Summer Is Sizzling on the Olympic Peninsula

Bailey Range viewed from Hurricane Ridge

Summer Is Sizzling on the Olympic Peninsula
Opportunities for adventure abound in July

Kick off the month with a bang at July Fourth celebrations across the Olympic Peninsula. Delight in fragrant splendor during Sequim's Lavender Weekend. Indulge your taste buds with a traditional Quileute salmon bake or a modern version at Allyn's Geoduck Festival. Chill out to jazz in Port Townsend and other community concerts. Test your pedal mettle on a bike ride up to Hurricane Ridge.

Warm, lingering days invite you outside to immerse yourself in natural surroundings. The perfect place for those outdoor adventures is the Olympic Peninsula. Explore on foot, wheels, or water with hiking, cycling, paddling, and more. Secure your lodging or campsite before you arrive as spaces fill up quickly this time of year.

Whatever you choose to do, we look forward to welcoming you to the Olympic Peninsula this summer.

Marsha Massey, Executive Director

Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau

on behalf of the Olympic Peninsula Tourism Commission

Check out what's happening on the Olympic Peninsula this month.

Request your Olympic Peninsula Travel Planner now.

Celebrate the Fourth of July on the Olympic Peninsula

Check out our roundup of Independence Day festivals with parades, fireworks, local cuisine, outdoor music and dancing, and even a laser light show.

Above: Thunder on the Canal: Alderbrook Resort & Spa, July 3, noon to midnight. Fireworks, an oyster-eating challenge, and dancing on the waterfront.

Get Your Groove On

Some of the hottest music in the Pacific Northwest resounds across the peninsula in the warmer months . We've rounded up a handful of outdoor concerts where you can kick off your hiking boots, grab a local craft brew, and dance to the sounds of summer.

Above: Concerts on the Dock, Port Townsend. Photo: David Conklin

Sequim Museum and Arts Center

Grand Opening

July 6, 11 a.m.-4 a.m.

This brand-new museum is home to rotating exhibits and permanent collections, including the Manis Mastodon exhibit and artifacts from resident Joe Rantz, featured in the bestselling book 'The Boys in the Boat.' The museum will be open Thursdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Clallam Bay Sekiu Fun Days

July 12-14

What says summer more than small-town festivals? Craft and food vendors, a potluck social, art and photography shows, a poker ride, barbecue, the grand parade, and a huge fireworks show over the water.

Sequim Lavender Weekend, July 19-21

Sequim blooms with activity during this three-day celebration of everything lavender. The largest lavender celebration in the United States features a street fair, farm festivals and events, art and quilt shows, concerts, and more. For more than two decades, local family farms in Sequim and the surrounding Dungeness Valley have been renowned as the premier growers of this fragrant herb.

Quileute Days

July 19-21

Celebrate Quileute tribal cultural heritage at this weekend festival featuring a traditional salmon bake, dancing and songs, softball and horseshoe tournaments, arts and crafts, local cuisine, canoe races, stick games, and fireworks on the beach.

Allyn Days Salmon Bake & Geoduck Festival

July 20-21

Head to Allyn for an action-packed weekend on the water with live music, fun runs, a salmon bake, geoducks, vendors, and more.

Centrum's Jazz Port Townsend

July 25-27

You're in for a movable feast of great music. Main stage shows take place in Fort Worden State Park's 1,200-seat McCurdy Pavilion. Jazz Port Townsend also features the popular Jazz in the Clubs series in venues throughout Fort Worden. (Photo: Jim Levitt)

Joyce Daze Wild Blackberry Festival

August 3

Midsummer delivers an abundance of wild blackberries just in time for this annual festival in the small community of Joyce. Think tables stacked high with freshly baked pies, a pancake breakfast, arts and crafts, a big parade (it shuts down Hwy 112!), topped off by a salmon bake and live entertainment. You can't get more local than this.

Ride the Hurricane

August 4

Power up Hurricane Ridge Road to more than 5,200 feet above sea level in Olympic National Park . This annual bicycling event offers three distance options (24, 36, or 41 miles) and new 100-mile "experimental route" that extends your ride to a century.

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary's

25th Anniversary Celebration

July 17, 6 p.m.: Concert on the Pier, Port Angeles City Pier. This free community concert hosted by the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and the City of Port Angeles features live music, educational booths, and fun family activities.

July 22, noon to 2 p.m.: The anniversary celebration continues with games, hands-on activities, appearances by Sanctuary Sam, and cake at the Olympic Coast Discovery Center. More info here.

Sip and Paint with PNW Artist Todd Fischer: August 2, 3-5 p.m., Kalaloch Lodge. The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Foundation hosts a wine tasting and art instruction event with local artist Todd Fischer. This is a great way to kick off your Get Into Your Sanctuary adventures. To purchase tickets, contact the lodge's front desk at 360-926-2271, ext. 1000.

Start Planning Your Olympic Peninsula Adventure

Download or request a mailed copy of your free 2019-2020 Olympic Peninsula Travel Planner .

The Travel Planner includes:

A map of the peninsula
Lodging and camping
Descriptions of local communities
Things to do: birding, kayaking, biking, hiking, SUPing, geocaching, and more
Local events calendar
Tips for experiencing the trip of a lifetime

Plan Your Summer Trip to Olympic National Park

Forest, coastal, and mountain ecosystems combine to create a spectacular wilderness park. Designated as a United Nations World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserves, the park serves as a living laboratory for scientists and students and an incredible natural playground for visitors. Millions of people visit the park each year to experience its beauty, diversity, and opportunities for adventure, exploration, and recreation. Come explore for a few hours or a lifetime. Start your trip planning here and be sure to check for alerts and road conditions before you arrive.

Olympic National Forest Summer Updates

For the latest updates on national forest alerts and conditions, visit the Olympic National Forest website.

Remember: Fireworks are not permitted on public lands. We are moving into the dry season and need to be aware of campfire etiquette. If your campfire is too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave. Enjoy recreation on public lands, and leave nothing but footprints.

Hamma Hamma: Olympic National Forest is working with Olympic National Park and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for the second year to relocate mountain goats from the Olympic Mountains to the northern Cascades. People recreating at the Hamma Hamma area during July 9-18 may hear helicopter activity daily from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Mount Ellinor: August 18-30, all trails leading to Mount Ellinor will be closed for mountain goat removal in that area. There will be no access to Mount Ellinor during this time period.

Falls View Campground and Trail: Both are closed for the season for removal of hazard trees. The contractor is expected to begin operations the week of July 8.

Mount Walker: The Mount Walker area has reopened to the public, with visitors able to drive to the top of the mountain. Be sure to park off the highway in the parking area if you're hiking to the top.

Big Creek Trail and Camping: The Big Stew timber sale contractor is beginning work on a temporary road. You may hear heavy equipment noise on the Big Creek Trail or camping at Big Creek.