Rain Forest to the Wild Coast: A Day at the Hoh and Rialto Beach

This is our big-adventure day: moss-draped rain forest in the morning, wild Pacific coast in the afternoon, and a cozy dinner back at the house. It's a long day in the car, about five hours of driving in total, but every hour of it is beautiful, and you'll see two completely different sides of Olympic National Park before sunset.

Old-growth rain forest on the Olympic Peninsula

The day at a glance: Sea to Summit charcuterie the night before → breakfast at Silver Lining Cafe → Hoh Rain Forest → picnic → Rialto Beach → Safeway → dinner in at the house.

The night before · Pick up a picnic at Sea to Summit

There aren't many places to eat out near the Hoh, so plan ahead. Sea to Summit Charcuterie Co at 525 E 8th St puts together beautiful boards and boxes of meats, cheeses and treats that travel well. Pick one up the afternoon before and keep it in the fridge at the house, then add fruit, bread and drinks.

Early morning · Breakfast at Silver Lining Cafe

Start with a warm breakfast at Silver Lining Cafe at 115 E Railroad Ave, right on the waterfront. Get coffee to go, fill your water bottles and hit the road. An early start is the secret to this whole day.

Morning · Drive to the Hoh Rain Forest

The drive is about two hours, west on Highway 101 past Lake Crescent and through Forks, then up the Hoh River Road. In summer the entrance line can be long by mid-morning, so arriving before 10 AM makes a real difference.

Mid-morning · Walk the Hall of Mosses

The Hoh is one of the largest temperate rain forests in the United States, and it feels like another world. Bigleaf maples are wrapped in thick green moss, ferns cover the forest floor and everything glows softly in the filtered light.

The Hall of Mosses, an easy 0.8-mile loop

• Hall of Mosses: about 0.8 miles on an easy loop, and the classic Hoh walk

• Spruce Nature Trail: a little over a mile, down to the milky, glacier-fed Hoh River

• Look for: Roosevelt elk, which often graze near the visitor center

Take your time. This is a place to walk slowly, look up and stay quiet for a minute.

Midday · Picnic in the forest

Spread out your Sea to Summit board at the picnic area near the visitor center before you head to the coast. It's the most memorable lunch spot of the trip.

Afternoon · Rialto Beach and Hole-in-the-Wall

From the Hoh, it's about an hour and 15 minutes to Rialto Beach near La Push. This is the wild Olympic coast at its best: enormous bleached driftwood logs, sea stacks rising out of the surf and waves crashing on smooth dark stones.

Sea stacks on the wild Olympic coast

• The walk: head north along the beach about 1.5 miles to Hole-in-the-Wall, a sea arch you can walk through at low tide

• Check the tides: plan to reach the arch around low tide, and never get cut off by the incoming water

• Stay safe: stay off the big drift logs near the water, as waves can shift them without warning

Late afternoon · Head home and grab groceries

The drive back to Port Angeles takes about an hour and a half. On your way into town, stop at Safeway (2709 E Highway 101 on the east side, or 110 E 3rd St downtown) for everything you need for an easy dinner in.

Our easy dinner-in list: fresh salmon or a rotisserie chicken, a bag of salad, good bread, pasta, and something sweet for dessert.

Evening · A cozy dinner at the house

After a long, salty, sandy day, nothing beats cooking a simple dinner in a big kitchen, opening a bottle of wine and sharing your favorite photos with everyone around the table. If no one feels like cooking, Kokopelli Grill downtown at 203 E Front St has a smoked salmon chowder that hits the spot.

What to pack for this day

• A rain jacket and waterproof shoes; it's called a rain forest for a reason

• Extra layers and a dry change of clothes for the drive home

• Your picnic, plenty of water and snacks

• A National Park pass for the Hoh entrance

• A printed or downloaded tide table and offline maps, since cell service is spotty

Café and restaurant hours shift with the seasons, so check before you head out. For roads and trails, check current Olympic National Park conditions or call the road and weather hotline at (360) 565-3131 before you go.

Planning your stay? See our homes in Port Angeles. We'd love to host you.

With warmth, Kim & Gavin