The wife and I will be visiting Olympic and Rainier in Late July and early August. I would love to get some recommendations from you natives on the "can't miss" spots in this park. We are avid day hikes, but don't do the backpacking scene.
Olympic NP: Hurricane Ridge (with views of the Olympics); Sol Duc Falls; Hoh Rain Forest; Rialto,Second, and Ruby Beaches. IMO, the nicest beach in the Park is Shi Shi but it is about a 3 mile hike, one way, to Point of Arches, certainly doable in a day, but if you are interested in photography at "sweet light" time that means hiking in the dark and sections of this trail can be quite muddy even in the summer. I've never done Shi Shi without backpacking in.....
Rainier: alot depends on how much time you plan on spending here. Certainly the most popular area is Paradise (on the south side of the mtn) with plenty of trails to chose from and, hopefully, plenty of wildflowers. Reflection Lake at sunrise is a must for photography. On the north side is Sunrise which isn't nearly as lush as Paradise but offers great views of Rainier. On the Northwest side one of my favorite areas is Mowich Lake (a long drive in on a gravel/dirt road so you want good tires and relatively good ground clearance) with hikes from here to Spray Park in one direction and Eunice Lake/Tolmie Peak in another.
There are plenty of good guide books on both Parks. Late July/early August is a popular tourist time for both areas so bring your patience.
Posted by James Walley on June 28, 2009 at 7:57 PM
The only thing I'd add about the Olympics is that, unless you get really lucky for weather, you're either going to get bright-and-sunny (Hurricane Ridge, the beaches) or overcast (Sol Duc and Hoh forests), and have to stick with one set of the two. Getting a mix of sunshine and overcast days allowing you to photograph in both would be amazingly rare at that time of year.
In my experience it's not all that unusual to have morning clouds followed by afternoon sun on the Peninsula....just depends on whether there is an onshore or offshore push of marine air. Fortunately the places I mentioned are relatively close to one another and it would not by hard to modify travel plans based on the weather. In fact, if you do go to Hurricane Ridge the Olympics rising above a layer of low clouds in the valleys below is hard to beat.
In addition to the excellent advice above, if you like waterfall shots, the Mt. Rainier area is full of them, and many are within short walking distances.
Some suggestions would include Myrtle Falls above the Paradise visitor center, Comet Falls, Christine Falls (especially from the viewpoint at the lower trail), Narada Falls and various falls along the Paradise River.
Examples of these falls can be seen at www.cafields.com . Click on NW Waterfalls>Mt. Rainier. More Mt. Rainier area photos can be viewed in the NW Cascades>Mt. Rainier section.
Be sure and bring your CPL and ND filters, tripod and remote shutter release (and mosquito spray).
Also you might keep an eye open at the lower parking lot of the Paradise visitor center and in the nearby picnic area. Foxes roam this location very frequently and with luck you can grab a few shots before the tourists scare them away. I've had good success before and after the visitor center hours when the crowds have left.
Skip.... remember me from Ohio? I may get up there for a day during that time of year.. give me a call or send me an email when you have a definite date...cell 503-333-8699
I am out of town until 7/8.. just finished a workshop in Olympic and heading to Glacier tonight.
Regards,
Jack
Posted by James Walley on June 29, 2009 at 2:14 AM
In my experience it's not all that unusual to have morning clouds followed by afternoon sun on the Peninsula....just depends on whether there is an onshore or offshore push of marine air.
While I may not have spent as much time there as you, I've found it tends to work exactly the opposite way an on-site photographer would want: the onshore flow is just enough to keep Ruby, Rialto, and Second Beaches socked in with fog but, inland at the Hoh and Sol Duc forests, you've got bright sunlight and garish shadows.
Discussion
9 repliesRainier: alot depends on how much time you plan on spending here. Certainly the most popular area is Paradise (on the south side of the mtn) with plenty of trails to chose from and, hopefully, plenty of wildflowers. Reflection Lake at sunrise is a must for photography. On the north side is Sunrise which isn't nearly as lush as Paradise but offers great views of Rainier. On the Northwest side one of my favorite areas is Mowich Lake (a long drive in on a gravel/dirt road so you want good tires and relatively good ground clearance) with hikes from here to Spray Park in one direction and Eunice Lake/Tolmie Peak in another.
There are plenty of good guide books on both Parks. Late July/early August is a popular tourist time for both areas so bring your patience.
Some suggestions would include Myrtle Falls above the Paradise visitor center, Comet Falls, Christine Falls (especially from the viewpoint at the lower trail), Narada Falls and various falls along the Paradise River.
Examples of these falls can be seen at www.cafields.com . Click on NW Waterfalls>Mt. Rainier. More Mt. Rainier area photos can be viewed in the NW Cascades>Mt. Rainier section.
Be sure and bring your CPL and ND filters, tripod and remote shutter release (and mosquito spray).
Also you might keep an eye open at the lower parking lot of the Paradise visitor center and in the nearby picnic area. Foxes roam this location very frequently and with luck you can grab a few shots before the tourists scare them away. I've had good success before and after the visitor center hours when the crowds have left.
Hope this helps,
C.A.Fields
I am out of town until 7/8.. just finished a workshop in Olympic and heading to Glacier tonight.
Regards,
Jack
While I may not have spent as much time there as you, I've found it tends to work exactly the opposite way an on-site photographer would want: the onshore flow is just enough to keep Ruby, Rialto, and Second Beaches socked in with fog but, inland at the Hoh and Sol Duc forests, you've got bright sunlight and garish shadows.