Olympic National Park is one of THE most amazing options if you’re looking for where to elope in Washington or even the whole PNW!! It’s filled with so many incredible landscapes and has so much beauty + variety to offer. EVERY couple eloping in the PNW should consider it. So I wanted to walk you through how to elope in Olympic National Park. In case you’re looking for more info before planning your Olympic National Park wedding or elopement!

 

 

I’ll be going through:

• Permits, passes, & fees

• The best locations to elope in Olympic National Park

• When to elope – seasons + weather

• Where to stay around Olympic National Park

• Olympic National Park elopement packages

• Washington elopement vendors

• Olympic National Park wedding inspiration

 

Ready to learn all about one of my fave places in the PNW?!

 

Permits, Passes, & Guidelines

Before I get into what permits you’ll need to elope in Olympic National Park. I want to remind you to please do your research well ahead of time!! This is something I’ll help you with as your elopement photographer, but I always want to remind couples to research ahead of time instead of the last minute. You’ll need time to obtain the correct permits to make sure you get married legally in the park!

Permits, Passes, & Fees

How much does it cost to get into Olympic National Park?

Olympic National Park has a per-vehicle entrance fee of $30.00, and that’s valid for seven straight days! So if you’re looking to make a trip out of your elopement in the park, you won’t have to pay the entrance fee every day.

You can purchase (and then print out) your entrance pass ahead of time here!

 

Do you need a permit to get married in Olympic National Park?

Yes! For an Olympic National Park wedding ceremony, you’ll need a Special Use Permit. The park’s website recommends applying for this permit at LEAST 4 weeks in advance to allow enough processing time.

 

 

To apply for this permit, download the form here, fill it out, and email it here. You’ll pay a non-refundable application processing fee of $50, and then wait to hear back!

If you have any questions about the permit or your ceremony, you can contact the park’s visitor center at (360) 565-3130.

 

Where to Elope in Olympic National Park

Now that you know what you need to do permit-wise for your ceremony. Let’s talk locations for your elopement in Olympic National Park!

 

“Getting Around”

First of all, here’s a great page to get info from – the national park’s “Getting Around” webpage!! It has all sorts of information about getting from one location to another and comparing different spots around the park. It’s super handy when planning which spots you want to hit up, and which ones are nearby, where they are compared to major cities, + how accessible they are for your elopement day!

 

La Push

La Push is one of my absolute FAV locations to take couples to in Olympic National Park!! For all my fellow Twilight lovers, you probs recognize the name “La Push”. That’s because it’s one of the main settings of the series (along with Forks, which is nearby)!! 

 

 

La Push has one of the most gorgeoussss beaches on the Olympic Peninsula, Rialto Beach. It’s full of rocky beaches, lots of driftwood, and all the PNW moodiness you could dream of! 

 

 

Rialto Beach is about 36 miles southwest of Lake Crescent, which I’ll mention later on. You can visit Forks nearby, or head into the Hoh Rainforest for an adventure in the trees!

 

Hoh Rain Forest 

If you’re dreaming up a forest elopement, then the Hoh Rain Forest is the place for you!!

 

 

Full of the most MAGICAL trees, greenery, moss, ferns, and more, this rain forest is a PNW dream come true. Seriously y’all, you’ll be hard-pressed to find another rainforest in the PNW that looks like this one!! It’s not just tall, gorgeous trees: it’s full of unique shapes, textures, and just the most beautiful lush canopy of GREEN!!

 

 

The Hoh Rain Forest is about two hours from Port Angeles and an hour from Forks. So if you want to do part of your elopement day on the peninsula in La Push, and part in the Washington rainforest, we can totally make that happen!

 

Ruby Beach

Ruby Beach is another gorge spot on the Olympic Peninsula. It’s in the Kalaloch area, on the southwest coast of the peninsula! Ruby Beach has INCREDIBLE sunsets along with super pretty rock formations and all that PNW mood that the peninsula has to offer. 

 

 

It’s about a 45-minute drive from the Hoh Rain Forest and 30 miles from the Quinault area! So Ruby Beach is another spot that’s easy to get to from other areas of the park if you want a variety of locations for your elopement.

 

Hurricane Ridge

If you’d rather have a mountain elopement in Olympic National Park, then Hurricane Ridge is the place to look at! It’s about 17 miles from Port Angeles and is super easily accessible in the summertime. 

