West Side of Olympic National Park

Our home 14-18 October 2025

We drove 98 miles from Chimacum Washington to Forks Washington on 14 October 2025.  We got set up and had our lunch by 1pm, so we ventured out to see the Hoh Rain Forest in the west end of Olympic National Park. We stopped at Peak 6 Adventure Store, a privately owned store/gift shop on the road to Hoh Rain Forest.  The lady there had lots of information about the area and she even knew where to see the Roosevelt elk.  There is a pasture field behind her store where they hang out sometimes and at the airport in Forks, which is just a couple of miles from our campground.  We did a couple of short hikes in the Hoh Rain Forest and then we drove to Ruby Beach to watch the sunset. After our hikes at Hoh Rain Forest, we stopped to use the restroom at Peak 6 Adventure Store.  There are clean porta potties outside toward the back of the store.  As we were leaving, lo and behold we saw a herd of elk in the field behind the store!  They were far away, but huge animals which appeared to be mostly cows.  Steve looked with the binoculars and saw that there were two males among the females.  The two males were laying on the ground back to back.  It was sort of funny to see, thinking they had negotiated their territories and were now overseeing them. 

Next we drove to Ruby Beach. Ruby Beach gets its name from the red sand in the rocks that can be seen at low tide. We were not there at low tide, but it was a clear evening, and the sunset was nice.  We got home after dark, which is unusual for us, but we wanted to start our site seeing right when we arrived to see as many points of interest before rain. 

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Hoh Rain Forest

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Hoh Rain Forest

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Hoh Rain Forest

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Hoh Rain Forest

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Hoh Rain Forest - Hall of Mosses Trail

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Hoh Rain Forest - Hall of Mosses Trail

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Hoh Rain Forest - Hall of Mosses Trail

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Hoh Rain Forest - Hall of Mosses Trail

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Hoh Rain Forest - Hall of Mosses Trail

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Hoh Rain Forest - Spruce Trail - Oxalis plant

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Hoh Rain Forest - Spruce Trail

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Hoh Rain Forest - Spruce Trail - Nurse Log

A nurse log is a fallen, decaying tree that serves as a nursery for new life in a forest ecosystem. It's quite fascinating!

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Ruby Beach

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Behind Peak 6 gift shop - Roosevelt Elk herd

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Ruby Beach

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Ruby Beach

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Ruby Beach

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Ruby Beach

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Ruby Beach

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Ruby Beach

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Ruby Beach

Olympic National Park - 14 October 2025

Ruby Beach

Wednesday 15 Oct, we got on the road a little before 8am to drive to Cape Flattery.  On the way, we took a peek at the airport for the Roosevelt elk.  No luck that morning but a frost! We drove the 50 miles to Cape Flattery and had to get a vehicle pass for the Makah Reservation.  It was $20 for the vehicle.  We did the hike to Cape Flattery which was pretty easy and about 1.8 miles round trip. There were quite a few people on the trail and the view was great.  We had our lunch in the truck when we got back and then drove out to see Lake Ozette.  There are only a couple of roads inside Olympic National Park to get to the points of interest, so we spent a lot of time driving.  We got home around 5pm and enjoyed a quiet evening at home. 

Olympic National Park - 15 October 2025

Sekiu Harbor

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery - These huge chairs are everywhere. We usually walk by, but Anita was waiting for Steve and decided to hop up on one...

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery Trail

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery Trail

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery Trail

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery Trail

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery Trail - Steve saw his first ever Harlequin duck here... it was a male

This picture is from the Internet...the one Steve saw wasn't close enough to show its colors...

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery Trail

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery Trail

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery Trail - Tatoosh Island & Lighthouse

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery Trail

Makah Indian Reservation - 15 October 2025

Cape Flattery Trail

Flattery Rocks enroute to Fish Hatchery - 15 October 2025

15 October 2025

Strait of Juan de Fuca - 15 October 2025

Sekiu Harbor - 15 October 2025

15 October 2025

Soil and Seal Rocks - Strait of Juan de Fuca - 15 October 2025

On Thursday 16 October we want to see Rialto Beach to hike to the Hole in the Wall.  The Hole in the Wall is only accessible when the tide is down.  Unfortunately the low tides were in the middle of the night the day we were there.   The tide was low enough for Steve to walk to where the ankle deep stream was located before the Hole in the Wall.  Loose sand and rocks are not friendly for Anita’s ankles so she found a log to sit on and watched the waves.  About 20 minutes after we had parted for Steve to keep walking, an announcement on a loud speaker was made and then an alarm sounded on the beach.  Anita couldn’t hear the announcement, so the alarm was disturbing to say the least.  Anita had no cell phone signal to call Steve as most people on the beach were getting off the beach.  A young couple asked Anita if she’d heard what the speaker said as they were going up and then a few minutes later they came back down to the beach to reassure Anita that it was just a test of the Tsunami warning system. 

