Experience the backcountry of Olympic National Park!

About our Backpacking Trips

Experience Olympic’s eco-diversity, solitude in wilderness, and gain new backcountry skills on a guided backpacking trip with us. With our own gear inventory of backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, and beyond, we are able to provide a fully-outfitted backpacking trip with top-rated gear. Whether you are a first-time backpacker or a seasoned backcountry enthusiast, our team can create a personalized itinerary suited to your goals and experience level. You can join a small group backpacking trip by booking online (see below) or request your own private backpacking trip, which is ideal for groups of 4 or more due to our minimum price to operate a trip.

 

Cost Per Hiker Day Rate

Our cost per hiker day rate includes all backcountry gear, meals, permits, and commercially authorized guide.

  • 5 Days, 4 Nights: $400 per hiker each day

  • 4 Days, 3 Nights: $450 per hiker each day

  • 3 Days, 2 Nights: $500 per hiker each day

    • Plus 3% online booking fee

Group Size

We can accommodate any group size up to 10 hikers, however, we have a 4-hiker minimum price to operate.

2026 Group Backpacking Trips

Overview

Our small group backpacking trips are the perfect way to experience the top backcountry destinations in Olympic National Park. With our advanced permit registration, we handpicked the exact dates, routes, and time of year to visit our favorite backcountry regions in Olympic.

Whether you’re an avid day hiker looking to do your first backpacking trip, or an experienced backpacker looking to see the best routes without the hassle of permits, our guided backpacking trips are a turnkey experience. With our own gear inventory of backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, and more, we are able to provide a fully-outfitted backpacking trip with high-quality gear.

3-Step Reservation Process

  1. Select your trip: From our 2026 trip calendar, select the backpacking trip that works best for your schedule, backpacking goals, and activity level (i.e. 1 - easy, 5 - very strenuous). Email our Operations Team if you have any questions!

  2. Pay deposit: Select the departure date of the trip you want to join and submit 1-day deposit to secure your reservation.

  3. 60-day confirmation: Once we are 60 days away from our trip departure date, our Operations Team will email an invoice link for the remaining balance due.

view calendar & Book now!

  • Trip Details:

    • Price: $500 per hiker per day or $1,500 total per person

    • Trip Duration: 3 days, 2 nights in Olympic National Park

    • Mileage: 15.3 miles (total one-way)

    • Elevation gain/loss: +1126' gain, -1143' loss

    • Activity Rating (1-5): 2 - Moderate due to some occasional challenging terrain in rugged and rocky sections in tide critical areas.

    Trip Summary:

    The northernmost section of the Olympic Wilderness Coast between Shi Shi and Ozette features some of the most breathtaking terrain, trails, and vistas along the entire Pacific Coast. After a 2-hour drive from Port Angeles, enjoy a relaxed 4.3 mile hike to Point of the Arches at Shi Shi Beach. This sets us up the following morning to manage a 5.5 mile trek through all of the tide critical areas between Point of the Arches and the Ozette River. Enjoy a carefully paced coastal obstacle course of tidepools, overland trails, and sandy coastlines. On exit day starts with a fun educational opportunity to safely ford the Ozette River before making our 5.6 mile exit day trek back to the Ozette Ranger Station. Along the way, we will pass by the westernmost point in the lower 48 USA at Cape Alava.

  • Trip Details:

    • Price: $400 per hiker per day or $2,000 total per person

    • Trip Duration: 5 days, 4 nights in Olympic National Park

    • Mileage:

      • Required: 29.68 miles to Elk Lake (total out/back)

      • Optional: 3 mile one-way, +2,747 gain day hike to Blue Glacier (6 miles RT)

    • Elevation gain/loss: +2,755' feet / -751’ feet (one-way to Elk Lake)

    • Activity Rating (1-5): 3 - Moderate due to 25+ miles of backpacking, decent elevation gain, and trip duration.