With clear weather, you’ll get the most beautiful views at Hurricane Ridge! There are also plenty of hiking trails if you wanna go on a hike on your elopement day (count me in!!), as well as a couple of campgrounds in nearby areas for any couples who want to make a camping trip out of their elopement. 

 

Lake Crescent

Last but definitely not least, Lake Crescent is a super beautiful water location in Olympic National Park!! If you’re wanting a lakeside elopement instead of an elopement on the coast, in the forest, or in the mountains, then you’ve gotta check out Lake Crescent.

 

 

It’s only about 18 miles west of Port Angeles and sits in the northern foothills of the Olympics! The mountain reflections in the lake on a clear day are to die for, but even in overcast or cloudy weather without reflections in the water, this lake looks so so stunning. 

 

 

Lake Crescent also has tons of hiking trails accessible, including a hike to Marymere Falls – one of the most popular waterfall locations in Olympic National Park! Let’s get you married at the lake and then take a hike to the falls for some couples portraits – sounds like a dream, yeah?!

 

When to Elope in Olympic National Park

 

Let’s talk about weather real quick, because that plays a major role in planning your elopement + picking out your locations! 

Summertime is definitely the most popular time to visit Olympic National Park since the weather is usually warm and any snow in the area is melting. The weather obviously depends on your elevation, the location you’re at, and, well, the day, but summer is your best bet to get decent weather for your elopement day!

 

 

Springtime is also super beautiful in the park. The weather can still be pretty unpredictable in the spring. At higher elevations, you’ll probably still find snow in the spring and there’ll be more of a chance of rainy weather. 

 

Fall is similar – temperatures are lower and you’ll have a higher likelihood of rain + snow. BUT the fall colors are sooo gorgeous in Olympic National Park!! If you’ve ever been in or seen the PNW in the fall, it’s kinda to die forrrr. But snow can start to fall at higher elevations in early September, so do your research on locations + what elevations you’d be at for whatever location you’re looking into!

 

 

Long story short: if you really want to elope in the fall or the spring, definitely do your research and look at the weather forecast, as well as webcams around the national park to see current conditions!

 

You’ll also want to make sure you pay attention to road + trail conditions/statuses, which you can find updates for on the park’s website. The last thing we want is for you to have your heart set on a location, only to find that the road to it is closed due to recent snow!!  

 

Where to Stay Around Olympic National Park

Airbnb’s in the Olympic National Park area

If you’re eloping in Olympic National Park, make sure you find a super cozy place to come back to after your elopement!! And I alwaysss recommend making a trip out of your elopement. Find a place to stay for 3-4 nights to really allow you time to celebrate, explore the national park, and enjoy yourselves!

 

 

And if you’re inviting guests & want to party with them, find an Airbnb that’ll fit all of you!! That way, you can spend the evening of your elopement by a bonfire, drinking your fav drinks to celebrate, or watching your fav movie series together.

 

Here are a few cute + cozy (and top-rated) Airbnb’s in the ONP area:

 

• A-Frame on the Olympic Peninsula – $123/night; sleeps 4 guests

• Private Tiny House in Sequim – $133/night; sleeps 4 guests

• Glamping at Hurricane Ridge – $165/night; sleeps 3 guests

• Pond Cottage in Port Angeles – $199/night; sleeps 5 guests

• Cabin on Lake Crescent  – $343/night; sleeps 5 guests

Olympic National Park Elopement Packages

Now let’s talk PHOTOGRAPHY!! Here’s my Olympic National Park elopement package for you to take a look at – travel fees will apply depending on the location you’ll be eloping at!

 

And take a look below at my 2021 travel schedule – I’ll be at Olympic National Park a few times already this year, so reach out for an elopement at the time I’m already there and you’ll get discounted (or ZERO) travel fees!! 

 

Washington Elopement Vendors to Hire

For your Olympic National Park elopement, you’ll need to find a team of awesome vendors to work with!! Below, I’ve listed a few of my fav recommendations for vendors in the area – I trust all of these talented humans and have worked with them multiple times! They’ll KILL it for your big day, trust me!

 

Washington Wedding Officiant: Officiant Jimmie

Washington Wedding Florist: Brier & Ivy

Washington Wedding Videographer: GoodCo Studios

Washington Wedding Stationery: Kalen Rivers

Washington Wedding Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist: Make Me Up Cyn

Washington Wedding Stylist: Rain & Pines

Olympic National Park Elopement Photographer 

Ready to plan your Olympic National Park elopement together?! Reach out here and let’s do this thing and I hope this helps you on learning how to elope!!