After Rialto Beach we drove to La Push to check it out. We usually have our lunch with us on our exploring trips, but that day we didn't. We figured we'd be back home by lunch time or find a sandwich shop out in our travels. We drove around to see La Push and we happened upon two coyotes on this little spit of land. They were spooked by our truck and scurried into the woods, but we got to see them clearly. It was very unexpected because we were so close to water. La Push turned out to be more remote than we expected, but we came across a food truck on First Beach. Anita had a butterfly shrimp basket for $12.99! We had not seen such a great price since we've been in Washington! Steve had a clam basket for $12.99! It was delicious and we sat by a fire to enjoy our meals. That's what we love about our lifestyle. When we wake up each day, we have a loose plan about what we'd like to see that day but we really never know what surprise may be in store for us. Whether it's a breathtaking view, unexpectedly seeing two coyotes or a delicious meal in the middle of nowhere, we just love our lifestyle!

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach - Steve saw this dead sea otter on his walk...

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach - Ellen Creek

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach - Hole in the Wall ahead 0.6 miles

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

Rialto Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

La Push - First Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

La Push - First Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

La Push - First Beach - Coast Guard boat returning to harbor...

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

La Push - First Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

La Push - First Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

La Push - First Beach

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

La Push - First Beach

We had a great lunch at this food truck on the beach...

Olympic National Park - 16 October 2025

La Push - First Beach

Friday’s forecast said rain most of the day so we slept in and went out mid-morning in search of a pedicure.  We had no luck with that so we went to the Forks Timber Museum.  That turned out to be more interesting than we expected.  Between the 1950's and 1970's, Forks was the self-proclaimed logging capital of the world. We have found Washington to be beautiful with old growth trees and seemingly good management of the tree supplies. Many people have wood burning heat for their homes and there appears to be no shortage of wood for them nor for campfires, etc.

We took a walk around the campground after lunch and then just hung around at home. The weather was much better than predicted, so we enjoyed the sunny afternoon.

Forks Timber Museum - Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Forks Timber Museum - Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Roosevelt Elk bull - 2nd largest ever

Forks Timber Museum - Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Forks Timber Museum - Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Forks Timber Museum - Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Forks Timber Museum - Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Forks Timber Museum - Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Forks Timber Museum - Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Tree trunk felled with fire...

Forks Timber Museum - Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Upstairs at the Timber Museum they had miscellaneous antiques...

Forks Timber Museum - Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Upstairs at the Timber Museum they had miscellaneous antiques...Yikes!

Forks Timber Museum - Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Forks Timber Museum Grounds- Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Forks Timber Museum Grounds - Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

Forks Timber Museum Grounds- Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

An old hut carved out of a tree trunk...

Forks Timber Museum Grounds- Forks Washington - 18 October 2025

We didn't have any plans for Saturday. There was no Saturday mass in English, so we planned to attend the 8:30am mass at St. Anne Catholic Church in Forks, then hook up and drive back to Chimacum. Anita's VA/CMP appointment was on Monday the 20th outside of Seattle. We'll leave Washington in a couple of days to drive the Oregon Coast in short legs for 5 or 6 days. After church on Sunday when we were hooked up to leave we noticed that our back jack stand on the driver's side had not retracted, so we couldn't leave with it still down. Steve had to remove it which involved digging a hole under it and unbolting it in the rain. Then we could travel. We contacted the mobile RV Repair guy we had used for fixing our stove. He came right away to our site at the Escapees RV Park in Chimacum. He was not able to fix the problem, but he tested it electrically and ruled out that the problem is with the jack itself. He's a very honest and nice guy. He didn't even charge us for his time on a Sunday.

As I write this, we now have an appointment in Sequim WA on Thursday 23 Oct 2025 to address the jack stand issue, which could be a wiring harness or control panel. We're hoping the RV place has the part or can get it next day. Our plan is to leave Washington and drive the Oregon Coast in short legs to eventually reach Prospect Oregon on 28 October. I guess the pace of our drive down the Oregon Coast (about 330 miles) will be determined by how long our rig is in the shop.

In Prospect, we'll stay a week at Crater Lake RV Park and our good friends Darrell and Joanie will be meeting us to stay for 5 days! They'll be coming from Montana and taking a couple of days to drive to Prospect. We're looking forward to seeing that area in Oregon with Darrell and Joanie and catching up with them.

St. Anne Catholic Church - Forks Washington - 19 October 2025

Bulletin cover from St. Anne Catholic Church in Forks WA. Anita was confused about whether the name of the church is St. "Ann" or "Anne" since online is says Anne, but the hand made sign says Ann. Apparently the church graciously accepted the fruit of someone's misspelled hard work...

St. Anne Catholic Church - Forks Washington - 19 October 2025

St. Anne Catholic Church - Forks Washington - 19 October 2025

As we left Forks WA heading to Chimacum it was raining. We saw a herd of elk in a field and then the sun came out while it was still raining. We always look for a rainbow when that happens. We saw the rainbow that day over Crescent Lake and it felt like God letting us know He's still there even when s*%$ happens.

Forks WA on our drive from Forks to Chimacum Washington 19 October 2025

Our drive from Forks to Chimacum Washington 19 October 2025 - Rainbow over Crescent Lake

Our drive from Forks to Chimacum Washington 19 October 2025 - Rainbow over Crescent Lake

We had our lunch at this rest stop...

This post is coming from Chimacum WA. We took our truck on a ferry out of Kingston yesterday (20 Oct 2025) to Edmonds WA for Anita's appointment. It was the first time Anita remembers taking our truck on such a large ferry. There were multi levels on the ferry for vehicles and probably 150 vehicles being carried across Puget Sound. Two ferry boats cross Puget Sound every 30 minutes.

Next post will be from Oregon, God willing. We should know by then what the jack stand issue was and what it took to fix it.