Home to the quietest place in the lower 48 states and some of the most diverse landscapes, Olympic National Park is surely something special.
Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park, Washington
If you have not yet, go read my previous post about my trip to the Pacific Northwest and my time in Mount Rainier National Park, leading up to Olympic! Keep reading to hear about my experience in Olympic National Park.
Driving into Olympic National Park along the West Coast on the Pacific Ocean was therapeutic to say the least. Olympic National Park has such a wide variety of landscapes – waterfalls, rainforests, beaches, and more! There is no doubt in my mind that all of these combined are what have influenced me to declare Olympic as my favorite National Park.
Starting off strong, I went straight into the rainforest. The Hoh Rainforest is known to be one of the quietest places in the lower 48 states, and I was ready for the serenity it brought.
I quickly got comfortable with my camera, and I would say this is where I finally started getting good photos I was proud of. The first 2 days are always the hardest, and I had finally found my groove.
I spent probably 2 hours in the silence, looking at all the green around me (it’s my favorite color, what can I say). I stopped in the visitor center here for my second pin (!!) and headed north towards Sol Duc Falls.
Saying that I risked my life for the image above would be a bit of an exaggeration; however, I still put myself at risk for serious bodily harm. Anyone who has been to the falls knows that you have to consciously decide many times to walk into the stream of water that is the falls to get that shot, but I would do it again no doubt. There were a few of us who decided to try our hand at the shot, and I am happy to say that I am more than satisfied with my choice to be a slip away from definite danger.
Hiking out of the falls at dusk was beautiful, the sun hitting the scenery perfectly.
I paused at many moments to look around, take photos for others, and then also take photos of my own.
Another lesson I learned on this trip: midwest nice is always best. I was already pretty outgoing but being kind and starting conversations with others was honestly some of the best times of this trip.
After leaving Sol Duc Falls, I started heading to Rialto Beach as I would be staying in Mora Campground for the night. I knew I needed to get through the famous town of Forks quickly if I wanted to get sunset photos on the beach but I definitely needed gas first.
I made it to the coast with just enough time to spare, and I spent a good hour here. There was a hurricane hitting California this day, so the waves were insane on the beach. The sunset was also incredible, allowing me to fully relax myself in the time I sat here.
I have said it before and I will say it again – I will never get sick of the sky, ever. I believe that the universe uses it to communicate with us, we just have to pay attention.
After the sunset, I got to my campground, edited my photos, and went to bed. I woke up ready to rock at a shocking 5:00am, got ready, and went to leave but there was only a slight problem – my car would not start. Oops.
I waited probably 3 hours, you guessed it, editing photos, until I saw another person around the grounds. After getting over my ego and fear of murder, I very shyly asked him to please help me jump my car and low and behold, I was on my way shortly after.
I hit Seattle at noon, and I was majorly over it – the dead battery really put a damper on my mood. After grabbing a crappy hotel in Spokane, I went to bed expecting a grueling 18-hour drive home the next day.
To my surprise, I ended up just 5 hours away in Glacier National Park – read more here!
Taylor Kurer 