Olympic Peninsula - Travel
Information
 Most out-of-state visitors
fly into the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and rent
a car for their local transportation. From Seattle, there
are four different routes that you can take to get to Forks,
Washington. We borrowed this nice little map from the Washington
State Ferries. It provides all the ferry routes across Puget
Sound and some highway information if you elect to drive to
Forks.
The most direct route, although it's
not necessarily the shortest in travel time, is to take a
Washington State Ferry from either Seattle to Bainbridge
Island or, further to the north, from Edmonds to Kingston.
Once you are on the other side, follow the road signs to Port
Angeles via the Hood Canal Floating Bridge and Hwy 101.
Continue on through Port Angeles on Hwy 101 to Forks. The
travel time is about three hours not including waiting in the
ferry line and the ferry crossing time. To us 'natives',
waiting for ferry service is a sore point and we have learned
to plan things around the ferry schedules. You should check
the ferry schedules before you depend on them to get you
across Puget Sound in a timely matter. If you have never been
on the ferry, the experience may well be worth your while.
Keep an eye out for marine animals including seals and otters.
Sometimes you will have the privilege of seeing a pod of Orca
(killer whales) as they travel up and down Puget
Sound.
For those of you who want to drive, there are
three routes to get you to Forks. All three routes start by
driving from Seattle to Tacoma on I-5.
The shortest
driving route is to take Hwy 16 from Tacoma to Bremerton, Hwy
3 from Bremerton across the Hood Canal Floating Bridge, and
Hwy 101 to Port Angeles and, eventually, to Forks. Since you
are still driving through 'civilization' this isn't as scenic
as the two longer drives, but it is interesting. This is about
a 4 hour drive.
For the second route, which is the
longest drive, keep driving from Tacoma to Olympia, head for
Shelton, and follow Hwy 101 up the west side of Hood Canal to
Port Angeles and Forks. Driving the west side of Hood Canal
also provides some beautiful scenery. This is about a 5 hour
drive.
For the last route, which may be the most
scenic, again drive from Tacoma to Olympia, head west on Hwy
12 to Aberdeen, and take Hwy 101 north to Forks. This route
will take you through the lush rain forests of the Olympic
Peninsula, as well as past some beautiful ocean views, and
provides you with some spectacular scenery. It's about a 5
hour drive, but it's well worth it if you have the
time!
No matter how you get to Forks, be sure to 'stop
and smell the roses' along the way - especially if you are a
first time visitor. You might also want to check The Olympic
Peninsula Bed & Breakfast Association's website. They are
a very good source for bed & breakfasts, restaurants, and
sightseeing attractions for the entire Olympic
Peninsula.
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