Mt. Storm King Hike

Another big hike was in the plans for our first full day in Olympic National Park: Mt. Storm King! This isn’t a “big hike” in length or duration (we weren’t aiming to do any multi-day treks), but it certainly is “big” in views and fun. The Mt. Storm King hike took us around 4 hours to complete round-trip, including a long leisurely lunch break enjoying the view at the top.

Mt. Storm King is a relentless slog of around 19-20 switchbacks, depending on how you count some of the small ones. It starts out sharing the way with the trail to Marymere Falls, and splits off to start the ascent. Certain sections are very steep and we were sliding around on loose stones underfoot, but I’m glad we didn’t bring hiking poles because of the rope sections. The rope section is part of an unmaintained “climber’s trail” so proceed at your own risk (but we felt safe the whole way). There are 5-6 sections of the trail with steep enough inclines and loose enough gravelly footing that safety ropes have been tied to trees to help keep you upright as you pass through. On your way up, you’ll see some gloves strewn on the floor near the first rope bit, and I highly recommend grabbing a pair to save your palms. The gloves were especially helpful on the way back down!

A short but steep rock scramble takes you to a peak with incredible panoramic views of the deep blue waters of Lake Crescent. We took the time to enjoy a picnic lunch of Alaskan salmon tacos, fending off (and feeding) hungry chipmunks on the peak.

Rialto Beach

Rialto Beach is my favorite kind of beach. The scene is just unreal. It isn’t a sunny Caribbean-vibe beach with fruity drinks — these Pacific Northwest beaches are so different. First of all, everything looks like a black and white photo. This is a black pebble beach where the mirror-smooth stones underfoot click and clack constantly with the movement of the surf. These higher pitched crackles mix in with a constant roar from the Pacific Ocean. Misty fog rises and falls, and a dark ominous wall of spruce trees sets the backdrop opposite the water. Absolutely gigantic drift logs litter the beach, giving rise to adult playgrounds of forts and campsites constructed from driftwood.

Of note, visitors used to be able to camp on the beach and use driftwood for firewood, but we saw signs saying that beach camping was no longer permitted. We ended up stealth camping in our camper van in the Rialto Beach parking lot.