Imagine a bus that takes you from the sea 5,242 feet up into Olympic National Park to hike or roll on accessible trails with thrilling views. Using public transit you can make this car-free day trip (CDFT) from most anywhere on the Olympic Peninsula in a single day for as little as two bucks!
A Car-Free Day Trip to Hurricane Ridg
While the Olympic Mountains lie primarily in Jefferson County, their roadless wilderness makes it impossible to drive across to reach the West End beaches on the open Pacific. Hats off to Clallam Transit for providing bus service that plys the 17 miles into the heart of the Olympic National Park (ONP) from May 24 through September 7, 2026. The Hurricane Ridge Shuttle originates at the Gateway Transit Center on the Port Angeles Waterfront.
Connections to Gateway make this sea-to-sky day trip possible for riders from most parts of Jefferson and Clallam Counties. Fares total a mere $2 roundtrip for adult car-free day-trippers. Youth under-18 ride free.
A valid entry pass to Olympic National Park still applies and is verified on boarding the shuttle. Passes include annual National Parks Passes, as well as the still valid Golden Age Passports issued to people over 62 in the past. Unless you have these, you should buy an individual “Pedestrian / Cyclist Pass.” It’s $15, good for 7 days, and can be purchased online here. Kids under 16 enter the park for free.
How to Get to Port Angeles’ Gateway Transit Center
From East Jefferson County take Jefferson Transit Bus #8 westbound to the Sequim Transit Center. Board bus #8 at any stop serving Haines Place Park & Ride or Four Corners Park and Ride and take it to the Sequim Transit Center.
Then transfer to Clallam Transit commuter bus # 30 with frequent service to Gateway, Monday through Saturdays. (But not Sundays!) Everybody rides FREE on these routes!!
Continue on to Port Angeles’ Gateway Transit Center, where the Hurricane Ridge Shuttle originates.
From Clallam and West Jefferson County Riders can reach Gateway Transit Center from points to the west on direct or connecting Clallam County buses. You can find information for each route here and download the brochure with all routes here.
From Seattle and Kitsap County Clallam Transit operates The Straight Shot, a limited-stop service from the Washington State Ferry dock on Bainbridge Island to Port Angeles’ Gateway Transit Center. This bus – route 123 – takes passengers through Kitsap and Jefferson County.
The Straight Shot operates on the same schedule seven days a week. On Sundays, it can be used by travelers coming from Jefferson County and points east. It covers the distance from Sequim to Port Angeles when the Clallam Transt’s #30 Commuter does not operate. Board or disembark at any of the designated stops on The Straight Shot schedule here. Note the different levels of service for Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
From Victoria, BC. Travelers frequently cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca from British Columbia’s capital to explore the Olympic Mountains that dominate their views to the east. The M/V Coho sails four times daily in each direction during the summer months. The first sailing of the ferry arrives early enough in the day to allow a vigorous hike. Schedule and fares are here.
The Black Ball Ferry Terminal is across the street from the Gateway Transit Center. For a shorter visit to Hurricane Ridge, the Black Ball Line has integrated the cost of the Shuttle and the $15 Olympic National Park Pass into the round trip fare for walk-on M/C Coho passengers. See details on the Hurricane Ridge add-on.
On an earlier visit to Hurricaine Ridge, we witnessed American hikers meeting a large group of Canadian counterparts at the Coho terminal and ferrying them up the mountain to hike together on the remarkable number of trails that cross Hurricaine Ridge. May this wonderful Port Angeles tradition continue throughout the year when the Shuttle is not operating.
Plan Your Time on Hurricane Ridge!
There are no services at Hurricane Ridge apart from restrooms, water, picnic tables, and benches. The historic lodge burned in 2023 and has not yet been replaced.
Before you leave home check road, weather and trail conditions for Olympic National Park. The National Park Service posts daily Alerts and regularly updates Road Conditions.
Read the Hurricane Ridge Area Brochure and print out the basic Area Map. Acquire the appropriate maps for hikes beyond the area.
Consider the distance of your hike and your estimated speed and add some contingency time. It’s easy to lose track of the hour in and all-encompassing wilderness during the long days of summer. Make plans carefully. If you’re day-tripping with others, consider options individually before agreeing on your course of action.
Consider this! The last bus down Huricane Ridge leaves at 5:30 pm. Anyone who misses it is stranded on the mountain. You’ll probably take an earlier bus. Unless you choose the right one, you’ll be stranded somewhere else! What independent car-free day tripper wants to screw up and have to call a friend for a ride?
A Note on Homebound Itineraries
Choose a hike that fits your return to Port Angeles. Does the Shuttle get you to Gateway in time to catch your next bus home? Go over the schedule for each leg, starting with the last bus home. What time do you have to board the next to the last bus in order to make it? Sure you can start with an app, but write out your itinerary, check it against print schedules.
For example Let’s say home is Chimacum. What’s the last bus to get you home from Four Corners Park and Ride? What’s the last #8 Jefferson County bus that will get you to Four Corners in time to catch your bus? And what’s the last Clallam Transit #30 Commuter that will get you to the Sequim Transit Center?
Shuttle buses depart Hurricane Ridge on the hour from 9:00 pm through 4:00 pm. Now plan your time on the Ridge so you will be sure to be on a bus to PA’s Gateway Transit Center that lets you catch the Clallam #30 that connects with Jefferson Transit #8 and, finally, the bus home to Chimacum.
Transit Notes
Jefferson Transit
- All Jefferson Transit buses are free.
- Jefferson Transit offers Sunday Service, EXCEPT for Express Route 14 to the Kitsap Fast Ferry terminal in Kingston.
- Jefferson Transit does not operate on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Clallam Transit
- All buses are free EXCEPT The Straight Shot ($10 per boarding) and the Hurricane Ridge Shuttle ($1 per boarding).
- There is no Sunday service except for two routes: The Straight Shot (#123) and the Hurricane Ridge Shuttle.
- The Hurricane Ridge Shuttle operates daily from May 24 to Sept 7, 2026 and requires a valid park pass.
- Clallam Transit does not operate on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.
- Clallam Transit’s regular routes operate on the Sunday/Holiday schedule on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.
- The Straight Shot operates on MLK Day, Presidents, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day and the seasonal Hurricane Ridge Shuttle operates on Independence Day and Labor Day. Both follow their posted schedules.
Plan your car-free day trip!
Before you go
- Read the Hurricane Ridge Area Brochure. Print the one-page map.
- Download the free NPS App through the App Store and Google Play.
- Check ONP Alerts and Conditions
Plan your round-trip itinerary.
- Jefferson Transit 360-385-4777 | 800-371-0497
- Clallam Transit 360-452-4511 800-858-3747 Toll free
- Clallam Transit Trip Planner
- Clallam Transit real time bus tracker
- Apps are fine but get print schedules! Save your phone charge for photos and emergencies.
Get a park pass.
- Learn about entrance Passes to National Parks
- Obtain a Pedestrian / Cyclist pass online https://store.usgs.gov/recreational-passes
Choose a hike to fit your transit itinerary
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