Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Landscape Photography Locations => Topic started by: sunmoonlake on June 18, 2008, 02:44:17 pm

Title: Seattle
Post by: sunmoonlake on June 18, 2008, 02:44:17 pm: Hi,

Is July a good or bad month to go to Olympic National Park? Is it going to be too hot and humid to do anything?
Suggestions?

Thanks
Title: Seattle
Post by: Graham Welland on June 22, 2008, 05:53:16 pm: Quote
Hi,

Is July a good or bad month to go to Olympic National Park? Is it going to be too hot and humid to do anything?
Suggestions?
Thanks
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=202276\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hmm, hot & humid? I take it you've not been to the Pacific Northwest before

July may be a warm month but compared to anything southern or eastern US you'll be hard pushed to feel any significant humidity. You should be fine. The worst case would be random rain showers.
Title: Seattle
Post by: gvaughn on June 22, 2008, 09:19:17 pm: Quote
Hi,

Is July a good or bad month to go to Olympic National Park? Is it going to be too hot and humid to do anything?
Suggestions?
Thanks
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=202276\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

A newspaper article today said that Olympic National Park hoped to have the road to Hurricane Ridge cleared of snow and open for traffic by July 4.

The Sol Duc, Hoh and Quinault areas should be very pleasant but rather dry and they are, afterall, rainforest.

The coast will probably be a mix of sun and fog.
Title: Seattle
Post by: sunmoonlake on June 24, 2008, 12:05:18 pm: thanks all for the info! since i have not been to the northwest pacific, it helps to know what to prepare before departure.
Title: Seattle
Post by: wolfnowl on June 24, 2008, 10:09:21 pm: You've checked out these?

http://www.nps.gov/olym/ (http://www.nps.gov/olym/)
http://www.olympic.national-park.com/ (http://www.olympic.national-park.com/)
http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&id=Ck3T...num=4&ct=result (http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&id=Ck3T77rs7HwC&dq=Olympic+National+Park&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=llYiyuax-D&sig=M97brF30o_RMaYTOjLAMDSLkLC4&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result)
http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_nati...rk/wa_olymp.htm (http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_national_park/wa_olymp.htm)
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/151 (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/151)
http://www.insideout.com/areawebcams/ (http://www.insideout.com/areawebcams/)
http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&id=VtFr...um=10&ct=result (http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&id=VtFr3A7D_vYC&dq=Olympic+National+Park&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=I-s4nXa2Q2&sig=CjPgbp25Z08K32QLsn9pkZS6xfU&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result)

Mike.
Title: Seattle
Post by: gdanmitchell on July 15, 2008, 10:54:51 pm: Quote
Hi,

Is July a good or bad month to go to Olympic National Park? Is it going to be too hot and humid to do anything?
Suggestions?
Thanks
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=202276\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Best time is possibly a bit later in the summer - perhaps late August. I've been there and seen wonderful weather, but given that this is the Pacific Northwest and close to the coast, I've also been to the park and seen a lovely view of... clouds and fog and murk.

No promises. :-)

Dan
Title: Seattle
Post by: dharshan on February 13, 2009, 11:38:15 pm: Quote from: sunmoonlake
Hi,

Is July a good or bad month to go to Olympic National Park? Is it going to be too hot and humid to do anything?
Suggestions?

Thanks

July and August are the best months to visit the park. If the winter is short I would suggest to go in June - less crowds. I have some photos from last lune at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dharshan/sets...57611698645385/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dharshan/sets/72157611698645385/). If you are interested in pictures around the Seattle area - www.seattlephotoadventures.blogspot.com
Title: Seattle
Post by: fike on February 18, 2009, 08:26:05 pm: Great time to be there. Your chances for good weather will be as good as ever. Fog, rain, sun are all likely...and very scenic. Visit the Straight of Juan DeFuca...particularly where the straight meets the Pacific. There are some very scenic spots to view the lighthouse from the Makah Indian reservation.
Title: Seattle
Post by: patrick love on March 17, 2009, 03:30:06 am: As a Seattle resident, I had to laugh at the hot or humid part. Wishful thinking.
Title: Seattle
Post by: bobtowery on March 24, 2009, 06:33:04 pm: Seems like the OP was talking about 2008, but since people are still responding I thought I'd share a couple of images and thoughts.

This is one BEAUT area! The roads are super smooth, there aren't any crowds. The mountain ranges are just spectacular.

But one thing that is different for me than other parks I have visited is that there aren't any roads "through" the park. The topography is such that you just can't cut through. So you drive around the perimeter of the park, and enter in at various spots. This is a large area. To drive from say Hurricane Ridge to Quinault is quite a ride. You pretty much have to allow for several days and nights to be able to spend time at each of the locations you want to visit. It's hours of driving between the various entrances to the park.

I highly recommend the beaches, on the Pacific, that are at the western end of the park. Like Ruby beach:

http://bobtowery.typepad.com/bob_towery/20...ruby-beach.html (http://bobtowery.typepad.com/bob_towery/2009/03/twilight-at-ruby-beach.html)

And there are many more beaches. Gorgeous sea stacks, nice sunsets (10pm in summer!), it's a dream. I stayed in Forks - very basic.

Here is a shot from Sol Duc, just upwater from the famous waterfall. This has been one of my best selling images.

http://bobtowery.typepad.com/bob_towery/20...first-post.html (http://bobtowery.typepad.com/bob_towery/2009/01/first-post.html)

After my trip there (rental SUV) I thought that an RV would be a good way to see the area next time, just to be more self sufficient.

WA is one of my favorite places in the world. If my wife could handle the cold, we'd be living there!

Bob.