Olympic National Park: The Best Campgrounds, Activities, and Hidden Gems (w/ RV Out West)

On this week’s episode of The RV Atlas Podcast, we return to one of our all-time favorite national parks: Olympic National Park.
Joining us is Brooks Smothers, host of the outstanding RV Out West podcast, for an in-depth guide to exploring one of the most diverse and awe-inspiring national parks in America. Brooks has spent years camping and hiking throughout the Pacific Northwest, and he shares many of his favorite places to visit, camp, and explore throughout Olympic National Park and just beyond it.
This episode is packed with practical advice, hidden gems, scenic hikes, beautiful campgrounds, and fascinating stories that will inspire you to start planning your own Olympic National Park adventure.
Whether you’re visiting for the first time or planning a return trip, Olympic National Park offers an incredible mix of mountains, temperate rainforest, alpine lakes, rugged coastline, wildlife, and unforgettable camping experiences.
To listen to our interview with Brooks please click on the media player above–or subscribe to the RV Atlas wherever you get your favorite podcasts!
Why Olympic National Park Is Unlike Any Other National Park
Olympic National Park is enormous.
Unlike many western national parks, you can’t simply drive through it from one side to the other. Instead, visitors explore different sections individually, driving around the park’s perimeter to reach each region.
For this episode, Brooks divided the park into two major areas:
The northern section around Port Angeles
The Pacific Coast section
Together, these two regions showcase the incredible diversity that makes Olympic one of America’s most unique national parks.
One of the most fascinating facts Brooks shared is that Olympic contains one of the world’s few temperate rainforests.
There are only seven to ten temperate rainforests on Earth, covering roughly one percent of the planet’s forests, making Olympic National Park a remarkably rare ecosystem.
The Rain Shadow: One of Washington’s Best-Kept Secrets
One surprising feature of Olympic National Park is something known as the rain shadow.
While much of western Washington has a reputation for frequent rain, communities like Port Angeles and Sequim receive significantly less rainfall because the Olympic Mountains block much of the Pacific moisture.
The result is a surprisingly sunny climate that makes the northern gateway communities especially enjoyable places to base an RV trip.
Lake Crescent: Olympic’s Stunning Glacier Lake
One of Brooks’ first recommendations is Lake Crescent, one of the park’s most breathtaking destinations.
Formed thousands of years ago by glaciers, the lake reaches depths of more than 625 feet while maintaining extraordinary water clarity.
Its brilliant blue water is surrounded by towering evergreen forests and mountain scenery that immediately leaves an impression.
Lake Crescent is accessible for every type of traveler.
Visitors can:
Drive scenic overlooks
Launch kayaks or canoes
Enjoy picnics
Take photographs
Explore nearby hiking trails
Brooks also shared one of the lake’s most fascinating stories.
Hidden beneath Lake Crescent lies the remains of Piedmont, a former logging and resort community that slowly disappeared beneath the water after shoreline erosion caused sections of the settlement to collapse into the lake. Thanks to the cold freshwater, many of those remnants remain remarkably well preserved.
Devil’s Punchbowl
A short distance from Lake Crescent lies one of the area’s most popular destinations.
The Devil’s Punchbowl is reached via the Spruce Railroad Trail, a relatively easy 2.5-mile round-trip walk that follows an old railroad grade.
The trail ends at a dramatic swimming hole where adventurous visitors leap from a bridge into the crystal-clear, glacier-fed water below.
Even during the hottest summer days, Brooks warns that the water remains incredibly cold.
For those who prefer to stay dry, it’s simply a beautiful place to relax and enjoy another perspective of Lake Cre...