A 5 day loop roadtrip from Seattle around the Olympic Peninsula (that you could make shorter or longer depending on how much time you have)

Suddenly everyone in Seattle has discovered the Olympic Peninsula and we have too. I guess when circumstances force us to explore our own backyard we realize we’ve been neglecting one of the prettiest places on earth for more faraway adventures. We recently drove a 5 day loop through the area, from Seattle to Sequim via ferry then to Kalaloch Lodge ending up at Iron Springs. Iron Springs was very booked up when we last checked so if you are looking to do a similar trip you might also check in Seabrook too. (We actually just booked another trip back to Seabrook because we liked our time there so much!)

Seattle to Sequim without too many interactions or stops

Seattle is only two hours from Sequim and if you time it right with when you have access to your accommodation you can get from doorstop to doorstep with no other stops. We stayed near Sequim at the Dungeness Bay Cottages. These cottages are dog-friendly and great for families and that is a perfect combination for the current state of our adventures. All of the accommodations we booked for this trip had kitchens so I packed two soft coolers with all the groceries we would need for five days. (I have gotten to the point where I barely have to go into the grocery store-I just keep re-ordering my Amazon Fresh list.)

We took the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island and drove to Poulsbo where we picked up some baked goods from Sluys’ Poulsbo Bakery. We also stopped at Salsbury Point County Park to eat a picnic lunch briefly before it started to rain. Then we continued on to Sequim.

Lavender fields in Sequim

I want to revisit Sequim one day just to see the lavender fields but this time we just drove by a few and they were pretty to see from the road. Our cottage was near The Dungeness Barn House Bed and Breakfast which had a lot of beautiful lavender in its yard and a little help yourself stand with some freshly picked lavender too.

There is also a Costco in Sequim if you need to stock up on supplies.

Kalaloch Lodge

Kalaloch Lodge is a great way to explore the neighboring beaches. Ruby Beach nearby is only a 10 minute drive away so the lodge is very convenient if you want to get there early before the crowds. We also tried to visit Hurricane Ridge on our drive between Sequim and Kalaloch but there was a lot of cloud cover and a threat of rain so we decided that forgoing that journey would be a better idea. The drive from Sequim to Kalaloch is really beautiful too.

We stayed in Overly, a waterfront cabin at Kalaloch Lodge and we really enjoyed waking up to the ocean views. We managed to get a single night last-minute reservation and that might be the key if you are last-minute trying to create a loop through the Olympic Peninsula-many people are looking for multiple night stays, so combining one night stays at a few places might be the next best option.

The Overly Cabin is roomy for a family of 4 with two separate bedrooms. It felt like it could use a little bit of updating but we had a very comfortable stay. I bought a Kalaloch themed Pendleton blanket in the gift shop and takeout fish and chips from their cafe and we brought them to the beach and thoroughly enjoyed our time. The beach area near the resort is a photographer’s dream and if we didn’t have our pup (he’s currently at a more needy stage) we would have had a beach fire at night too.

Iron Springs Resort

Iron Springs somehow ended up our favorite place of summer 2020 and we have stayed in cabin 9 a few times. (And the last time I checked the resort is almost fully booked for summer except for a few single nights). The cabins at Iron Springs are cozy and pristine. We enjoyed walking to the beach everyday and eating simple meals in. The little store in the reception office has a surprising amount of supplies-we even found a pancake mix there that we haven’t been able to find anywhere else in Seattle this year. And you can drive in your car on the beach nearby the resort and this year we even figured out how to make coffee from the back of our car.

Because of its proximity to Seabrook, (it’s maybe a 10 minute drive) it’s easy to pick up meals from Frontager’s Pizza or Koko’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar if you don’t feel like cooking. From Iron Springs, it’s only a few hours drive back to the city but even if we’ve only spent a few days on the Olympic Peninsula we feel as refreshed as if we’d been away for much longer.

And check Seabrook for accommodation too

Seabrook is also a great place to look for accommodations with kitchens and peace-of-mind bookings for families and dogs on the Olympic Peninsula and there is a good range of rentals for a variety of price-ranges and group sizes. When we were hosted recently we stayed in a fabulous dog-friendly place that was really close to the beach. For our next trip that rental is booked but it was fun to peruse through many listings at Seabrook to find something we are really excited about.

After driving a loop through the Olympic Peninsula, I realized that if one good thing comes from 2020 it’s knowing that sometimes there really is no place like home, especially living in Seattle. I’m looking forward to when we can travel further and more freely again, but for now, I’m thankful to live in such a vibrant city and that we also have such beautiful places nearby for natureful escapes.

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)