Last August, we took a trip to Washington to explore Olympic National Park. We spent the week hiking, looking at wildlife, and even went for a whale watch! This trip was my first time traveling since making the switch from MDI to Insulin pump the month prior. I was about 3 weeks into using my Omnipod 5 and felt like this trip was a big learning curve for me with the additional activity, sporadic meals, and getting used to new technology.
Here’s how I managed a week in Olympic National Park after switching to an automated insulin pump:
Olympic National Park Itinerary
We arrived in Seattle and drove to our resort for the week. We stayed at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, which was about 3.5 hours from the airport. We stopped in Port Angeles for dinner before picking up groceries for the week and heading to the resort.
Hiking in Olympic National Park
We explored a number of hiking trails over the course of the week, starting with one that began right at the edge of the resort.
Mink Lake – 5 mi, out and back, 1,696 ft elevation gain
This hike was a bit of a steady climb in the most beautiful forrest that ended with the picturesque Mink Lake. Highly recommend!
Shi Shi Beach Trail – 8.8 mi, out and back, 561 ft elevation gain
This hike is about 1 mile down to the beach, with the additional miles being optional for anyone who would like to continue on and see a few haystack rocks toward the end of the trail. We decided to walk the beach and saw a bunch of wildlife including banana slugs, sea anemones, jellyfish, and a deer!
Hole-In-The-Wall from Rialto Beach Trail – 3.3 mi, out and back, 108 ft elevation gain
This trail is essentially a beach walk to an impressive hole in the rock wall. Lots of wildlife along this easy trail as well, including a sea lion, starfish, pelicans, and sea anemones.
Lover’s Lane/Sol Duc Nature Trail Loop – 5.8 mi, loop trail, 485 ft elevation gain
Another hike directly off of our resort, this trail lead to the beautiful Sol Duc Falls. It was a pretty easy hike, with lots of creekside water views.
Things to do in Olympic National Park
Hoh Rain Forest – Known as one of the quietest areas in the United States, the Hoh Rain Forest is comprised of a variety of hiking trails, a visitor center, and campgrounds. We saw some wild elk grazing on our way out!
Puget Sound Express Whale Watching – We spent one evening out on the (thankfully) calm waters of the Puget Sound on a whale watch! We saw a pod of Orcas, and a number of Humpback whales!
Sol Duc Mineral Hot Springs – Soak in (literally) the benefits of a natural mineral hot spring. The resort offers 3 different hot spring soaking pools, and 1 freshwater pool.
A Few Tips for Hiking with T1D
As mentioned in the video above, I tend to always pack accordingly when going for a hike with type 1 diabetes. I make sure to bring snacks, both for lows and general hunger, extra insulin, a backup glucose meter, sunscreen, chapstick, my wallet, sunglasses, and more. Find more tips on hiking with type 1 diabetes here.
Olympic National Park was an amazing and the Pacific Northwest might be my favorite ecosystem, especially after this trip!
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