Olympic National Park (ONP) requires a park pass for each vehicle. Information for park passes is in the link below. We recommend the America the Beautiful Pass if you plan to visit more than one park - it is good for one year for entry into all National Parks. Tip: You can buy the pass locally in many different places. Buy it in person (so you don't have to wait for it to mail to you) close to the time of our trip, and you'll have it to use for most of 2024 as well. If you don't think you'll visit any other parks, there is also a weekly pass for just Olympic NP, which is cheaper. We recommend buying the passes in advance! Since the pass is per vehicle, we also recommend carpooling if you want to! https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/fees.htm https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm
All National Parks operate under the Leave No Trace principles. Please honor these while in the park. https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/wilderness-leave-no-trace.htm
ONP restricts pets to certain trails and areas of the park. They also have guidelines for behavior and waste removal. https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/pets.htm#:~:text=Pet%20owners%20are%20responsible%20for,trails%2C%20and%20other%20developed%20areas.&text=Pets%20must%20be%20restrained%20on%20a%20leash%20no%20longer%20than%206%20feet.
You can find an overall map and also specific area maps on the ONP page. They also have info about the area to help plan your trip. https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/maps.htm
Port Angeles has lots of restaurants and things to do. It is the boarding point for many cruises that go up to Alaska and also has a ferry that will take you into Victoria B.C. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Port+Angeles,+WA/@48.1681872,-123.475486,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x548e520cc0e7e747:0x5dbc618c634fa5d9!8m2!3d48.118146!4d-123.4307413
There are several ways to get to Port Angeles from Seattle. There is a way you can avoid taking a ferry, where you drive south and then back up north. There are also two different ferries you can take. We suggest the Edmonds/Kingston ferry if you do take one, as it avoids you having to drive through downtown Seattle. Heads up, Seattle traffic can be not so fun! If you take a ferry, also be sure to check out the times it operates, as well as any hold ups that may be happening on the day you travel, associated fees, and parking spaces left at the time you want to travel. The Express Ferry only allows people, no cars, so that is not an option unless you are not going to have a car (not recommended). https://wsdot.com/ferries/vesselwatch/terminaldetail.aspx?terminalid=12 https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Seattle,+WA/Port+Angeles,+WA/@47.6744414,-123.408306,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x5490102c93e83355:0x102565466944d59a!2m2!1d-122.3320708!2d47.6062095!1m5!1m1!1s0x548e520cc0e7e747:0x5dbc618c634fa5d9!2m2!1d-123.4307413!2d48.118146!3e0
We will be flying into Seattle Friday morning, 10/6, and traveling to Port Angeles on Sunday, 10/8. We will leave the Port Angeles area on Tuesday, 10/10, to travel around the coast and other areas for a mini-honeymoon.
Our ceremony location is at Bovee's Meadow in Lake Crescent, which is about a half hour drive from Port Angeles. This is not a traditional wedding at a venue. It is outdoors in the National park, and we are keeping the ceremony short and simple, so there will be no chairs, backdrops, etc. After the ceremony we are going to take group pictures and hopefully have some celebratory champagne and snacks (pending the weather isn't crazy). Then, we're going to go off with the photographer to take some solo pictures, and leave you free to do whatever you want for the rest of the afternoon. We'll meet back up for dinner in Port Angeles.
The PNW is rainy, and ONP is technically a rain forest, so there's a chance it will be raining. Having the wedding in the least rainy months (Jul-Oct) is hopefully going to help the issue, but there are no guarantees! Our photographer is very skilled at shooting in the rain (has been a photog in ONP for over 20 years!) and says that most likely, if it is raining, it will not be all day. If for some reason it is a very bad storm, there may be a slight chance we have to reschedule (this doesn't happen often). Rain on your wedding day is a good sign, right?