Transfer to Lake Quinault. Mima Mounds; 1.5 miles, easy

From the meeting point in Seattle, you begin a scenic drive, enjoying picturesque views of the Olympics, Mount Rainier, and Seattle’s skyline. You soon travel into another landscape altogether; one with majestic forests of Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar. You stop en route to enjoy a picnic lunch and warm-up walk around the Mima Mounds Natural Preserve, where you explore the enigmatic prairie of six-foot-high mounds that cover the region.

The destination and home for the next two days is a stately lodge that has been a haven for hikers and fishermen since 1926. The lodge is surrounded by magnificent old-growth forest trails, should you decide to explore a bit before a welcome dinner in the hotel dining room.

Graves Creek to Pony Bridge and Quinault Valley; 5-8 miles, easy to moderate

Today’s walk begins at Graves Creek, where you ramble through a magnificent forest of giant firs and cedars, passing huckleberry bushes as well as queencup beadlilies and bunchberry dogwood. As you approach Pony Bridge, the river plunges through a narrow gorge walled by layers of slate and sandstone. Bring your camera, as you won’t want to miss this quintessential rainforest view with its dramatic play of light and cascading water.

You enjoy lunch by the tranquil waters of the river, which are an icy blue from sediment of glacial silt. After lunch, those with more energy can continue farther along the Quinault Valley marveling at the alder groves along the way.

Kalaloch to the Pacific Coast. Ruby Beach, 4-7 miles (tide dependent), easy

At Kalaloch, (pronounced CLAY-lock) you delight in your first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean on a walk to the beach. The coast, part of the Olympic National Park, is pristine and virtually undisturbed by the forces of man. If tides allow, you explore the tidal pools teeming with starfish and countless other species of intertidal invertebrates and algaes, and enjoy a picnic lunch on Ruby Beach. Fascinating sea-stack rock formations enhance the Pacific Ocean views. You may spot otters, eagles, seals, whales, and even follow deer tracks in the sand. This is also a prime spot for birding—keep an eye out for pelicans, cormorants, and oystercatchers along the way. Here, too, you can appreciate the wonder of the tides, which dramatically change the landscape as they ebb and flood by as much as 15 feet.

The Hoh River and Rainforest; 7-9 miles, easy; optional scenic raft trip on the Hoh River

This morning the walk descends a gently sloping trail lined with massive trees, through one of the only temperate-zone rainforests in the world. Other temperate rainforests can be found in Tasmania, Scotland, Japan, and on the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. The Hoh rainforest literally teems with life, even out of death; massive “nurse” logs of fallen trees serve as starting ground for new seedlings, nourishing them with nutrients and moisture as they decay. Moss drips from overhanging branches, and licorice ferns sprout from trees without ever reaching the ground.

Everything grows two to three times faster than on dry land; here, Sitka spruce grow to heights of 300 feet and as wide as 23 feet, and are considerably larger than in their Alaskan home and namesake. The meadows along the Hoh River are an excellent vantage point for spotting Roosevelt elk, particularly in the early morning, as well as colorful Harlequin ducks.

This afternoon you have the option to relax at your hotel or enjoy a scenic float on the Hoh River. Sightings of mergansers and river otters are common. You also pass by the homestead of John Huelsdonk, a legendary pioneer known as the “Iron Man of the Hoh.” The float ends in the beautiful Oxbow Canyon, lush with ferns.

Tonight, you are warm and dry in comfortable accommodations overlooking the Pacific.

Sol Duc Valley and Lake Crescent; 5-9 miles, easy to moderate

After breakfast you set out for the Sol Duc Valley, following a deeply wooded trail that leads to a scenic spot overlooking the cascading Sol Duc Falls. From here you may continue down Lover’s Lane, a romantic glade lined with virgin Douglas fir trees and a forest of western hemlock. Those looking for a more challenging walk may choose instead to continue to Deer Lake (elevation gain 1,700 feet), a lovely, subalpine lake surrounded by wildflowers, with views of snowy, backcountry peaks.

Afterward you move on to Lake Crescent, carved out of the mountains by glaciers. Eight and one-half miles long and over 600 feet deep, it is one of the largest in the park. Here, you stay at a famous lodge whose past guests include Franklin Roosevelt. Appropriately, he stayed here prior to negotiations that led to the creation of Olympic National Park.

Hurricane Ridge Trail; 3-8 miles, moderate

After a brief stop at a National Park Service Visitor Center, you head for Hurricane Ridge, just under a mile high. This morning, you can choose a steady climb along the Switchback Trail or along the Cirque Rim Trail; both trails have spectacular scenery. Covered with up to 20 feet of snow until spring, the branches of the subalpine fir are formed into “skirts,” with “wind-sculpted” trunks.

En route you stop for a picnic lunch surrounded by subalpine meadows. Because the Olympic Peninsula was isolated by glaciers 10,000 years ago, these meadows were also isolated—they now include endemic species of flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth, such as the Olympic Mountain daisy, Flett’s violet, and the Olympic marmot.

After lunch, you climb a gently ascending trail to Hurricane Hill (5,751 feet). Here, you take in the sweeping grandeur of the Olympic Mountain Range to the south, with the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island to the north. Massive peaks, one after another, form a striking skyline. According to Native American legends, these peaks were once a single, large mountain where the Thunderbird, creator of lightning and thunder, dwelled.

After this full day of walking, you begin the return trip to the lodge in anticipation of a hearty farewell meal.

Marymere Falls and Departure; 2 miles, easy to moderate

From Lake Crescent, a final, brief walk to Marymere Falls is a breathtaking farewell. The dramatic 90-foot plunge is named for Mary Alice Barnes, sister of Charles Barnes, a cartographer who produced the first map of the interior of the Olympic Peninsula on the famous, perilous Seattle Press expedition of 1889.

You depart for Seattle via the Bainbridge Ferry, stopping en route to enjoy a special lunch provided by your guides.