Submitted by MontyBowillory t3_zu1ah9 in Washington

Tl;dr: What are your favorite spots to visit on the Olympic Peninsula in January?

Hello! My husband and I will be in Washington this January for the first time, and we were hoping to spend about 5-7 days on the Olympic peninsula. We are driving in from another state and will have our vehicle with us. We know that it will be wet and cold, but we love that kind of weather and are used to spending time outside in similar conditions. Winter is our favorite season and we live pretty far north (less than a day drive from the Canadian border). We are very outdoorsy and would normally spend time hiking, fishing/ice fishing, taking nature photographs, biking, canoeing, or camping. We're not planning to bring our canoe, bikes, or camping gear on this trip though. We also enjoy history, art, and a good meal!

Does anyone have any recommendations for their favorite places to visit in the area? We noticed that Olympic National Park has had some closures recently due to weather, so we were hoping some people here would have the inside scoop on the best things to do this time of year. Thanks in advance for any ideas you can share! We're really excited to visit. :)

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BarnabyWoods t1_j1gjyxx wrote

Rialto Beach, Port Townsend, Fort Flagler State Park, Dungeness Spit. If you're there on a Fri-Sun, the Park keeps the Hurricane Ridge Rd plowed, and you can drive up to the top of the ridge and stomp around in the snow. The road is closed the rest of the week. Check ahead for conditions, of course. You need to have chains in your car, and they'll generally ask you at the entrance station.

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mike_owen t1_j1h38zp wrote

Lake Quinault is great year-round, especially my favorite spot in the park, the Maple Glade trail.

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SarcasticServal t1_j1hqd3h wrote

Poulsbo has a sweet Scandinavian themed downtown. Bainbridge Island has Bloedel Reserve in addition to a cute downtown with great restaurants (BaSa is amazing), and fun local-oriented shopping (Danger is fantastic). There’s a great hike from Gazzam Lake down the the water.

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pala4833 t1_j1icb1s wrote

You can use wta.org to find hikes that meet your desires and abilities.

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