Ranger station · Olympic National Park
A useful stop for maps, trail advice, and wilderness permits.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Olympic Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Olympic National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Olympic audio tourRecorded for this place
Lake Quinault Lodge and the Village Museum“You're coming up on Lake Quinault Lodge, a nineteen twenty-six hotel on the lake's south shore. Stop for its old lodge atmosphere and a meal at the Roosevelt Dining Room, which serves Northwest cooking with lake views.”
Plays as you drive up to South Shore Quinault Ranger Station in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Visitor services include local information and wilderness permits; bear canisters are a summer-only service. The facility has restrooms, potable water, a picnic table, books and souvenirs, and wheelchair access. Public counter service varies with the season, and its schedule can differ from the forest office’s hours, so check availability before making a special trip or relying on staff for permits or gear.
The Rain Forest Ranger Station near Amanda Park is a separate stop on Lake Quinault’s north shore. The 1.3-mile loop to the old Kestner homestead starts there, not at this south-shore office. If that walk is your goal, head to the north-shore station; use this one for south-shore visitor information and the broader Quinault loop.
Wildlife
710 sightingsOlympic MarmotMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
30 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
42 sightingsGrey WhaleMost seen around noonSighting map
23 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
71 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
306 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Olympic. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyQuinault Loop Trail #8544 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.1 mi awayA boardwalked bog, cascading falls, and Lake Quinault in one loop.
EasyQuinault Big Sitka Spruce Tree Trail0.4 mi · 30 min · 0.9 mi awayA short forest path leads to a towering Sitka spruce.
EasyMaple Glade Rain Forest Trail0.5 mi · 30 min · 2.8 mi awayMoss-draped maples and nurse logs in a gentle half-mile loop.
EasyKestner Homestead Trail1.3 mi · 45 min · 2.9 mi awayAn easy forest loop to an old homestead and orchard.
Sight · At the trailheadLake Quinault MuseumTwo 20-plus-foot cedar canoes anchor this small local museum.
Lodging · 0.1 mi awayLake Quinault LodgeStay or eat at the 1926 lodge on Lake Quinault's south shore.
Campground · 0.2 mi awayFalls Creek CampgroundRainforest campsites with lakeshore access and a CCC-built shelter.
Campground · 0.6 mi awayGatton Creek CampgroundFive walk-in tent sites beside Lake Quinault.
Campground · 0.7 mi awayWillaby CampgroundRainforest camping, lake access and short walks around Quinault.
Sight · 1.1 mi awayQuinault Big Sitka Spruce TreeA short walk to a 191-foot spruce with a 59-foot girth.
Picnic area · 1.9 mi awayJuly Creek Picnic AreaA short loop to huge Douglas-firs and Lake Quinault views.
Ranger station · 2.8 mi awayQuinault Rain Forest Ranger StationA useful base for two short rainforest walks by Lake Quinault.Parkwolf’s Olympic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
