Forks WA

Visit the small town made famous by Twilight!

Forks is located on the northwestern edge of the Olympic National Park in Washington State, 4 hours from Seattle.

It's a popular overnight stop for tourists driving around Highway 101 to visit the Olympic National Park, with close proximity to coastal attractions like Rialto Beach, Ruby Beach, and Kalaloch Beach, and the famous Hoh Rain Forest.

Its other claim to fame is that Forks was featured in the mega popular movie and books series Twilight.  This logging town was transformed by the Twilight phenomenon, with hordes of superfans invigorating the local economy.

10 best things to do in Forks WA

1. Visit the Twilight museum to see original props and costumes.

The free Forever Twilight in Forks Collection Museum is located in downtown Forks (11 N Forks Avenue), and has a bunch of cool props and costumes from the film. 

2. Check out points of interest from the Twilight movies and books.

The Visitor Information Center in Forks (1411 S Forks Avenue) is the perfect place to pick up a self guided map with points of interest from the Twilight series. Take a photo of Bella's red truck directly outside the Visitor Center, then cover off key Twilight book locations like the Forks Welcome Sign, Swan Residence, Dr Cullen's parking space at the Forks Community Hospital, the Treaty Line (just before the Three Rivers Resort), and First Beach at La Push. (Full disclosure, none of these locations were used in the actual filming which took place in and around Portland and Oregon!)

3. Hang out at the Twilight festival each September.

Purchase a ticket to the 4-day Twilight Festival, usually in September each year.  There are autograph signings and photograph events with special guests, panels, luncheons and dinners.

4. Visit the Timber Museum and Loggers Memorial.

The Timber Museum and Loggers Museum is on the southern end of town (1421 S Forks Avenue), and has fascinating exhibits on the early pioneers in the area who made a dangerous living out of logging, felling gigantic, old growth trees in the nearby forests. See all kinds of early equipment originally used to fell trees, re-creations of the loggers' living quarters, and a fire forest lookout tower.

5. Find plenty of comfort food in Forks.

Forks WA has a decent choice of comfort food restaurants, ranging from burgers, chinese, mexican, pizza, and BBQ. There's also a pub with a beer garden and taproom, and coffee lovers can take advantage of the drive thru coffee stands.

6. Stay at a budget motel or rustic cabin.

• Budget motels: Forks has plenty of budget motels to book, perfect as a base for exploring the Olympic National Park.
• Cabins: If you'd prefer to stay in a cabin, check out the lovely Woodland Inns in the heart of town.  There's also some great cabins outside of town, like the modern Hoh Valley Cabins (19 miles south of Forks), or the oceanfront cabins at the Quileute Oceanside Resort (15 miles west of Forks).
• Riverfront lodging: The Quillayute River Resort offers accommodation overlooking the stunning Quillayute River, and is 10 miles west of Forks.
• Rustic lodge: The Manitou Lodge is set on 10 acres of lush forest, with beautiful lodge rooms, cosy cabins, and an impressive great room with vaulted ceilings and a lofty stone fireplace, reminiscent of the great lodges in the national park system. It's 11 miles west of Forks.

7. Take a photo at the Forks sign.

The Welcome to Forks sign is at the northern entrance of the town, along Highway 101.

8. Explore wild coastal beaches in the Olympic National Park.

Forks WA is just a short drive from incredible, wilderness beaches on the Washington State coastline, with surreal, offshore sea-stacks, and giant piles of driftwood washed up at the high tide line.  

• 20 minutes west of Forks: The easiest beaches to drive to are Rialto Beach and First Beach at La Push, only 15 miles west of Forks, accessible directly from the parking lots.  Just south of Forks there are two superb beaches that require a hike-in; Second Beach and Third Beach.
• 35 minutes southwest of Forks: Drive south down Highway 101 to access two of the most famous beaches in the Olympic National Park; Ruby Beach and Kalaloch Beach. Kalaloch Beach is also home to historic Kalaloch Lodge, with an oceanview restaurant, lodge rooms and cabins.

9. Spend a few hours in the ethereal Hoh Rain Forest.

• 45 minutes southeast of Forks: The Hoh Rain Forest is one of the most popular destinations in the Olympic National Park, featuring the Hall of Mosses Loop Trail (3/4 mile) that departs near the Visitor Center.  This enchanting trail traverses a tract of old growth, temperate rain forest, with a stunning grove of maple trees draped in ethereal curtains of moss.

10. Drive to two lakes in the Olympic National Park.

• 45 minutes northeast of Forks: Glacially carved Lake Crescent is a 45 minutes drive along Highway 101, northeast of Forks. Stop by the historic Lake Crescent Lodge for a meal at the restaurant, rent a kayak or rowboat at the beach, or book a boat tour of the lake at the dock (seasonal only). You can also enjoy a hike to nearby Marymere Falls.
• 1 hour 15 minutes southeast of Forks:  Drive to the south shore of Lake Quinault to stop by the historic Lake Quinault Lodge for lunch, or rent a kayak or book a boat tour (seasonal only). There's also some fun trails, like the 10-minute trail to the Largest Sitka Spruce Tree in the world, and the Rain Forest Nature Trail Loop (0.8 miles) that traverses a stunning set of cascades.

 

Find the 10 BEST Things to do at the Olympic National Park near Forks WA.