Beginning from the acclaimed Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, the quick and easy hike to the Sunrise Viewpoint provides hikers with incredible views of the Olympic Mountains!  At just under a mile round trip, this is not a long hike, but if you want great views for not a lot of effort, this is a great option to check out.  No visit to Olympic is complete without a visit to Hurricane Ridge, and this might be the area’s best easy hike!

Miles/Elevation:

.9 miles

219 feet vertical gain

About Olympic National Park:

Situated along Washington’s Pacific Coast, Olympic National Park contains some of the nation’s most diverse environments all in one epic national park!  From rock strewn beaches, to glaciated peaks, to temperate rainforest, Olympic has something for everyone!

Olympic National Park largely owes its diversity to the Pacific Ocean.  Despite being located quite far north, the oceans’ moderating influence means temperatures never really get that cold here (at low elevations at least).  On the beach it could be 50 degrees and foggy.  In the forest and the hills it might be 40 degrees and raining.  And in the alpine it may be 20 degrees and snowing!

A land of many diverse landscapes, Olympic has numerous awesome destinations.  The Hoh Rainforest is the most famous of the park’s forests and contains the revered Hall of Mosses.  Mt Olympus deep in the park’s backcountry is a sought after alpine summit.  Hurricane Ridge is a must see spot in the park reached via a winding mountain road.  And Rialto Beach is the most famous of all the parks’ beaches!

All these awesome spots are quite spread out though.  Despite being located in the same park, it takes hours to drive from one side of the park to the other.  This is largely due to the fact that there are no roads that pass straight through the park.  Olympic largely consists of wilderness, and Highway 101 wraps its way all the way around the outside.  It’s not a quick route, but it’s the only way to get from one side of the park to another.

Getting To The Trailhead:

This trail is near the northern edge of Olympic National Park, and the closest town is Port Angeles.  From Port Angeles, follow S Race St for about a mile through town.  After a mile or so, this street will turn into Hurricane Ridge Road.  Follow Hurricane Ridge Road for about 18 miles as it climbs high into the mountains.

After about 18 miles, the road sort of ends and turns into a parking lot.  When this happens, you are just about at the visitor center and trailhead.  Park anywhere here! 

Tips:

• There is a large parking area near the trailhead, but it can fill up on busy days.
• Hike another trail like Hurricane Hill when you’re up on Hurricane Ridge.

The Sunrise Viewpoint Trail:

Beginning from the parking lot, the views are incredible.  You’re on Hurricane Ridge, and from this vantage the panoramic views over Olympic National Park are incredible!  Steep valleys filled with dense green forest give way to snow covered peaks far in the Olympic Wilderness!

To begin the hike, turn your back on the epic view and begin walking uphill on a paved trail.  You will quickly reach an intersection where the trail splits.  To the left is the Cirque Rim Nature Trail, and to the right is the High Ridge Nature Trail.  It doesn’t matter which you take, they link back up shortly, but I stayed left and took the Cirque Rim Nature Trail up!

After ascending through the open meadows on Hurricane Ridge, you will eventually begin approaching a stand of pines.  By now, the trail will have changed from pavement to hard packed dirt, and then you will enter the trees.

This stand of trees is a mix of tall, proud, pines, and short scrubby ones.  This is a tough environment for most of the year with the cold, snow, and wind, so it makes sense the trees living here would be tough!

Once you’ve climbed through the stand of trees, you will reach another intersection.  Here, the two trails which split earlier meet, and ahead of you, there is a ridgetop trail leading out into the distance.  Follow this ridgetop trail to reach the Sunrise Viewpoint!

I love ridgewalks, and this one is great.  Unfortunately though, it’s super short, and momentarily you will be at the Sunrise Viewpoint!  The views here are fantastic in every direction.  Looking back the way you came, the views out over Olympic National Park are stunning.  To the north, the Salish Sea and Canada beyond are visible on a clear day.  I even got a welcome to Canada message on my phone up here!

The viewpoint is pretty sweet, but when you’re ready to move on, begin hiking back along the ridge.  When you reach the intersection near the stand of trees, you can either go back the way you came, or take the other trail.  I figured why not try something new, so I began hiking down the High Ridge Nature Trail!

The views are similarly great on this trail.  Really the only difference is that there is a bench on the High Ridge Nature Trail from which you can enjoy the view.  It might be better to come up this way if you struggle with steep trails, as this bench makes for a nice rest spot!  However, after a quick descent, I was back at my car ready to explore the rest of Hurricane Ridge!

Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 10/10

It’s not often that you find a hike this short with views this good.  Largely thanks to the trailhead being on top of a panoramic ridge, you’ll have incredible views throughout the entire hike!  Frankly, there just are very few short hikes with this good of views.  Whether you hike this exact trail, or do something slightly different, make sure you visit Hurricane Ridge when you come to Olympic!

Pros:

• Incredible views 
• Lots of hiking options

Cons:

• Very busy

Alternative Hikes:

Marymere Falls

Rialto Beach to Hole-in-the-Wall

The Hall of Mosses

The Spruce Trail 

When To Hike To Sunrise Viewpoint:

Olympic National Park gets 4 strong seasons, and while the park can be visited all year, summer definitely has the best weather for being outdoors.  The high elevation regions of the park receive huge snowfall totals during winter which makes for great skiing, but not so great hiking!  Winter at low elevations means lots and lots of rain.

While you certainly can hike in the rain, the warmest, sunniest, weather of the year occurs during July and August.  June and September can also have excellent conditions, but the risk of adverse weather and lingering snow at elevation are much higher.

I would personally recommend late July or August for a trip to Olympic, but if you want to avoid the worst of the crowds and aren’t interested in exploring the higher elevation backcountry, the shoulder months of June and September could be pretty nice.  I personally would not visit here October through May because of the weather, but if you’re ok with tons of moisture and just don’t want to run into other people, by all means go for it.  Be aware though the backcountry and high elevation reaches of the park will likely be snowed in.

Links For Further Reading:

Sunrise View Point via High Ridge Nature Trail [CLOSED]: 599 Reviews, Map – Washington | AllTrails

The Pretty Sunrise Viewpoint via Cirque Rim Nature Trail | 10Adventures

Sunrise Point Trail — Washington Trails Association