Hiking Washington's Olympic National Park and Mt Rainier

After this morning’s Welcome Meeting, take a scenic drive to the Olympic Peninsula and hike along the alpine wonderland of Hurricane Ridge where we’ll look across the Straits of Juan de Fuca to Vancouver Island and beyond. After plenty of playtime in these extraordinary mountains, drive back down to sea level and to your accommodation at a century-old hotel filled with charm and history. Showers and beds await, as well as opportunities for shorter hikes just outside the back door. Or you can lounge around, chat with your fellow travellers, and enjoy the lakefront views. Weather permitting, you will enjoy an outdoor dinner on the shore of Lake Crescent tonight.

It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting this morning as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or Intrepid know.

After breakfast prepared by your guide, head west towards Neah Bah and the Makah Reservation where we will descend through coastal forests for two miles until you reach the pounding waves, rugged cliffs, tidal pools, and towering sea stacks at Shi Shi Beach. Soak up sweeping views of the Pacific coastline before you continue south towards the iconic Point of Arches where you’ll enjoy a gourmet beach lunch before the drive back to our accommodation. Along the way, stop by the famous Makah Museum and learn more about the cultural history of the Makah people. Tonight you will enjoy a wonderful restaurant dinner as a group.

After breakfast, drive southwest towards the famous Hoh Rainforest, one of the nation’s largest temperate rainforests where you will see ancient towering trees, moss-draped nurse logs, incredible biodiversity, and abundant wildlife. From here, hike up the wild Hoh River and explore all that the rainforest has to offer. Elk, deer, black bears, bald eagles, and more await you at this incredible ecosystem. When you've had your fill of hiking, drive to Kalaloch Lodge, right on the Pacific coast and fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach.

After breakfast, travel from the Olympic Peninsula to the Cascades and Mount Rainier where you will explore shimmering alpine lakes, fields of wildflowers, and tumbling waterfalls on the shoulders of North America’s most famous volcano. Start your hike near scenic Narada Falls then hike past famous, beautiful Reflection Lakes, aptly named for their stunning mirror image reflection of Mount Rainier. After your hike, check into your next historic hotel with the option to stroll down the Wonderland Trail just outside the door, or to relax on the veranda with views of Mount Rainier. After a delicious dinner, you will have time to gaze at the stars or take in a ranger talk at Longmire or Paradise.

After breakfast, explore the famous Paradise Meadows of Mt. Rainier, a sub-alpine wonderland of flowers, then head up the Skyline Trail towards Glacier Vista, with its panoramic views of the Nisqually Glacier. Keep an eye out for marmots, pikas, and mountain goats while you soak in views of Mt. Rainier and possibly even Mount Hood, Mount St Helens, and Mount Adams, three of the other major stratovolcanoes in the Cascades range. The Paradise area of Mt. Rainier is full of human history, and you'll have a chance to learn about it at Paradise Lodge and the Visitors’ Centre before you return to your accommodation.

Your final day takes you up past torrential waterfalls and a beautiful creek, ending by the magnificent 100 metre drop of Comet Falls. Delicate ferns and subalpine plants, cooling water spray, and polished rock set the scene on this short but steep trail to one of Rainier’s lesser known highlights. Those feel bolder can continue up and onwards towards Van Trump Park, a beautiful alpine meadow filled with flowers and open vistas. Enjoy a final picnic lunch while keeping an eye out for any last wildlife sightings, then drive back to Olympia where your trip will come to an end.