Heading to Port Angeles, WA? Here’s a guide to what you can’t miss.

Port Angeles is a small coastal city on the Olympic Peninsula, located 2.5 hours northwest of Seattle. It is the main gateway to Olympic National Park and is a great base for food and hotel options while exploring the park.

It’s best for nature lovers, outdoor adventurers, or if you’re a Twilight stan, it’s an iconic location mentioned in the books and movie.

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Last Updated: May 29, 2026

Extending Your Trip to Visit More than One Destination

On our most recent visit to Seattle, we went on a mission to explore the PNW without a car. After flying into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), we hopped on trains, buses, and ferries to visit two major cities, two islands, a national park, and even crossed the border to Canada. 

The best part was Jacob didn’t have to drive. The commute is scenic so you can spend your time enjoying the views rather than worrying about navigating..

We included a recommended itinerary below (will link this to the itinerary section below), and you can click on the links to each destination guide.

Seattle, WA
Bainbridge Island
Olympic National Park
Victoria, BC

7 Best Things to Do in Port Angeles Wa

1. Olympic National Park →

3002 Mt Angeles Rd, Port Angeles, WA 98362, map

Olympic National Park is a diverse national park with the moody PNW coast, rainforests, lakes, and mountains. It gives you year round access to the outdoors and transports you to another world. Before visiting, I had no idea rainforests existed in the US.

Olympic Hiking Co picked us up from our hotel (we stayed at Red Lion Hotel) and customized our itinerary. Our guide, Betsy, was so knowledgeable with birds, animal tracks, and plants that it gave us a fun, new perspective into the park. Should we become birders now?

Visitor Center – I always like to pick up a Junior Ranger book and stamp my national park passport.

Hoh Rain Forest (Hall of Mosses) – If this is your first trip, you can’t miss the Hoh Rainforest. There isn’t anything quite like it in the US. The moss blankets everything in a saturated green and looks otherworldly. Keep in mind for the summer, there’s a line if you don’t go early enough.

Sol Duc Falls – Easy 1.8 mile round trip hike to a beautiful 50 ft waterfall. It’s one of the most photogenic waterfalls we’ve seen in the Pacific Northwest (we did a lot of waterfall chasing). If you’re a photographer, you’ll want to photograph it. We extended our hike to Lovers Lane, which is much quieter.

Lake Crescent – A remnant of the last ice age and the second largest lake in Washington. We had a picnic lunch at Lake Crescent Lodge. Olympic Hiking Co packed us lunches from Country Aire Market, and the sourdough bread was so delicious. If you have a National Park passport, you can also get a stamp at the Lodge.

Salt Creek Recreation Area – We love the rocky PNW coast, and tide pooling was a nice way to slow down and appreciate nature. We saw crabs, anenomes, sea urchins, and more. Occasionally, you can spot nudibranch, but we didn’t see any this time.

Hurricane Ridge – A scenic drive that takes you to 5242 ft elevation with panoramic views of the Olympic Mountains. Unfortunately due to rockfall, it was closed again, but maybe third time’s the charm? Fingers crossed for our next visit.

Pro Tip: Pack a lightweight raincoat even if you don’t see rain in the forecast. As you may expect from a rainforest, it tends to rain a lot. We love this Patagonia one that packs up really small into its pocket. This is a cheaper alternative.

See More: 15 Things to Do in Olympic National Park

2. Bike the Olympic Discovery Trail

48.1188425,-123.4321799, map

The Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) is currently two thirds complete, and will be a 135-mile bike trail starting from Port Townsend to La Push Beach.

We rented our bikes from Discovery E-bikes and rode along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. You can get mountain views if you bike 20 minutes further east, but we got distracted by the cherry blossoms and decided to spend all our time here.

3. Port Book and News

104 E 1st St, Port Angeles, WA 98362, map

Port Book and News has over 75,000 new and used books, as well as, maps, and other gifts. I’m in my bookish era, so naturally, I have been visiting all the bookstores I come across on my travels.

