Exploring Port Angeles

Port Angeles is tucked off in between the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, and the strait of Juan De Fuca. Just a two-hour drive and a ferry boat ride from Seattle, with Olympic National Park towering overhead as its backyard, Port Angeles offers a true maritime small town feel.

port angeles wa skyline view

When driving into town, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time as you pass the sign that reads, “Welcome to Port Angeles, Where the Mountains Greet the Sea.” Riddled with unique history, art, food, and people, this place presses beyond your standard small town expectations. It is the type of place where a fortune teller sits next to a piano in the heart of town… where during the summer folks from all over the world sink into the keys. You’ll hear music bouncing off the walls of a mountain mural and echoing throughout Main Street.

Mural in park port angeles wa

Main Street

Want to peruse some local shops? Main Street hosts restaurants, small boutiques, businesses and coffee shops. Whatever sort of creature comfort you might be looking for out on the rugged Olympic Peninsula, it’s all right here.

Laurel st port angeles wa
mural port angeles wa

Grab A Bite

Getting hungry? The must-eat-at restaurant is the Next Door Gastropub. The menu consists of 100% Natural Painted Hills Beef Hamburgers, arguably the best garlic Parmesan fries on the planet, sandwiches and creative salads. With the full bar, a unique local rotating tap, and a lively and vibing aesthetic, the Gastropub is like no other pub around. With outdoor seating for the summer, and unique specials like the, “Redneck Happy Meal,” what’s not to love?

Sign at Next Door Gastropub port angeles wa
cut logs of wood port angeles wa

Port Angeles History

Wondering about how this historic town was founded? Port Angeles has actually had many different names, and numerous boom and bust era’s with the power, fishing, and timber industry. It was actually once home to the worlds largest sawmill. If you want to learn more, look no further than the Museum at the Carnegie.

Art & Culture

While Port Angeles feels small, it’s still the largest city on the Peninsula with around 20,000 residents, and plenty to do! The summers are lined with events, and fall appears to be no different. Events to check out annually include the Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival, Second Weekend Artwalk and International Forest Storytelling Festival.

Olympic peninsula poster
Olympic Mountains port angeles wa

Art, food, culture, and events are important, but the true pleasure of Port Angeles is it in its back and front yard — that is the towering Olympic Mountains and the silky waters of the Straight of Juan De Fuca. Wonder what there is to be enjoyed in the Olympic Peninsula? Look no further then some of my favorite photos of the beautiful place I call home.

This guest post was written by Kory Kirby: “Hello all, my name is Kory Kirby, and I appreciate the read, if you want to know more about myself, read my writing, or  follow my adventures on the Olympic Peninsula, find me here: My Blog

backpacker on beach port angeles wa
lak with mountain, port angeles wa
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2 Comments

  1. Jan Schleede on May 4, 2019 at 1:23 pm

    If you want to attract visitors, be factual. There is no Main street in Port Angeles. Name locations with the correct street identifications, please.

  2. […] is located in the northwest region of the Olympic National Park in the Olympic Peninsula. From Port Angeles, follow Highway 101 westward for 40 minutes until you reach the turn for Sol Duc Road. The road is […]

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