A big part of going to visit National Parks is the opportunity to do relatively easy day hikes.

Noel and I have always been surprised how many people will drive into a national park, proceed to park in the parking lot, get out of the car, take a selfie by a major attraction and then get back in the car and leave. While this is certainly better than not coming into a park at all – it does take away from the overall park experience because so much a park has to offer is often missed on the “quick picture” stops.

We have found – including at super busy parks like Yellowstone NP – that a short hike away from some of the major attractions often has very few people, is quiet, and you get to see more wildlife.

A decade ago we would sometimes do 6 to 7 miles on hikes traversing up and down steeper trails. Noel’s knees were starting to have some issues so we shortened a lot of our hikes to ensure that we could enjoy the experience without a lot of pain afterwards.

Fast forward to 2026 – Noel is now a bionic woman (kinda like Lindsay Wagner) and has two new knees so we are able to take on a bit more hiking than we could in recent years.

We enjoyed two “must do” short hikes on our recent trip to Olympic National Park.

Marymere Falls at Crescent Lake

We left our campsite at RV@Olympic and drove 45 minutes or so down U.S. 101 to get to the Storm King Ranger Station on Lake Crescent.

Que the Mission Impossible theme …

Our Mission – if we choose to accept it – was to hike the 1 mile long trail from the Ranger Station to Marymere Falls and back. Pain free if possible.

Mission accepted.

You start the trail from a busy parking lot containing a picnic area, boat launch and the Storm King Ranger Station. The first part of the hike skirts beautiful (and often blustery) Lake Crescent – and we stopped and took the required selfie this part of the trip.

After walking beside the lake the trail turns into a meandering walk through the forest with a broad and easy walking path for the majority of the hike.

The hike has several things which are fun for families – you go through a tunnel which goes underneath U.S. Highway 101 and get to practice your polite hiking skills crossing a “1 – person wide” bridge to cross a stream.

It gets a bit more interesting on the final stages of the hike when you have to take some stairs to access the viewpoints for the falls.

Most people are breathing pretty heavily when they reach the two viewing areas – but the exertion is worth it as you are rewarded with a view of Marymere Falls.

After grabbing as many pictures as possible and talking other hikers into taking your picture with the falls in the background – it is time for a steep descent down the stairs.

Noel and I use hiking poles all of the time – and trust me when I say that you are grateful to have these with steep terrain and loose gravel. We saw several people lose their footing wearing sandals or flat bottomed running shoes – a reminder that even on easier trails appropriate footwear is always a must.

As you wrap up the hike you walk past a very large old tree about 0.25 miles from the trailhead – which is a popular stop for photographs and selfies.

While we did not see much wildlife along the trail as there were quite a few people out and about – we did see a large number of chipmunks which are prevalent all through Olympic National Park.

After several visits to Olympic National Park – we would consider the hike to Marymere Falls a “must do” activity on a short visit.

Big Meadow Loop Trail at Hurricane Ridge

We left our campsite at RV@Olympic and had about an hour drive up to the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center area to eat a picnic lunch, attend a NPS Ranger talk, and take a walk along the paved Big Meadow Loop trail.

The views from Hurricane Ridge are spectacular – and this stop is a typical starting place for anyone visiting Olympic National Park coming from the east. The parking lot is often crowded (or full) – so patience is a virtue when seeking a parking place.

The Big Meadow Loop trail is paved and is an easy hike for people of all skill levels and ages. We have always seen deer along this trail – and they are clearly not afraid of people.

On this visit we were lucky to see a Black Bear some distance away eating plants and berries below Hurricane Ridge.

One of the highlights of our trip this year to Hurricane Ridge was attending a National Park Service Ranger talk at the Hurricane Ridge Overlook. This short 20 minute talk blended history, geology and wildlife biology and provided all of us an opportunity to ask questions about Olympic National Park and the surrounding area. These talks are always excellent and I encourage any visitor to a US National Park to find time to attend these free opportunities to learn something new.

These two short hikes are both easy and enjoyable for the entire family. There are many more hikes at Olympic National Park – and we have already added several different ones to our list for the next time we are on the Olympic Peninsula!