Adventuring & Eloping in Olympic National Park
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about eloping or adventuring in and around the park. In the meantime here are a few of the questions we get asked most often.
Yes, the NPS does require a permit to have a ceremony inside of the park, and you can find out more directly from the NPS here. However, many areas of the Olympic Peninsula are actually outside of the national park and require no permits, feel free to ask us about your specific location!
Unlike Mt Rainier and it’s tight busy trails and delicate meadows, Olympic National Park, and the surrounding areas work great for groups up to 20-30 people. Obviously there are exceptions to this, but generally the park can be very accommodating to relatively larger group sizes.
Many of the best spots in the park are extremely easy access, only requiring a short walk from a nearby parking area. There are a handful of longer hikes in the park, but the majority of the park is very accessible.
Olympic National Park is stunning year round, Western Washingtons wet mild climate make the park a fantastic destination even in the winter when the ferns and moss are their most lush as the soak up the abundant rainfall. Of course being a temperate rainforest, the winters and falls can be decidedly wet, and require you bring your sense of adventure along for your wedding day.
The mountain tops and beaches in the park photograph best at sunset, but the lush rainforests can be stunning all day long.
Yes the towns of Forks, and especially Port Angeles have a ton to offer, and will ensure you never feel too far from the comforts of home.
Locations around the Olympic Peninsula
While not an exhaustive list, here are a few of our favorite general areas of the park with some more information.
Lake Crescent
Group Size: 4-15
Hikes: Easy
Time of Year: Year Round
Lake Crescent is a large glacial lake that spans a 10 mile stretch of beautiful highway 101 inside the park. There are numerous trails, and a beautiful national park lodge on the lake. The area is surrounded by temperate rainforest and massive ancient cedar and fir trees. The area around the lodge is particularly popular for elopements, and depending on the group size can be used with just the basic permit. For larger groups than approximately 15 we recommend reaching out to the lodge or nearby Nature Bridge for more information.
Crescent Beach
Group Size: 4-15
Hikes: Easy
Time of Year: Year Round
Not far from Lake Crescent, as the name might suggest, Crescent Beach within the Salt Water Creek Recreation area is a stunning beach and bluff featuring the closest sea stack to the Seattle area. The beach is an amazing choice if you want to bring pets along, or just don’t want to deal with the extra hour of driving out to the Pacific coast. It’s not just about convenience though as Crescent Beach has a ton to offer, and is one of our favorite spots in the state. The big catch is that you pretty much have to pick a day where low tide and sunset correspond as the beach goes completely underwater during high tide.
Deer Park
Group Size: 4-15
Hikes: Easy to Moderate
Time of Year: June – October
Deer Park is one of our absolute favorite spots, it offers a very unique experience on the peninsula featuring a rugged mountainous landscape and almost arid Colorado like fauna that glows a beautiful warm hue at sunset. The mountain views are about as good as it gets, and the peacefulness and seclusion are hard to beat for being so close to a trail head. That said, the road to the top is not for the faint of heart as it is a long 45 minute drive up a windy gravel road that is often too narrow for two cars. While not a technical drive, we wouldn’t recommend making too many of your closest family and friends endure it, especially if they are prone to car sickness or a fear of heights.
Hurricane Ridge
Group Size: 4-12
Hikes: Easy to Moderate
Time of Year: May – October
The tamed version of Deer Park, Hurricane Ridge offers some of the best mountain views you can get in Washington. The area offers great sunset views from 4000ft up in the Olympic Mountains, and a few fun trail heads to explore. A large paved parking area, and a few paved trails make this a very accessible location that anyone in your group should be able to enjoy. Hurricane Ridge, can have very temperamental weather though, and YMMV depending on the time of year you choose.
Hoh Rainforest
Group Size: 4-10
Hikes: Easy to Moderate
Time of Year: July – October
The only temperate rainforest in the continental United States, the Hoh Rainforest is a truly otherworldly location. Your perception of the color green will be forever altered after a visit to this amazing spot, the Hoh is broken up into a few areas of the park, and while only one park entrance is technically called the “Hoh Rainforest”, many areas of the park touch the rainforest, or offer the same experience. If you love big trees, the planet Endor, moss and ferns, or water then you will absolutely love eloping in the forests of the Olympic Peninsula.
Pacific Beaches
Group Size: 4-30
Hikes: Easy to Moderate
Time of Year: July – October
The Pacific Beaches that stretch from southern Washington all the way to Cape Flattery in the north are all worth their own paragraphs. However, if the idea of towering sea stacks, coastal rainforests, driftwood the size of your car, cool misty breezes coming off the Pacific, and stunning sunsets are your vibe then we can help you choose the perfect Pacific Beach for any size group. You can’t go wrong choosing on the beaches, and they often pair really well with another location on the peninsula.