Lake Quinault Lodge is my favorite place to stay on Olympic peninsula – I’ve been here many times, ever since I discovered it during my very first trip to the park. It’s old (built in 1926), so don’t come here for top notch modern facilities and well-insulated rooms. Come here for the atmosphere, for that incomparable feeling of a grand, century old house with squeaky floors, dimly lit corridors, majestic living room and a fireplace right out of a fairy tale.

I visited Lake Quinault Lodge in August 2020 as part of my Olympic loop drive.

Now, there are other buildings on the property with other types of rooms, some of them might have a more contemporary feel to them, but I’ve always stayed in the main lodge, I just love it so much.

The main lodge is beautiful, but it’s only half of the attraction. There’s also the lake – Lake Quinault that it stands upon, literally steps away. Not the most dramatic landscape I’ve seen in my life, but there’s this sense of seclusion, of being in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nature so pristine, fresh and fragrant, that you just want to bask in it forever.

Although Lake Quinault Lodge technically is not within the national park border, it’s very close. You can explore both the west coast beaches and Hoh Rainforest on the way to or from here. If spending the night is not an option, stopping by to see the lobby and the grounds is still very much worth it. There’s also a restaurant and a gift shop on site.