    Trip Summary:

    This backpacking trip along the Hoh River Trail immerses our group into stunning, ancient old-growth rain forests in the Hoh River Valley, the largest rain forest in the contiguous USA. The first 10 miles provide a gentle grade deep into the Olympic National Park backcountry. The next 5 miles feature steady, but manageable elevation gain near the subalpine at Elk Lake. For those looking for extra mileage and an adventure, our guides will lead an optional sunrise day hike (6 miles roundtrip) to the Blue Glacier moraine featuring a stunning view of Mount Olympus. Sitting at 7,980 feet, Mount Olympus is Olympic National Park’s tallest mountain and Blue Glacier as its largest glacier. After packing up our basecamp, our group will decline back down into the river valley for a final night of backcountry camp and a gentle 5 mile exit day.

  • Trip Details:

    • Price: $450 per hiker per day or $1,800 total per person

    • Trip Duration: 4 days, 3 nights in Olympic National Park

    • Mileage: 26.2 miles (total out/back)

    • Elevation gain/loss: +5,223 feet / -6,540 feet

    • Activity Rating (1-5): 3 - Challenging due to 26+ miles of backpacking and sharp elevation gain and loss.

    Trip Summary:

    The 26-mile through-hike from the Sol Duc into the Hoh Rain Forest, features some of the most sought-after interior views and solitude within Olympic National Park. Starting from the Sol Duc Trailhead, our group will begin the backpacking journey with a quick hike to Sol Duc Falls, then begin logging some mileage along the Sol Duc River. The second day is one of the trip highlights, as the group will ascend up into the Seven Lakes Basin and along the High Divide, before descending back down toward the Hoh River Valley. The day three descent into the Hoh River Valley will be hard on those knees, but the ice-cold, glacier-fed Hoh River will be the perfect ice bath for the final night of camping. A well-paced, flat, exit day hike will showcase the old-growth temperate rain forest of the Hoh River Trail.

Trip Details

  • Meet-up Location: Olympic Hiking Co. 720 Marine Drive, Port Angeles, WA 98363

  • Packing Session: We have a required pre-trip packing session the day before our trip departure from 5:00pm-6:30pm at our tour office.

  • Group Size: We can accommodate any group size up to 10 hikers, however, we have a 4-hiker minimum to operate.

  • Age Requirements: Due to the more rugged nature of backpacking trips (mileage, pack weight, and terrain), we require participants to be Age 18 or older. For families with children under Age 18, we recommend our private backpacking trips to customize an experience suited to your family’s goals, and experience level.

Cancellation Policy

Refunds are issued based on the amount of notice provided by the client prior to the trip departure date.

  • 60 days or more: 90% refund

  • 30 days or more: 50% refund

  • Less than 30 days: 0% refund

What does the trip cost cover?

What's included?

Private Backpacking Trips

Summary

If our scheduled group trips don’t align with your schedule or you are seeking a more private and personalized experience, our team would be thrilled to customize a private guided backpacking trip for your group. We have organized custom backpacking itineraries for groups of families, friends, universities, and non-profit organizations over the years. This is an ideal option for groups of 4 or more!

Group Size

We can accommodate any group size up to 10 hikers, however, we have a 4-hiker minimum price to operate.

Follow our 4-Step Reservation Process

  1. Submit Request: Select departure date, group size, trip duration, and if you have a trail or destination in mind.

  2. Trip Planning: Our Operations Team will contact you to review your itinerary request.

  3. Pay Deposit: To finalize the reservation, hikers will submit a one-day deposit to lock-in dates.

  4. Book permits: After we receive the deposit, our team will book the required permits to finalize the route.

Click here to start a backpacking trip request!

Blue Glacier

5 Days, 4 Nights | 40 miles (out/back)

The backpacking trip to Blue Glacier is one of the iconic routes of Olympic National Park and the most direct route to Mount Olympus. Utilizing the Hoh River Trail, this route transitions from lush temperate rain forest terrain (800 ft) to subalpine vistas of the Olympic Mountains from the glacier moraine.

