Things to See and Do on the Olympic Peninsula Year-Round

[Summer Activities] [Winter Activities]

Summer Activities:

Rainbow’s End RV Park is a great jumping off place for sight seeing on the Olympic Peninsula. Strategically located just west of Sequim off of Highway 101, Rainbow’s End offers a serene and beautiful retreat after a busy day touring the local points of interest. I can only mention a few highlights.

Birding is big business on the Peninsula. The Dungeness River Audubon Center only about a mile from the RV Park at Railroad Bridge offers numerous educational programs and public events beneficial to all interested bird watchers. The Olympic Discovery Trail, a paved biking/hiking route, allows visitors a leisurely view of scenic vistas without worrying about traffic. The Discovery Trail is located within a mile of the RV Park. The Dungeness National Refuge (Spit) is the location of the oldest lighthouse north of the Columbia River. Access is by foot only and many species of birds can be observed. Day hikers can visit the lighthouse grounds and hike back in one day. 

Olympic Park National Visitor Center provides information on hikes, naturalist programs and trail and weather conditions in the Park. The closest Visitor Center is in Port Angeles the town just west of Rainbow’s End RV Park. Stop by our office where we have the 2004 Olympic Park Institute Course Catalog.

Hurricane Ridge at 5200 ft. above sea level is one of Olympic National Park's most scenic areas offering a view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the glacier-clad peaks of the Olympic Mountains. Deer are regularly seen along the Hurricane Ridge Road and mountain goats and marmots are spotted from nearby trails.

The Hoh Rain Forest is a temperate rain forest located southwest of Port Angeles. Average precipitation is 145 inches each year. Winter temperatures seldom drop below freezing and summertime highs rarely exceed 80°F. Giant, moss-draped Sitka spruce and western hemlock, some reaching 300 feet in height and 23 feet in circumference, are the dominant species. Various other tree and plant species fill up every bit of space. 

Marymere Falls is a picturesque 90 foot waterfall located at the end of a three-quarter mile nature trail that begins at the Lake Crescent Visitor Center.

Drive along Lake Crescent, a deep freshwater lake that hugs the northern edge of the 101 Highway for some spectacular scenery. After hiking to Marymere Falls, stop for refreshments at Crescent Lodge, a gracious old wooden building with a large verandah for enjoying the view.

Just past Sol Duc Hot Springs featuring hot spring pools and a freshwater pool is a nature walk trail to Sol Duc Falls, possibly the most well known waterfall on the Peninsula. Travel along Highway 112 to reach Neah Bay, the most western point in the continental United States, and visit the Makah Indian Museum.

Sequim and its neighboring communities of Port Angeles and Port Townsend offer a full calendar of events besides superb restaurants, antique shops, and specialty stores. Check out the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Centers websites at www.peninsulaevents.com to get a complete listing of local festivals and events.

The Sequim-Dungeness Valley has year round golf available to the public at two golf courses, each with a driving range and pro shop.  Charter boats with experienced captains are available at John Wayne Marina in Sequim and at Boat Haven in Port Angeles. Sightseeing charters are also available.

Royal Victorian Tours offers daylong trips to Victoria, BC at a great price that includes the ferry crossings, a historical city tour of Victoria and its outlying areas, entrance to Butchart Gardens, and free time to explore Victoria’s shops, eateries, and cultural attractions.

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Winter Activities

The Sequim Dungeness Valley, where lush greenery rises up to the snow-crested Olympic Mountains to the south and the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north, has an average yearly rainfall of only 16 inches. Besides the little rainfall Sequim residents like to brag about the mild temperatures. Usually our coldest days here only last 3-4 days. The low temperatures in January, February and March average above freezing and most sunny days are in the 40-60º range. The temperate climate allows for year round outdoor activities.

Things to do are plentiful. The Olympic National Forest is Sequim’s “backyard”. Nearby Hurricane Ridge is open for skiing, snowboarding and even snowshoe classes during the winter season. Easy hikes into the Rain Forest can access Marymere and Sol Duc waterfalls. 

Hobbyists will find a variety of classes to join. There are year round activities for quilters, gardeners, woodworkers and artists on the Peninsula. Sequim’s library is a branch of the North Olympic Library system with a comprehensive collection including Internet access. The Olympic Theater Arts Group offers theatrical productions performed by local talent. Several commercial wineries can be found on the Olympic Peninsula. The Dungeness Wildlife Refuge and Audubon Center at Railroad Bridge Park offer year round scenery and bird watching. The Roosevelt elk herd munching their way through the open fields on the east side of Sequim is a popular target for photographers.

Click on each photo below to enlarge:

The Sequim Senior Center is open five days a week and has activities for many interests: bingo, chess, pinochle, Bridge, craft classes, Yoga, 55 Alive classes and potlucks with entertainment by the Senior Center Jazz Band. Its newest additions are computer and gem/mineral classes.

Sequim Valley offers…

• No extremes of heat or cold- a temperate marine climate. First frost in late October and last in mid-February or early March.
• Three golf courses, The John Wayne Marina, and SARC, SARC, (Sequim Aquatic & Recreation Center) with an Olympic style pool.
• Uncrowded driftwood beaches ideal for exploring, running, picnicking, drawing and painting-and don’t forget digging for clams in season.
• Exercise and outdoor activities year round – strolling or bicycling the Olympic Discovery Trail and birding on the Dungeness River-just two examples.
• Sailing, boating, canoeing, kayaking and fishing on the Strait of Juan de Fuca
• A Gardening Paradise for flowers, fruits, berries and Christmas trees
• Superior medical facilities: the Olympic Medical Center is one of the best in the country!

Rainbow’s End RV Park offers you beauty, and friendliness in safe and quiet surroundings. When our guests leave us they often comment on how much they will miss the Olympic Mountains towering above us and the shimmering sunsets in the late fall skies. 

Please contact office@rainbowsendrvpark.com for more on our low winter rates.

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