Written by our rad team member, Jessica Dastous

Moody Hurricane Ridge Elopement

Whether you say your I do’s at the visitor center or set out on one of the many trails, you’re sure to have the most stunning mountain views during your Hurricane Ridge elopement. Jessica and James had the best of both worlds exploring Olympic National Park during their adventure wedding. Keep scrolling to see all the incredible locations they visited during their Hurricane Ridge elopement (and grab a kleenex because James’ reaction to seeing Jessica for the first time was so incredibly sweet!).

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Meet Jessica & James: the couple of this Hurricane Ridge Elopement

Jessica and James made an entire road trip out of their Hurricane Ridge elopement. They drove across the whole state and I met up with them in Olympic National Park for their best day ever! We met at the cutest little cabin that overlooked the ocean. Jessica and James had their first look at this quaint cabin, spoiler alert you’ll want to grab the kleenex because it was so sweet and James’ reaction was priceless. After their first look we packed up the car and headed to the beach. We spent time exploring the tide pools and James taught me a thing or two about kelp and the different things I was looking at in each of the pools. One of the details I loved most about Jessica and James’ Hurricane Ridge wedding was they incorporated some of Jessica’s native heritage into their day. While we were at the ocean, Jessica and James performed a smudge ceremony to help cleanse the soul before they exchanged their I do’s later in the day! From there we got back in the car and made our way to Lake Crescent and the forest surrounding the lake. We spent some time standing at the edge of the water, just staring at how incredibly beautiful the landscape was, then hiked through the forest and took in the jaw dropping giant pines. After, we made a quick stop at one of my all time favorite campgrounds for a celebratory picnic, then made our way to our final destination, Hurricane Ridge. Jessica and James hiked to the top for their Hurricane Ridge elopement ceremony. The weather was quite moody, but was so stunning and we had the entire overlook to ourselves! Jessica and James had their ceremony with the most enchanting mountain views and the one and only Cherise from Another One Ties The Knot officiated their Olympic National Park elopement. She even incorporated Jessica’s native heritage by having a blanket ceremony! Jessica and James had the most stunning Hurricane Ridge elopement and got to explore so many different landscapes during their day! One of the things I love most about Olympic National Park is the diverse landscapes in and around the park. You could explore so many different places during your Hurricane Ridge wedding, just like Jessica and James did on their best day ever!

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Three things to keep in mind when planning your elopement for hurricane ridge

Weather moves fast!

It is so important to keep an eye on the live webcams when planning your Hurricane Ridge elopement due to the weather changing quickly! The weather could be rainy in town and sunny with clear skies up at Hurricane Ridge creating a cloud inversion. It also could be overcast in town and snowing up at the top due to the higher elevation! You want to keep your safety in mind and always have a backup plan. If the weather is not ideal, there are so many other options to choose from as your back-up, that would be just as stunning like exploring a waterfall, heading to the coast and even venturing through the forest!

Wildlife is friendly, but be sure to give them space

The wildlife at Hurricane Ridge are incredibly friendly, specifically the deer. Although it may be tempting to want to approach the deer and take pictures with them, please remember they are wildlife. You should always respect your distance and practice Leave No Trace principles! To learn more about Leave No Trace, check out our blog here!

During the winter, the road to Hurricane Ridge is only open Friday – Sunday

If you are hoping to have a Hurricane Ridge elopement in the winter, you will need to plan your best day ever Friday – Sunday. Because the road is only open three days a week, the parking lot fills up quickly. This means you will have to wait at the bottom until space becomes available before you can head up and park. You’ll want to keep this in mind when planning your elopement day and you’ll also want to make sure you choose an elopement photographer who is well versed in Olympic National Park elopements. If you have an experienced photographer, they know the best time to have your elopement ceremony at Hurricane Ridge and will always have a back-up plan so your day runs seamlessly (I know a team who would capture the most incredible elopement day here at Hurricane Ridge. Click here to start dreaming up your day here!)!

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Four places to stop along the way to Hurricane Ridge on your elopement day

Lake Crescent

Lake Crescent is a glacially carved lake in Olympic National Park, with amazing hiking trails surrounding the lake that are easily accessible for all people. Some of the trails will lead you to stunning overlooks of the lake that would make a perfect location to explore during your Hurricane Ridge elopement. One of the things I love most about Lake Crescent is the two docks you can go out on and take in the incredible views. There is also a lodge where you can go in to warm up and grab a drink if it is a chilly day.

Marymere Falls

This stunning waterfall is right by Lake Crescent and would be easy to access if you choose to explore the lake during your Hurricane Ridge elopement. Hike through the old-growth forest along a well maintained trail for about one mile and you’ll be greeted by these stunning falls!

A Dreamy Forest Trail

One of the things that draws people to Olympic National Park is the rainforest! While the Hoh Rainforest is the most famous, you can find many other incredible forest trails that are located near Hurricane Ridge. We always love to stop at some of the lesser known forests with our couples because they are less populated and so incredibly stunning!

The Ocean!

Jessica and James started their Hurricane Ridge elopement by exploring the rugged coast! Salt Creek Recreation Area is one of our favorite places to take couples. You can walk out onto the beach and explore the tide pools during low tide. This would also be a great place to end your day by watching the sunset while splashing in the waves!

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Meet your Hurricane Ridge Elopement Photographers

We feel most at home in the outdoors, so it’s no surprise that is where we gravitate towards as your Hurricane Ridge elopement photographers. Between the Pine was founded by Mollie in 2018 and she has hiked hundreds of miles all over the Pacific Northwest and Kauai, to capture couples during their Hurricane Ridge elopement. Since 2018, we’ve grown our team and hired two incredible photographers (cue Dawn and Kass)! Dawn has been photographing elopements all over the Pacific Northwest for the last seven years and is truly incredible when it comes to capturing all the in-between moments of your Hurricane Ridge elopement! Kass was previously an outdoor recreation guide and knows all the best locations to adventure during your Hurricane Ridge elopement. She transitioned from guide to photographer six years ago and hasn’t looked back since! Our team at Between the Pine is passionate about our jobs and adventuring to the most beautiful locations to document your best day ever. We know the Pacific Northwest like the back of our hands and are dying for a reason to head back to the mountains, forest and everything in between! Click here to learn more about the Between the Pine team, your Hurricane Ridge elopement photographers!