The High Divide

4 Days, 3 Nights | 26 miles (through-hike)

The through-hike route from the Sol Duc into the Hoh Rain Forest features some of the most sought-after interior views and solitude within Olympic National Park. Starting from the Sol Duc Trailhead, our group will trek along the Sol Duc River, ascend up to the High Divide with views of the Seven Lakes Basin, and descend back down into the Hoh River valley.

Olympic Wilderness Coast

3 Days, 2 Nights | 20 miles (through-hike)

The 73-mile Olympic Wilderness Coast provides some of the most unique backpacking routes within Olympic National Park. With our shuttle service, you can choose from any of the three sections: 1) Oil City to Third Beach, 2) Rialto to Ozette, or 3) Ozette to Shi Shi. Each of the routes are 15-20 miles and can be hiked in any direction (north or south).

Customize your route!

As a commercially authorized tour company since 2016, our team is very experienced with nearly every trail network within Olympic National Park’s backcountry. From short hidden-gem hikes to the most remote park-wide traverses, our backpacking team has the expertise, medical training, and skillset to lead a “bucket list” route. With over 611 miles of trails in ONP and endless interconnections of regions and ecosystems, there are incredible opportunities to dive deep into very special wilderness areas.

Olympic National Park Map

A to Z outfitting with professional guides

With our own gear inventory of backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, and more, we are able to provide a fully-outfitted backpacking trip with high quality gear. Most importantly, our team of backcountry guides make the on-trail experience more enjoyable, educational, and efficient, as we execute our trips with a professional standard for group safety.

Trip Pricing Includes:

  • Backcountry Hiking Guide: Led by a Wilderness First Responder Certified Hiking Guide.

  • Gear & Equipment: 65 liter backpack, backpacking tent, sleeping bag & pad, cooking equipment & fuel, water filter, etc.

  • Backcountry Meals: Breakfasts, lunches, dehydrated dinners, and snacks while hiking in the backcountry.

  • Gear packing session: Our guide will lead a step-by-step gear packing session to ensure all provided gear and meals are appropriately packed.

  • Roundtrip Transportation: Available from our Port Angeles Tour Office only.

  • Discounted Lodging Rates: Instructions and details provided within booking confirmation email.

  • Commercial Use Authorization: Olympic Hiking Co. is a commercially authorized tour company with Olympic National Park since 2016.

List of Provided Gear and Equipment

Guest Requirements for Group Trips

  • Must be 18 years of age or older.

  • Must be able to hike 6-8 miles per day.

  • Must be able to carry a 65 liter backpack that typically weighs 30-40 pounds

  • Must be able to provide own hiking attire and hiking boots (for all trips)

    • Note: we can customize private trips to have lower mileage, less gear weight, and can be designed for those traveling with children.

Goals for Backpacking Trips

  • Backpacking 101. Our goal is to help experienced day hikers confidently step into a new territory of multi-day backpacking trips by allowing clients hands-on experience to practice correctly packing a 65 liter backpack, set up camp, obtain/filter water, prepare dehydrated meals, use the bathroom in the wilderness areas, and to Leave No Trace.

  • Turnkey experience. By providing the gear, equipment, meals, permits, and experienced backcountry guide, you simply need the clothes on your back (smart packable layers) and a pair of quality hiking boots to join this trip. This allows you to test the backcountry experience without purchasing all of the gear or expedite your learning curve to safely hike multiple days in remote wilderness areas and have FUN doing it.

  • Bucket list route. With our 10 years of commercial experience, we have all of the logistics dialed in to make this a bucket list trip. Whether it is our built-in shuttle service for point-to-point routes or simply having the best backcountry campsites for the top regions of Olympic National Park, we are thrilled to be able make backcountry experiences more accessible and welcoming to first-time visitors and new backcountry hikers.

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