Hurricane Ridge

One of the Olympic National Park’s [1] most scenic and most visited areas, Hurricane Ridge rises over 5,200 feet seemingly straight up from the Strait of Juan de Fuca [2], providing an awesome contrast from sea level and breathtaking 360-degree views.

The paved road starts at Race Street in Port Angeles [3], becoming Mt. Angeles Road and then Hurricane Ridge Road as it snakes up mountainsides for 17 miles at an easy 7 percent grade; frequent turnouts allow for photo breaks. At the top, the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center provides a must-stop location to peer across a meadow-and-mountain landscape that might have been imported straight from the Swiss Alps.

This is one of Olympic National Park’s [1] best areas for spotting wildlife; black-tailed deer often bound across the parking lot, marmots are found in nearby slopes, and black bears are occasionally visible from a distance.

Hurricane Ridge’s name isn’t without basis in fact: the first lodge at the summit lost its roof in a strong winter blast. The weather can change quickly up here; tune in to AM 530 in Port Angeles [3] for weather and other park information.

Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center provides food service, a gift shop, winter ski rentals, and ski-tow service. It is usually open daily May–Sept., and on weekends only during October and mid-December through April. Park naturalists offer summertime walks and talks plus wintertime snowshoe treks. Royal Victoria Tours, 360/417-8006, offers three-hour (very hurried) bus tours up Hurricane Ridge daily at 1 p.m. from the ferry dock in Port Angeles [3]; $21 adult, $12 kids age 5–16.

If the drop-offs and absence of guardrails on Hurricane Ridge Rd. made your palms sweat, you’re in for a real treat on Obstruction Point Road. Starting from the Hurricane Ridge parking lot, this narrow gravel road (no RVs) follows the ridge for eight miles without a rail or fence, providing spectacular views for the strong-hearted. The road, constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, went as far as it could until a steep talus slope prohibited any further road-making.