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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   3048 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for June 22, 2025

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Not to turn this into a travelogue with my fellow traveler heading to China later, but I’m heading to Washington State and the coast of Oregon in early October.

One full day at Olympic National Park coming from the north entrance (Port Charles or something?).

Five days on the coast of Oregon (Arch Cape?) - literally right on the beach.

And then like three hours south and inland for three days. (Scott’s Mills)

What should I and my wonderful wife do?

Specifically anything can’t miss in Olympic? It’s been a dream of mine to go there.

I like waterfalls and short hikes and maybe a brewery or two. I love scenic stuff and have never seen the fall.

Oregon: Ask the locals where the good tidepools are at! Washington has some, but there are some great ones in Oregon too, and poking sea anemones is never not fun. Also, dress WARM, and prepared for rain just in case. The beach is often cold (and windy), though not always; the water is always super-cold, wetsuit territory, suitable for "how long can you stay in" competitions. Kites are fun for the wind! And the scenery is pretty, and you can still do sand castle things if that's your jam. Speaking of wind, if you want to try wind or kite surfing and are in the right spot, the Columbia gorge has some of the best in the whole world, but there are a few places on the coast that do it too. And yeah, of course there are great hikes everywhere, including waterfalls.

I would just recommend you take your time travelling on highway 101, it's such a beautiful piece of the country. If you can swing it, I'd recommend not cutting through Portland and going the long way down 101 before heading east through Salem. Tillamook is a nice little afternoon getaway if you're big fans of dairy products, Astoria is a cute cozy little city, and the area around Tillamook Bay is wonderful (if a little touristy).

  • Hoh Rain Forest and the short hall-of-mosses hike is unmissable. If you had to pick one. It has to be this. There is no place in the US like Hoh-rain-forest. Olympic national park is massive.
  • My 2nd recommendation would be Hurricane Ridge and the Hurricane hill hike. Great drive, great views.
  • Rialto Beach-> Hole in the wall is the perfect long stroll. The day I was there, the Pacific was roaring. Gives you newfound respect for this behemoth of an ocean. No other Ocean compares to the Pacific. The hike doesn't end at any point. You can keep going forward, but be wary of the tides.
  • Cape Flattery is a nice short walk. The drive is amazing, if a bit out of the way. The views at Cape flattery are beautiful. And for cookie points, it's the lower-48's north western most point.
  • Mt. Storm king is a short but demanding hike. The views are unbeatable. The last section has ropes and is a bit vertigo inducing. Still recommend it. I generally love this area. There is kayaking near lake crescent. And Granny's cafe has good food, as does the lake crescent lodge.

Some tips:

There are nice waterfalls in Olympic, but Oregon has the best waterfalls in the country. So nothing I can recommend would impress (Solduc, Marymere). Definitely spend one day up the Columbia river in Oregon.

On the way down from the Olympic, stop by the world's largest Sikta Spurce and the Tree of life. They should be 5 minute stops each.

Don't stop by Forks, Washington. It was popularized by Twilight. I passed through it, and the town made me feel uneasy. It's probably safe, but has the air of a sad place that's been left behind.

Thank you so much!

Definitely gonna take the two hour trip to hall of mosses and then take the rest of the day to explore and work our way back it looks like!

For Hall of Mosses, remember to get there early. Parking can be tricky if you get there past 8-9 am.

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