[Updated for 2023] Olympic National Park Elopement Guide
Olympic National Park is one of the best places in the Pacific Northwest to elope. Between the vast landscape, exploding with wildlife and plants, to the variety in scenery, it has something for everyone all in one place.
Olympic National Park Elopement Photographer
Hi, I’m Kayla!
I’m an elopement guide and photographer based in Portland, OR. I travel throughout the PNW and have photographed photos 70+ elopements!
I founded Together Theory on the belief that your wedding experience should be filled with time spent connected, present, and together. No rush or stress, just celebrating the love that you’ve found.
As a photographer based in the Pacific Northwest, Olympic National Park is one of my favorite places to shoot elopements because the possibilities are endless here! Every time I visit there is a brand new adventure waiting for me and my couples. There are falling leaves and beautiful colors in the fall, jaw-dropping sunsets in the summer, and snow in the winter.
Throughout this guide there are photos of elopements that I’ve photographed within Olympic National Park within the last few years, as well as photos of personal adventures there! It’s one place that I’ll continually be drawn back to by it’s beauty and magic.
Olympic National Park Elopement Locations
Like I said earlier, there are hundreds of places on the Olympic Peninsula to elope. The following examples are few of many! If you’re interested in eloping here, reach out to me and I’d be happy to talk about more locations in the park, as well as hidden gem spots that are magical in themselves.
H’oh Rainforest Elopement
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to step into a Twilight movie, exploring H’oh Rainforest will show you. Driving in to the rainforest quickly leaves you surrounded by moss covered trees, a river with a mountainscape behind it, and a sense of magic.
Like most locations within the park, accessing H’oh Rainforest requires a National Parks pass that you can purchase upon entry. There are many different options for passes, but I recommend the yearly pass that’s sold for $80 to get the best deal. You can pick one up in the park or before you visit at REI or online.
Ruby Beach Elopement
Ruby Beach is on the western coast of the Olympic Peninsula, and is a stunning encapsulation of what the Washington coastline has to offer. Between epic cliffs and rocky sea stacks carved by the ocean into incredible shapes, it is bound to take your breathe away.
Some of my favorite things to do at Ruby Beach are picnic and watch the sunset, explore tide pools and look for sea-life, and picnic on the beach! Below are photos after dark at Ruby Beach. This couple eloped a week before Halloween, and wanted to take some fun and spooky photos to end the day! What you can’t see in these photos is how hard we were all laughing while we took them.
Hurricane Ridge Elopement
Hurricane Ridge is a great place to elope with a larger group of people, and is accessible to nearly everyone! According to the Olympic National Park permit office, the only approved ceremony location on Hurricane Ridge is the picnic area past the visitor’s center. Usually this area has low traffic since it’s down a thin road that’s easy to pass right by.
The picnic area is a great place for easy to reach mountain views, and even has forest and a few trails to walk through. In the past, I’ve seen wildlife here during elopements- a black bear and deer to be specific! Luckily the bear stayed at a distance, and it was a memorable experience for the couple.
The best time of year to elope on Hurricane Ridge is the late spring through early fall due to snowfall at the high elevation. It is still accessible in the winter, but only on certain days of the week. In the summer, it is teeming with wildflowers!
Lake Crescent Wedding
Lake Crescent is another great place to elope in Olympic National Park. Take one of the trails that surrounds the lake, stay at Lake Crescent Lodge, or just take in the gorgeous scenery lakeside. You are bound for a peaceful experience, especially at sunrise when traffic levels are low and there is more privacy.
Olympic National Park Venues & Places to Stay
While there are not many venues in Olympic National Park that are fitting for smaller elopements, there are lots of lodging options that serve as great places to hold a reception with family, or even just to get ready in.
A few of my favorite places to stay in Olympic National Park are Sequim, Forks, and Port Angeles. Sequim is at the northeast corner of the peninsula, and has beautiful views and a cute downtown with food options and amenities. It’s in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, so there is significantly less rain here than most places around the park.
Forks is on the northwest side of the peninsula, and is great for an experience immersed in forest and nearby the Pacific coast. It may sound familiar, since this is where the Twilight series took place. It’s a very small town filled with beauty.
Port Angeles is the closest city to the park that has lots of amenities and places to stay. The entrance to Hurricane Ridge is in the city of Port Angeles, and other locations like Lake Crescent are very close by. There are lots of food options and wedding vendors based in Port Angeles.
Other places that are great to check out are Port Townsend and Brinnon, Washington. These towns are more historic and have wildlife like seals, whales, and cranes, as well as beautiful architecture. Port Townsend has great food options, and Brinnon is close to places where you can rent kayaks and enjoy the Puget Sound.
Cyndy and Alex’s castle elopement venue; Sequim WA
A Port Angeles VRBO with a view of the ocean makes a great reception venue!
Olympic National Park Wedding Permit
If you are planning to have an Olympic National Park wedding or elopement, you should contact the permit office to make sure you are all set to elope.
As of October 2021, a permit is required for a ceremony in Olympic National Park spaces no matter what. Photography permits are only required for groups over 5 people and if the photos will be used for commercial use. The processing time for permits is usually around 2 weeks. However, this is subject to change and I encourage you to reach out if you plan to elope in Olympic National Park.
