 2016/2/27 17:16:58

Ninety-five percent of the park is designated as wilderness. Here are our top picks to stepping foot into the wild by region:

LAKE CRESCENT
See the park’s old growth forest and 90-foot waterfall.

Marymere Falls. From the trailhead near Storm King Ranger Station, a .9 mile (one way) trail leads to a beautiful waterfall.

HURRICANE RIDGE
The Ridge offers amazing views of the Olympic Mountains and the Olympic Peninsula coastline.

Cirque Rim. Easy paved trail with view point of Port Angeles and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. .5 mile (one way), easy.

Hurricane Hill. Beginning at the end of Hurricane Ridge Road, this trail offers amazing views of the Olympic mountains. 3.2 miles, moderate.

HOH RAIN FOREST
See the home of a luxuriant array of mosses and lichens.

Hall of Mosses. This short easy trail loops through the Hoh Rain Forest. .8 miles, easy.

Spruce Nature Trail. Beginning at the visitor's center, this trail loops through Sitka spruce trees and the lush greens of an old-growth forest. 1.25 miles, easy.

QUINAULT VALLEY
Explore the wilderness of the Olympic Peninsula

Maple Glade Rain Forest Trail. Start at the trailhead at Quinault River Ranger Station and take this short trail, carpeted in green trail. .5 mile, easy.

For a complete list of day hikes and maps, see the National Park Service; nps.gov/olym.