Visiting the Quinault Valley and Olympic National Park
Come spend 3 days exploring the Quinault Rainforest inside of Olympic National Park and all that it has to offer.
Day 1: Seattle to Lake Quinault Lodge
Olympic National Park has four major temperate rainforests, the Hoh, Quinault, Queets, and Bogchiel. The Quinault Rainforest is about 3 hours away from Seattle and offers much more solitude than the Hoh Rainforest.
The drive from Seattle to Lake Quinault Lodge is roughly 150 miles. Once you get past the bigger cities and onto the Olympic Peninsula, you can immediately feel the peace and quiet this region of Washington offers.
We pulled up to the historic Lake Quinault Lodge around 4 pm and got checked in. While checking in, they give you the tip to make reservations for the Roosevelt Dining Room if you plan to have dinner there since it can get busy. Easy enough, they got us in for a 6:30 pm reservation that first night, which gave us a few hours to settle in before dinner.
There are 4 sections of hotel rooms, and we were in the Fireplace Rooms, which had amazing views of Lake Quinault. We took in views of the lake from the balcony for a bit before walking over to dinner.
The Roosevelt Dining Room also has amazing views of the lake. We went with the King Salmon and Roosevelt's Pot Roast that night, and both dishes were delicious. After dinner, we took a short walk around the lodge and we called it a night. We were ready to rest up after our long day of driving and get ready for the next day's adventures!
Day 2: Exploring the Quinault Valley
We opted to go with the Rainforest Tour the lodge offers the next morning. We met up with the tour group in the lobby at 9 am, after a great breakfast in the Roosevelt Dining Room. Our tour guide, Cindy, gave us some history of the lodge before loading us up onto the tour bus to hit the road. The tour is about 4-5 hours.
Our first stop was the world’s largest Sitka Spruce Tree, which was just down the road from Lake Quinault Lodge. This tree is massive and so grand, standing 191' tall and 58’11” in circumference. It’s definitely a sight to see.
The tour continues with the scenic loop through Quinault Valley and Olympic National Park, with plenty of stops to sightsee and stretch your legs. We stopped in at the Quinault Rain Forest Ranger Station for a visit before having a picnic lunch at the Kestner Homestead, not far from the ranger station. After lunch, we took a ½ mile walk through Maple Glade Loop Trail with the group before heading back to the lodge.
After the tour, we went back to our room for a quick change, before walking down to the lake to go paddling. There is a rental booth that offers kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes. We opted for a canoe and paddled around taking in the beautiful scenery for a couple hours.
Pro tip: The water can be a lot calmer in the mornings compared to the afternoons on the lake, but no matter what time you paddle it will be gorgeous!
Once we were done with the canoe, we hung out in our room to rest a bit before heading back over to the Roosevelt Dining Room for dinner. We opted for the Duck and Butternut Ravioli, and again the food was amazing. After dinner, we considered going to the pool and sauna (they looked so inviting!) but decided we were too tired for a swim and went to bed after a long day of exploring.
Day 3: A Boat Ride on Lake Quinault
On our last day at Quinault, we grabbed breakfast at the Roosevelt Dining Room one last time before heading down to the lake for the boat tour. The boat tour felt a little more intimate since there were only 4 of us plus the captain. We could not have asked for better weather that day. We floated around the lake on a pontoon boat for a couple of hours, the captain pointing out Osprey nests and eagles perched up at the top of trees. It was a quiet, calm, and absolutely gorgeous morning to be out on the water.
After the tour, we loaded up the car, checked out, and decided to head back to the ranger station we visited the day before to hike the Kestner Homestead Trail, which was 1.3 miles, before hitting the road home.
If you’re looking to visit a stunning national park that’s a little less crowded, I would absolutely recommend checking out the Quinault area of Olympic National Park, and the Lake Quinault Lodge.
Until next time, Lake Quinault!
To follow along with more of Doris' adventures, follow her on Instagram at @DorisTheExplorist
We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
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