Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Olympic National Park

Download the GuideAlong self-guided audio tour and you'll discover more on your Olympic National Park road trip. Hear fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, local tips and directions play automatically, all based on your location. You'll be guided to all of the park's famous highlights as well as lessor known gems including the most easily accessed mountain area in the park with superb views and hiking trails, a unique temperate rainforest where you can walk amongst giant trees, and incredible beaches rich with tidepools. Enjoy the freedom to explore offline at your own pace, spending more time at places that interest you. ✅ Stories, tips and directions play automatically based on your location ✅ Travel at your own pace ✅ Tour offline using GPS, no cell service or WiFi needed ✅ Suggested itineraries for half, full or multi day use ✅ Buy once, use forever! No expiry, includes free updates. ✅ Like having a tour guide along for the drive Purchase one tour per vehicle.

1. 1

   Olympic National Park

   8 hours

   As the audio guides play commentary based on your gps location, you can create your own itinerary along the tour route to match your interests and schedule.

2. 2

   Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge

   1 hour

   Though not officially situated within the national park, Dungeness Spit is something of an oddity and well worth checking out. Extending 5 narrow miles into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, this is the world's longest sandspit and it continues to grow by about 14 feet each year. You can walk the entire length if you wish - your reward is a lighthouse - but it's not necessary to get the idea and novelty of this environment. The spit also acts as a refuge, birdlife is abundant - 90 bird species are known to nest here. And watch for harbor seals, orcas and minke whales in the water. They can be hard to spot, but there's lots of small mammals - especially rodents - and you may also see deer and skunks.

3. 3

   Madison Creek Falls

   1 hour

   Elwha Valley is a short deviation that is located quite close to Port Angeles. The reward at the end of the road is the gentlest of strolls to Madison Falls. We'll also see the remaining buildings from some early homesteaders that were attracted to this friendly valley. However, this is also an interesting place in terms of nature's restorative powers. After being dammed for a century, Congress ordered 2 dams removed so that the river could run freely to the ocean once again, opening the valley to fertile deposits due to flooding, and allowing access for salmon into the river once again.

4. 4

   Hoh Rain Forest

   1 hour

   An astounding opportunity to walk among giant trees in a unique temperate rainforest. Green, mossy, fern-covered, and every shade of green, the groundcover adds to the storybook feel of the forest. Watch for wildlife including elk and black bears. It's well worth dedicating at least 2 hours of your Olympic National Park time here.

5. 5

   Hurricane Ridge

   1 hour

   The most easily accessed alpine area in the park is Hurricane Ridge. At the top of this 18-mile drive that leaves right from Port Angeles, we'll find ourselves with superb views and a perfect variety of hiking trails to take us away from the parking area to even more vista points. If you just want a taste of the alpine without a big effort, Meadow Trails is recommended. There's many more strenuous options available too.

6. 6

   Lake Quinault

   1 hour

   It's quite lovely to spend an hour or more driving the loop circuit around Lake Quinault. The lake itself was gouged out by an ancient glacier, and glacial runoff still feeds it today, dammed by the moraine left behind. There's a great choice of hikes on the route, and services available include lodging, restaurants, campgrounds and a small museum.

7. 7

   Quinault Rain Forest

   1 hour

   We'll drive through a lush area of big trees - and find the world's largest Sitka spruce along the way. The rainforest ecosystem is similar to Hoh, often receiving as much as 12 feet of rain in a year.

8. 8

   Rialto Beach

   1 hour

   One of the favorite photos from Olympic National Park is sunset from Rialto Beach. But this is an excellent beach to visit at any time of day - especially if it's warm and sunny. You'll enjoy the rock pillars and with a half mile walk you'll find the Hole-in-the-Wall arch, which will eventually become 2 new pillars - or haystacks. Tidepools along the beach are also excellent.

9. 9

   Ruby Beach

   1 hour

   So easy to visit - parking is accessed right from the highway, and then you'll walk straight onto the beach. Abbey Island sits as a giant sandstone block in the water, but at low tide you can walk right to it - just be sure to make your way back before the tide rises too high again. Will you find actual rubies? Well, you won't - but you should hunt for almandite, a type of garnet that's pretty but not precious!

10. 10

    Sol Duc Falls

    1 hour

    Another terrific side trip that takes us off Highway 101 and into one of Olympic's scenic valleys. If we are fortunate to visit during spawning season, we'll see salmon battling their way up the Sol Duc River. One of the very best waterfalls is reached from the end of the road, the triple-tier Sol Duc Falls is less than a mile from the car park. And finish your visit with a soak in a relaxing hot mineral pool at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort.

• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• How to Access: After booking you’ll receive an email and text with instructions (search “Download Audio Tour”). Click the link in the email/text to sign in with your preferred Apple or Google account and redeem your voucher code ahead of time.
• Download The GuideAlong App: Download the free app over WiFi or cellular data and sign in with the same Apple or Google account.
• Download The Tour: Download the tour in the GuideAlong app under 'My Tours' over WiFi or cellular data.
• Start The Tour: Open the tour in the GuideAlong app to preview the start locations, tour route and trip planner, or start the tour.
• Location-Based Stories: Audio commentary plays automatically as you drive using your phone’s GPS chip. Wherever you are and whichever direction you’re going, you’ll hear the best stories and tips.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.