You can make Seattle to Forks in about 3.5 hours, but the people who love this drive never do it in one straight shot. At around 140 miles on WA-104 and US-101, it is short enough to start after breakfast and long enough to earn a night somewhere memorable in sightings country.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Seattle
Aim to clear Seattle before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 81 miles to Port Angeles.
The headline stop on this route is Hoh Rain Forest. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Port Angeles
Port Angeles sits about 81 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Sasquatch country on the Olympic Peninsula is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Lake Crescent, the last stretch
Lake Crescent sits about 104 miles in. It makes a good spot to stretch, eat something that is not from a gas station, and swap drivers.
Rolling into Forks
The final 36 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for Rialto Beach sea stacks; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Hoh Rain Forest, Sasquatch country on the Olympic Peninsula and Rialto Beach sea stacks, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
One night is the sweet spot. Forks or Port Angeles, WA is where most people stay, so book ahead on summer weekends.
Check live gas prices along WA-104 and US-101 before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
