"Hurricane Ridge - spectacular views, meadow trails" Olympic National Park Things to Do Tip by glabah

If there is a single spot in the Olympic National Park that pretty much everyone visits, it is Hurricane Ridge. This is a good thing, because it offers visitors a spectacular view of the peaks of the mountain range. However, it is also bad because this has led to a huge expanse of parking lot in a place that really would have been better off left as a rare prestine alpine meadow. Yet, if it wern't for all the visitor traffic, Olympic National Park would have no real reason for existing, and so there must be a balance between the heavy tourist load the park must bear, and the wilderness that people come to see and experience.

And come they do. Hurricane Ridge has some of the most spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains that are easily accessible.

There are also a number of short and long trails that lead into the wilderness from here, including some gravel trails that go through the alpine meadows.

Don't miss the spectacular views that are also visible from the various viewpoints along the road up the hill from Port Angeles to Hurricane Ridge. Port Angeles is basically at sea level, while the visitors center at Hurricane Ridge is over 5,700 feet (1,700 meters) in elevation. Eagle Point (part of Hurricane Ridge) is at 6189 feet (1904 meters), though you can't drive there from the visitor's center. You ears will pop as you drive up the long winding hill, and on a clear day you will see tiny Port Angeles on the flat lands far below.

Looking south, you will be able to see an entire ridge of the highest peaks in the Olympic Mountains, including but not limited to:

McCartney Peak (2068 meters)
Mount Meany (2041 meters)
Mount Seattle (1904 meters)
West Peak of Mount Olympus (2428 meters)
(there are at least four major peaks of what is known as Mount Olympus)
Mount Ferry (1877 meters)

Sure, the Cascades are taller, but they are inland! The Olympics come right out of the Pacific Ocean for the most part, making the steep climb a spectacular one on a clear day.

The panorama from the top is a full 180 degrees. Hope for clear weather. The best thing to do is to do things at lower elevations, and keep your eyes on the summit of the Olympics. If you notice the clouds start to clear, head south of Port Angeles on the road to Hurricane Ridge. Maybe you will be lucky and the clouds will lift.

Directions: Go to Port Angeles on highway 101. Follow signs pointing south to Hurricane Ridge road. Pay entrance fee to enter Olympic National Park, or show your existing pass.
Website: http://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm