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When visiting Olympic National Park, coming up the 101 from Oregon, the perfect little taste of the national park is Quinault Valley and Lake. And shoot, after visiting the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park, we found we enjoyed the Quinault Rainforest more!
In this post, we’ll be sharing our own experience in the Quinault Rainforest, as well as giving some traveler tips and good information for those wanting to travel there! Feel free to jump around this post with the links below to find what section best suits what you’re looking for!
Where Is The Quinault Rainforest?
Okay, so we left Oregon with the idea of getting as far north as we could before the weather started pushing us south again. But shoot, it was hot driving inland, and we hadn’t been to Olympic National Park, so we went there first.
The Quinault Rainforest is along the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington and is literally right on the edge of Olympic National Park. It’s just a few miles off Highway 101, making it the perfect place to spend some time outside the national park.
Where To Stay Near The Quinault Rainforest?
There are cabins, campgrounds, and even a lodge at the edge of Quinault Lake, but we opted for free camping instead. I’d say book well in advance if you want to stay on Quinault Lake, as there aren’t many options.
As for free camping, the options are really endless with the national forest roads nearby. To find a place that’s flat and available is another story!
After going about 45 minutes out of the way up a mountain road only to be left with nowhere flat spots to stay, we found the perfect place just off the highway, only about 10 minutes from the Quinault Rainforest Nature Trail.
These are the exact coordinates (47°25’29.1″N 123°53’22.6″W) for where we stayed, though, there are other places just down this road as well.
Please remember, if you choose to “wild camp” or “boondock” follow these simple rules, and leave the place better than you found it.
All About The Quinault Rainforest Nature Trail
Okay, this hike is one for the books. While it says it’s only a .5 mile loop, both our watches mapped it out at just over .75 miles. So maybe hike isn’t the right word.. Nevertheless, it’s gorgeous!
The Quinault Rainforest Nature Trail has information boards throughout the trail explaining the life found in the rainforest, and even how old and tall the trees are. There are enough of them to feed you all the information you need, while not too many, to where you just want to pass them by.
The trail isn’t paved or gravel (like the Hoh Rainforest Trail in Olympic National Park), which is a huge part of why we liked it waaaaaay better. It made us feel more connected to the nature surrounding us. Not to mention, the dirt ground is way prettier than grey gravel in our opinion!
Thankfully, there weren’t too many other people on the trail, as it’s not as popularized as the rainforest trails in the national park, so not only we were more connected to nature for just the trail’s sake, there wasn’t as much extra noise or people there just for the shots, like we experienced in the national park.
Honestly, we could have spent hours just meandering through the rainforest. Georgie was loving the hike, and we were just in awe of the rainforest altogether.
Can Pets Join On The Hike?
We were stoked to learn that pets are allowed on the hikes on the south side of Quinault Lake… The north side is part of the national park, where pets are not allowed on trails.
While we could have kept Georgie in the car, with lots of shade and low temps, we really wanted to take her with us. The trail was the perfect length for her.
We also came across a couple of dogs on the trail that seemed as happy as could be as well.
If visiting this area with pets, keep in mind, there are bears and cougars in the rainforest and the Olympic peninsula as a whole. For your pet’s safety as well as everyone else’s, be sure to keep them on a leash on the trails, and be mindful of letting them off leash in nature.
Who Can Hike The Quinault Rainforest Nature Trail?
We saw itty bitty kiddos, the elderly, and people of all shapes and sizes on the trail and parking lot. There’s a little elevation gain on the trail, however, not too much, and benches are placed perfectly along the trail for resting.
You do have to climb over roots and some steps, but nothing too strenuous. And, it’s a short hike, making it perfect for kids (and cats) to take on!
Other Hikes In The Area
A handful of hikes in the Quinault Lake area range from an easy, flat .3 mile hike to the “World’s Largest Sitka Spruce”, to multiple miles of hiking connecting trail after trail. The Pacific Ranger Station has an easy-to-read map with all the trails in the area labeled.
We hiked to “The World’s Largest Sitka Spruce” before hopping over to the other side of the lake to jump in the water.
Where Can I Swim At Quinault Lake?
South Shore Drive (on the southern side of the lake) is where the hikes and accommodations are located. And most of the accommodations as well as the campground on the south shore have access to the lake.
However, on the northern side, on North Shore Drive (fancy that name), is where there is day-use access to the lake with super clean water along the lake’s edge!
Keep in mind, North Shore Drive is actually the entrance to Olympic National Park. This means that pets are not allowed off leash and cannot go on any trails in the area (including the day-use swimming area).
July Creek is a day-use area with lake access, fire rings, picnic tables, and pit toilets. And honestly, the views of the lake are much better from this side, as the mountains looking southeast are the perfect background to the lake!
Do I Have To Pay For Parking?
To hike in the Quinault Rainforest, there is a $5 fee for parking. This fee is waived if you have the National Parks Pass. Which, if you don’t… it’s well worth the $80 annual fee!
Other than that, the parking was free at the other places we visited, and there is no entrance fee to this section of Olympic National Park.
Our Time On The Quinault Nature Trail
Pulling into the parking lot of the Quinault Rainforest, we were super stoked to find out that Georgie (our cat) could hike with us on the trails. We grabbed the camera, a long sleeve just in case, and harnessed and leashed Georgie Girl making our way to the trailhead.
The trail was perfect. Honestly, straight out of a dream. The lighting was perfect. There weren’t many other people on the trail. And, we were walking around in bliss that this was the life we had finally made the leap to take.
We couldn’t get over how cute Georgie was on the entire trail. And I still can’t get over that we are those people, walking our cat on a leash! Georgie was just as curious and excited as we were to be walking through the rainforest wonderland.
The Quinault Rainforest Nature Trail’s beauty was the Lord reminding us that we’re called to be outside. We thrive in nature. And while it’s not always easy + we’re not always showered and clean, the less stressful life on the road is just what we need.
Where Should I Go Next?
After visiting the Quinault Rainforest and Quinault Lake, head north to Kalaloch Rocks and Day Use for sunset. Be sure to check out the Tree of Life here as well.
There’s a campground at Kalaloch Rocks with both tent and full hook-up RV sites, however, we again opted to wild camp in the national forest in the area.
This road is where we found camping, and some of the spots at the beginning of the road had cell service, while where we stayed did not.
General Travel Resources
We’ve been traveling pretty regularly since getting married back in 2013. We’ve backpacked for six months in South America, moved to Scotland, traveled Europe in a campervan, and are now traveling in the states in our newest van build. This post is the start of many posts on the Olympic Peninsula and Washington as a whole. And while we’ll be linking those posts as they become live, here are some travel resources that may help in the meantime!
LEARN MORE | The BEST Apps For Road Trips and Vanlife
LEARN MORE | Our Tried and True Travel Accessories
SAVE MORE | How to Start Saving Hundreds Today
GET INSPIRED | Our $3,000 Campervan Build | No Need For Debt
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