We also checked out Odyssey Books, an eclectic store, carrying both books and gifts.

Other stores nearby that I enjoyed visiting:

Moss – PNW clothing and gifts

Kindred Collective – PNW gift shop with artisan made goods

AnimeKat – Oldest anime, manga, & gaming shop on the Olympic Peninsula

4. Self-Guided Twilight Tour

118 E 1st St, Port Angeles, WA 98362, United States, map

I read all the books but at the time didn’t understand the obsession. But this year, after becoming completely consumed by Heated Rivalry, I’m coming in with fresh eyes. Even though, they filmed the movie elsewhere, I love how much they lean into the fandom here.

Port Book and News or Odyssey Bookstore – Bella visits a fictional bookstore in Twilight called Thunderbird and Whale Bookstore to buy a book on Quileute legends, but fans like to visit these bookstores for a simllar experience. On the second floor of Port Books and News, you can pose next to an Edward cutout.

Belle’s Boutique – For prom dress shopping.

Bella Italia – Order the mushroom ravioli like Bella did on her date with Edward. I also enjoyed the geoduck chowder here, though, this is not part of the book. 

5. Elwha Klallam Museum

205 S Lincoln St, Port Angeles, WA 98362, map

Connect and learn about the region’s Indigenous people at the Elwha Klallam Museum, housed in the beautifully restored 1919 Carnegie library. It gives you a glimpse into the history and living traditions of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe through artifacts, photographs, and interactive exhibits.

If you want to connect to the Olympic Peninsula beyond its scenic landscapes, it is one of the most meaningful cultural experiences in Port Angeles.

Pro Tip: It’s best to make an appointment to visit since they are short staffed.

6. Day Trip to Sequim

1192 E Washington St, Sequim, WA 98382, map

Sequim (rhymes with swim) is the Lavender Capital of North America. All the lavender is harvested by hand at these small family-owned farms. You can take a 30 minute ride on the Clallam Transit, which runs regularly and is free between Port Angeles and Sequim.

Cedarbrook Lavender – Store in downtown, where you can shop for lavender gifts.

Forage Gifts – Sequim-themed gifts.

Rainshadow Cafe – I ordered a dirty golden chai latte in an 8 oz. The TBA turkey panini with a chipotle sauce was good here.

Essence Coffee – Loved my cortado here.

Why the Sun Always Shines in Sequim Totem Pole – This 30-foot totem pole located in front of the Sequim Civic Center was commissioned and donated by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe in 2015.

Jardin du Soleil Lavender Farm – Has hills that make it more dynamic for photos. I’m sad we weren’t here for lavender season, but we did buy some lavender oil here.

Pro Tip: July is lavender season. If you want to see the lavender in bloom, the third weekend of July is best.

7. Visit Victoria BC via the Coho Ferry

812 Wharf St, Victoria, BC V8W 1T3, Canada, map

The Black Ball Ferry is a 90 minute ride from Port Angeles to Victoria BC. Victoria is known as the “Garden City” because of the mild climate that’s great for gardening year-round. It is a charning coastal city that’s very walkable.

Whale Watching – May to September is peak season for whales, but sometimes you can get extremely lucky. We went with Eagle Wing Whale & Wildlife Watching Tours and saw two orcas. It was our closest encounter, but I was actually most excited about my first loon sighting (or stupid Canadian wolf bird for those who’ve watched Heated Rivalry). We also saw bald eagles, mooflon sheep, stallos/ seeka deer,  stellar sea lions.

Pendray Inn and Tea House – I got the traditional afternoon tea with the earl of cream and Jacob got the west coast afternoon tea with genmaicha. I loved the scones and egg sandwich.

Munro Books – Beautiful bookstore in downtown Victoria housed in an old bank. I could spend all day here.

Thunderbird Park – See the Totem Poles (what is the significance?)

