Forks, Washington, isn’t in Olympic National Park. It also doesn’t have any vampires that we could find, but it is a beautiful coastal city with a lot of things to do nearby. Below is our guide to a few nice stops and things to do near Forks.
Of course, while you are in Forks, make sure to keep an eye out for vampire references. A lot of the business have references to the vampires made famous in the Twilight books. Vampires have become one of the main reasons for tourist to come to this area!
Timber Museum Picnic Area & Trail
As you enter Forks from the south, there is a nice little museum area on the right side of the road. The Timber Museum is a small museum about the local timber industry. We didn’t walk through the museum, but we stopped for a picnic and looked at a few of the outdoor sites. There is also a small trail behind the picnic areas. It took us a quarter of a mile through the woods, which was the perfect distance to help us digest lunch. Though you won’t spend a lot of time at this stop, it is worth taking a few pictures by the Forks sign.
Sully’s Drive-In
A little farther up the road is one of the best known restaurants in Forks. Sully’s was started by the Sullivan family. It’s a great stop for burgers, shakes and fries. Prices are reasonable, and the servers are unusually friendly. Make a stop at Sully’s for lunch or dinner.
Rialto Beach
Rialto Beach is just up the road from Forks. There is a really nice hike called Hole in the Wall that we have written about. You can even check out the tidepools after you’ve walked through the hole.
Ruby Beach
Ruby Beach is the most famous beach in this area of Olympic National Park. There are tide pools, sea stacks, beautiful beaches and the ocean. We didn’t have time to make it to this beach, but it is highly recommended by everyone, so we are passing that recommendation on to you.
Beach 4 Tidepools
If you are interested in tidepools, we found the best spot to be Beach 4. We arrived at low tide and made the short walk down to the beach. Turn right and walk to the large rocky outcropping. We couldn’t count all the purple and orange starfish! There were also crabs and anemones and plenty of pools to explore. Our boys declared Beach 4 the best part of our visit to Olympic.
Lake Crescent
To the east of Forks is the Lake Crescent area of Olympic National Park. This lake is large and has beautiful blue water. The beaches are more rocky than sandy, but that didn’t stop lots of people from enjoying the water. There are also some nice trails in this area, too. Check out our post on Things to do near Lake Crescent.
If you are looking for more things to do in the town of Forks, Washington, check out this post from the Forks Chamber of Commerce.
Spent six years exploring the Washington Coast pre 2010. Going up there again on a 30 +- camping spree this next year in May.
That sounds amazing! We wish we had more time this trip to explore, so we hope to make it up there again.