Olympic National Park Hiking Elopement at Hurricane Ridge and the Elwha River

A beautiful Olympic National Park Hiking Elopement, featuring Hurrican Ridge and the Elwha River.

If you’re planning an elopement, I’m guessing you’re not the most conventional couple. Perhaps, a big wedding has just never appealed to you. Maybe, you stumbled upon elopement photography while researching how to plan your wedding and it struck a chord. Or you could be like Gabby & Ryan, who really aren’t a couple to let tradition stand in their way! This beautiful couple, who come from Pennsylvania, did everything in what might be considered reverse order. They had kids first, then bought a house, and last year, they decided to get married after 10 years together.

They travelled all the way up to Olympic National Park from Pennsylvania for the elopement, and they really prioritized relaxation and joy throughout their day. The most important thing to them was that they were together, and that they spent the day doing something they love. Safe to say, their Olympic National Park Hiking Elopement, with an Intimate Elwha River Wedding Ceremony was truly something special.

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK HIKING ELOPEMENT | INTIMATE ELWHA RIVER WEDDING

Intimate Elwha River Wedding

Gabby & Ryan really wanted to make the most of their time at Olympic National Park, and they found the most gorgeous Airbnb to do that. The cabin was designed by an Olympic National Park ranger, who designed it to really reflect the park and what it’s like staying in the park itself. It was the perfect place to get ready, especially because their host was able to help them with some lesser-known hiking trail recommendations – including one that starts immediately behind the house and leads to the Elwha River.

The Elwha River is this incredible bright blue river that also has an incredible history, featuring an impressive restoration project that took two decades to plan. The restoration, including a dam removal, was completed in 2011 to return the river to its natural state. The Elwha River now runs freely and is the most beautiful example of pristine wilderness. The hike there was super special as well. We followed this silent, green, mossy path, and we didn’t see a single person on the whole trail. It made Gabby & Ryan’s Intimate Elwha River Wedding Ceremony even more beautiful. 

Olympic National Park Hiking Elopement

When planning their Olympic National Park Hiking Elopement, Gabby & Ryan were really aware of the fact that the weather can be a bit iffy. Olympic is part of America’s famously rainy Pacific Northwest, after all, and so we created two timelines for the day – a rainy day timeline, and a no-rain timeline. In the end though, they decided to do the ‘no rain’ itinerary even though it was most definitely raining! We headed up to Hurricane Ridge, with the aim of doing the Hurricane Hill hike, through 17 miles of non-stop cloud. Still, they remained optimistic, and we were rewarded with the most amazing view of the surrounding mountains and Pouget Sound.

Gabby & Ryan chose to do a mix of rainforest and mountain hikes for their Olympic Hiking elopement, but you could also choose to do Coastal Hikes or Lowland Forest Hikes. The best thing to do is speak to your elopement photographer and they should help you plan an itinerary that you’ll love!

Would you like to plan your own Olympic National Park Hiking Elopement? I’d love to help you plan your day and document it beautifully! Just get in touch to find out more.

Did you love Gabby & Ryan’s Intimate Elwha River Ceremony? Let them know in the comments below!