Parks and the outdoors in Port Angeles

10 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around Port Angeles.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

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Ediz Hook
A spit where visitors can stroll around the beach that overlooks the city on one side and Canada on the other. A spot for birdwatching and beachcombing. It's said that the beach contains some exotic stones and the luckiest can find sea glasses.
See
Elwha Valley
The Olympic Peninsula's largest watershed. Prior to the construction of two dams in the early 1900s, it was known for its impressive salmon returns. Today, the dams are gone, and the Elwha River is now one of the largest ecosystem restoration projects in National Park Service history. The Olympic Hot Springs Road and Whiskey Bend Road offer sightseeing opportunities through the valley's lowland and montane forests, as well as access to two picnic areas and a number of hiking trails. Stop to see Madison Creek Falls, a quick walk with superb views of the gushing Elwha River to the falls, with poems in between.
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Foothills Trails
An 11 mi trail system open to hikers, horseback riders, mountain bikers and motorcycles. There are picnic tables and an ATV loading ramp.
See
Hurricane Hill Trail
(3 mi round trip, 700 ft gain). A popular hike on a paved walkway to a high point with panoramic views of mountains and sea.
See
Hurricane Ridge
Follow the 17 mi road through the forest and up 5000 ft to the ridge that overlooks the rest of the Olympic Mountains, the most dramatic alpine views you can find in the park without mountain climbing. The historic visitor center burned down in 2023; in its place are several temporary facilities for information and gifts while the replacement gets built. From the parking lot are several short (less than 0.5 mi) trails through alpine meadows to additional viewpoints. Also has the only snow area in the mountain range where snowshoeing, skiing, and sledding can be safely done.
24-hour in summer, weekend weather permitting in winterPark pass required
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Lake Crescent
Pristine blue water of the former glacial lake meets the towering mountain ranges on the horizon. Various viewpoints available along the highway or stop by the Lake Crescent Lodge to play in it.
Free
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Lincoln Park
The unofficial city park, featuring a fishing pond, dog park, BMX track, ball field & disc golf. (Just don't mind the sometimes passing airplane noise.).
See
Olympic National Park Visitor Center
Main visitor center for Olympic National Park. There's only a small exhibit space, but a busy information desk with park staff is ready to help you plan your visit.
Daily 9AM-5PM, closed Thanksgiving and ChristmasFree
See
Port Angeles Fine Arts Center
Alongside paintings in the gallery, outdoor art pieces blend in with nature under a canopy of trees at the Webster's Woods Sculpture Park that surrounds the center.
Gallery Thu-Sun 11AM-5PM, Outdoors dawn to dusk dailyFree
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Salt Creek Recreation Area
A waterside park with a large campground and RV park. It's on the former site of Camp Hayden, a World War II military base, with some facilities dug into the hillside still intact. Tongue Point, the rocky outcropping to the west of the campground, has excellent tide pools during low tide. A short drive to the west are sandy beaches around the ghost town of Port Crescent.
Daily 8AM-8PM

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Port Angeles (CC BY-SA 4.0).