Breakfast at Nourish Kitchen & Cafe– Half and half Bennie and pancake was literally half a pancake and one bennie. I had a dirty golden sunrise and sourdough tartine (the sourdough was so good). Also the host wore a Rozanov shirt which instantly made me love it here more.

Block Kitchen + Bar – Shared plates Asian fusion food. This was Jacob’s favorite meal of the trip. Our fave dish was the scallops and the pickled mushrooms a lot. I would probably would not order the ahi tuna again. We mistakenly thought it was ahi tuna poke, not seared ahi tuna.

Hey Happy – Since cortados were not on the menu, I opted for the cardamom pear tonic with espresso. It was really refreshing.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget your passport and Dramamine in case the ferry ride gets rough.

See More: Best Places to Eat in Victoria BC – Victoria Food Tour

Places to Eat

Yodelin Broth Company – Yodelin is a PNW kitchen with great soups incorporating seasonal ingredients. We ordered a sipper of the Thai soup, which was way bigger than I anticipated. The grilled cheese sandwich also hit the spot.

Country Aire Market Sandwiches – We ate these on our Olympic National Park day with Olympic Hiking Co, but if you’re not on that tour, we recommend picking up the sandwiches here. The sourdough bread was yummy. It is heavy on mustard but I liked it that way. 

Jasmine Bistro – Tried to go to Sabai Thai Asian, but it was closed Monday, so we ended up at Jasmine Bistro. We shared a crab fried rice, because they told us it feeds three, but it was more like a one and a half portion. It tasted good, but you may want to order more.

Bella Italia – We went for the Twilight fandom. The mushroom ravioli, what Bella and Edward ordered was decent, and I enjoyed the geoduck chowder. The spaghetti with clams was my least favorite and was not al dente enough for me.

Next Door Gastropub – Lively place where where all the locals seem to hang out.

Frugals– Locals fast food spot famous for their fresh shakes with fresh fruits.

Where to Stay

The Red Lion Hotel Port Angeles Harbor has a beautiful waterfront location and is walking distance from the wharf, the ferry terminal, and downtown restaurants and shops. It’s also right next to the ODT bike trail for a nice scenic walk or bike ride. We stayed on the second floor for better views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Traveling Without a Car?

If you’re visiting Seattle during the World Cup 2026 without a car, hopefully this guide is helpful in showing you how easy it is to get around. There’s so much to see in the PNW, we highly recommend exploring outside of Seattle.

You can easily get to many destinations via ferries, buses, and trains. On this trip, we started our loop in Seattle, stopped in Bainbridge Island, Port Angeles, Olympic National Park, Victoria BC, and then finished back in Seattle.

Day 1: Seattle > (Washington State Ferry) > Bainbridge Island > (Strait Shot Bus 123) Port Angeles

Day 2: Port Angeles > (Olympic Hiking Co) Olympic National Park

Day 3: Port Angeles > (Clallum Transit) Sequim 

Day 4: Port Angeles > (Black Ball Ferry) Victoria BC

Day 5: Victoria BC > (FRS Clipper) Seattle

Day 6: Seattle 

If you’re a national park lover and it’s your first visit, I would extend Olympic National Park to two or three days since the park is so diverse.

Travel Guides:
Seattle, WA
Bainbridge Island
Olympic National Park
Victoria, BC

Essential Tips

Check if shops and restaurants are open. They are not open seven days a week and often close early. 

Pack a lightweight raincoat. You never know when it’s going to rain in the PNW.

Black Ball Ferry to Victoria is closed during Jan and Opens Mid-Feb

If you’re prone to seasickness, sit on the left side booth if you want to see the island on the horizon. We had a smooth ride, but I always take Dramamine just in case. 

If you’re going to Victoria, remember to pack your passport or enhanced ID (this is not the same as REAL ID and only eligible to border states).

Continuing back to Seattle? Take the FRS Clilpper from Victoria to Seattle,

Planning Checklist

What of these things to do in Port Angeles would you put on your itinerary? Did we miss anything?

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