If you have a good rain coat, grab it and head to the Quinault Rain Forest. We hiked here for three days and are so sorry to have had to leave this area. The trails are all nice and the hidden waterfalls and other gems along the way are surprisingly beautiful.
We stayed on Quinalt Lake as part of our larger trip around the outside of Olympic National Park. The trails are very quiet and there is some lovely old growth forest with exceptional VBTs (Very Big Trees) as you drive back behind the lake on the east end, and hike up along the river. Quinalt lake was closed to swimming while we were there due to a dispute with the Quinalt tribe over tribal rights and lake usage/fishing. That was disappointing but we were mostly there for hiking so it wasn't an issue. It isn't as grand or broad as Hoh Rainforest, the Hoh Valley or Hurricane Hill, but it is also a lot quieter. We saw a lot of elk sign but the elk themselves were not to be found. Recommended but not quite as spectacular as some of the other main park areas/hikes.
I REALLY enjoyed this location. It was a sunny day and the way the light caught the moss on the trees was incredible. I have some great photos (#nofilter LOL) from this rainforest. We did the trail easily and this didn't take a huge chunk of our time but it was SO worth it.
I guess there is more hikes you can take thru here. We just did the short loop and it was pretty. I guess I was expecting like a jungle from the Hoh and the Quinault Rainforests. They were lovely. But, they reminded us mostly of parts of MS where we are from-except when you got near the parts that were near water. We probably spent an hour or so walking around Quinault Rainforest. Easy walk and very shaded. It is right by Lake Quinault so you can hike to a couple of small waterfalls over there and rent kayaks and wander around that area. It's a nice quiet area around the lake. Worth a stop if you are staying nearby or driving thru the area. We stayed at Quinault River Inn and that was perfect to do short day trips-even to Hoh/the beaches and back.
We stayed in a "Deluxe Cabin" on a beach in the Quinault Rain Forest for a few days @$259.00 a night! Expensive; yet I would stay here again. The cabin was only a couple hundred yards from the ocean; with beautiful views. It faced West; as such, a beautiful sunset every night! The cabin itself was wonderful, with a Jacuzzi for two, next to a fireplace in the center. A couple steps down into a small, but comfortable living room; too with ocean views, and a fully stocked kitchen/ Near the Jacuzzi, there was also a shower stall made for two, and a few feet away a King size bed! Off the living room was a sliding door leading to a patio, and BBQ area, too with the ocean view. My only complaint would be there are several homeless people nearby on the beach; who all have a brown bag, and are toasted all the time. Occasionally, they would wander between cabins, on their way to buy another bottle of wine, or the like!
May be on a smaller scale than the Hon Rainforest but every bit as good. Ideal for children and more to do.
We didn't get to see much of the Quinault Rain Forest but liked what we saw. Got a bit confused about fees and jurisdictions though; parts of Olympic National Park charge a fee (like the Hoh Rainforest) but Quinault does not. Also there is the Colonel Bob Wilderness and Olympic National Forest and some other jurisdictions all right there and we couldn't figure out which trails had fees and which didn't. We stopped at ONP's Quinault ranger station to sort it out and found the ranger to be less than helpful and not very friendly to boot. However, there's a lovely trail there-the Maple Glade trail. It was really the nicest trail we hiked in Quinault...unique too. We were struck with how quiet the rain forest was. We figured there'd be lots of birds and animals scurrying around the underbrush but it was freaky silent everywhere we went. Way different than our noisy Wisconsin woods. Lastly, we were awed by the large cedar we stopped to see. You could actually fit inside it...multiple people could. The trail to get to it was pretty sketchy however.
Several trailheads are just across the road from Lake Quinault Lodge - just select the length that's right for your group. The river runs through in some areas and if it's the right time in the fall, you will see bright red salmon spawning. My favorite trail takes you up to the top of the where you walk in a flat area that looks like it is from a movie.
Go all the way to the end of the road and you'll find a lovely open campsite. From there you'll find the trailhead that takes you into the interior. The trails are well maintained and moderately difficult due to the ups and downs. If you're really ambitious you might like to know that it's only a week's hike to Hurricane Ridge.
Was rushed and did not get to spend enough time here. Beautiful and interesting are the best words I can come up with. I really enjoyed what time I had.