The vista from Hurricane Ridge, on clear days, is a breathtaking one, with peaks and deep valleys crowding the panorama. The Olympic Mountain range isn’t tall, by most standards, topping off just under 8,000 feet, but the uneven terrain makes the center of the mountain clump hard to access. This area comes by its name honestly—winds in the exposed meadow near its visitors center top 75 miles per hour, sculpting the snow in the winter and blowing off ball caps in the summer. Numerous trails are accessible from here.
The Hurricane Ridge area is located 17 miles south of Port Angeles on Hurricane Ridge Road. From U.S. 101 in downtown Port Angeles, turn south (away from the water) onto Race Street, which becomes Hurricane Ridge Road. The mountain road is plowed with snow on winter weekends.
The Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center (360/565-3130, www.nps.gov/olym, open year-round, hours vary seasonally) houses exhibits (including a 20-minute orientation film) and a limited snack bar, and a gift shop on the lowest level. But the real draw is outdoors, where wildflowers bloom in the alpine meadows in the summer. In their signature wide-brimmed hats, park rangers—part police force, part naturalists, part tour guides—give guided walks and talks about the area.
Views of the area get even better from the top of Hurricane Hill, a peak more than 5,700 feet high. From here you can see the broad Strait of Juan de Fuca and the full spread of the Olympic peaks. The entire route is paved, but only the first section is wheelchair accessible.
