I'm planning my first big solo hiking/camping trip, the destination is Olympic national park. I've done plenty of solo trips and trips with others but haven't attempted a big solo trip like this and am struggling to plan my itinerary. Any recommendations on how to avoid the crowds? What would you recommend I bring apart from the common stuff? Any tips for places to go, park, camp, etc. and things to do?

That's some of the rainiest, most unpredictable weather in the US up there. You definitely won't see crowds on those trails.

>>2801475
Most people who visit Olympic are forest worshippers. They speak in low tones when they enter the forest. Besides, the greenery is so thick that you can be 300 meters from a highway and feel like you're in the middle of untamed wilderness. The summer weather is quite pleasant in the park, a lot like northern Europe.

>>2801475
According to people online it gets packed, multi hour waits to get to some parking lots, booked campsites and hotel rooms, etc.

I'm a Washington native. Peak season just kind of is what it is as far as crowds. The deeper you go in the less crowds I haven't explored the whole park but the Hoh river along with the seven lakes basin is pretty spectacular. Staircase campground is great in late September/early October.

>>2801598
Any recommendations on where to park and stay?

>>2801716
I found my free campsites as I went along. Some in the Olympic National Forest, other stealth spots in private forests or vacant spaces. Use the USFS Interactive Visitor Map to figure out where forest roads cross forest land, then go explore each one of them. The Klahanie Campground near Forks was a pretty spooky spot. Everything abandoned and overgrown. Mist swirling through the trees.

>>2801731
Did you have to reserve any campgrounds? Will it be packed in peak season?

>>2801825
Paying $20+ per night to sleep in a glorified homeless camp isn't my thing. Forest seclusion is my ideal, even if it means a lot of driving around to find a good spot.

>>2801835
But isn't Klahanie paid? I thought most of those campsites were

Anyone who has gone have recommendations for an itinerary?

>>2801479
Forest worshipers? You mean hippies? I know there's a lot in Washington which is why I'm hoping to dodge the traffic

>>2802734
Naa hippies are faggots. Forest worshippers are the oposite of gay and cum inside of wet pussies

Bump

Make sure you also go up the mountain where it's snowy. Bring a coat. I went there in October and the park was pretty much empty. To be honest, it's a spectacular landscape but if you're going solo it's also a bit gloomy, with all the rain you get out there. If a serial killer gets you they will never find the body.

>>2803361
Where did you park and where did you stay?

>>2803603
I don't even remember staying in the park. I don't think I would have because it's so wet. And the roads aren't as good as in other parks becuase of the rain and I think some of them might not even be paved. Along the side of the road it's like thick moss and fern-covered jungle. Literally a body could be ten feet away and you would never see it. But that's not every road. The main ring road I remmber being pretty normal, like a normal highway or something with loggin trucks and shit. There were even vast areas that were clearcut. The good thing is that there are lots of coffee stands in those parts, because it's so gloomy. The banana slugs are great though.

>>2803609
I think that the clearcut areas aren't designated ask park, there's a big stretch between the coast and the mountains. If you didn't stay in the park, did you stay in hotels?

>>2803719
yeah, watch out for bedbugs

>>2803719
the coffee stands out there btw, are the ones where the women show their boobies

>>2803750
Big problem in the west? I live east coast and they're only a problem in the ghettos and meth communities
>>2803751
What kind of coffee stands are those?!

>>2803839
Sounds like you can’t stand that kind of place

>>2803944
CARLOS

>>2803750
Not a problem if you sleep under the stars as God intended anon

>>2805153
>sleep under the stars
I don't even know where you can do that. Where I go camping you would freeze to death if you slept outside of a tent, and you would also have had to deal with rattlesnakes potentially slipping in and cuddling between your legs. And if it rained, then you would be shit out of luck.

>>2805163
I guess I'm just build different, during the spring and summer I used to just lay a tarp down on the ground and sleep on that, bug spray and have no issues.