What to See and Do in Forks, Washington
Forks, WA
Approx. 3 – 3.5 hours from JBLM
Whether you are team Edward or team Jacob, or even neither, there is some charm to this tiny town in Washington! Here’s what you can see and do in Forks, WA.
Fork’s Visitor Information Center
Your first stop in Forks should be the Visitor’s center! This is where the “Welcome to Forks” sign is as well as Bella’s truck from the movie and the books. You can actually request a packet of info from the center before your trip and its completely free! They will mail it to you free of charge as well.
Request your FREE Visitor Info Packet here.
If you didn’t know, none of the Twilight movies were actually filmed in Forks. Stephanie Meyer did however base the entire book series off of this small town in the middle of nowhere. There are many spots in the town she hung out and wrote about in the books. I don’t think the movies not being filmed here should deter you from visiting!
The Visitor’s Center has tons of info on places to visit in the area, in the town of Forks, and tons of Twilight items. Stickers, souvenirs, giant cardboard cut outs of the actors, and some ladies that are really excited about you visiting Forks. I can only imagine the boom of tourism they’ve experienced since the movies.
If you didn’t request information ahead of time, not to worry, you can grab everything you need here! Maps of Olympic National Park, tide charts, things to do in Fork, and more.
For more info about the Visitor’s Center, click here.
Forks Timber Museum
Since it was next door we decided to check out the Forks Timber Museum. It is very small and there honestly wasn’t much to see. It’s only $3 per adult and kids under 12 are free. If you have time to kill then check it out.
They have a little scavenger hunt for kids to do and when completed they’ll get a coloring sheet and a postcard.
For more info about the Fork’s Timber Museum, click here.
I knew Forks was small, but it was even smaller than I expected. It’s got a population of 5000, two stoplights, and a handful of restaurants. Forks Outfitters is the only grocery store so if you need something, this is where to go. It also has an Ace Hardware attached to it. For more info about Fork’s Outfitters, click here.
Rainforest Arts Center
The Rainforest Arts Center is in the middle of town on the main strip. This is where you can find a really good selection of movie props and costumes from the Twilight series. It is free admission.
I cant even fathom how much money the town spent on purchasing all of these movie props, so I think it’s great they have free admission.
For more info on the Rainforest Arts Center, click here.
Every September they have a “Forever Twilight” festival on Bella’s Birthday. Maybe we’ll make it out one year to see the hype. If you’ve ever watched Twilight on FX they have done some filming at the festival before and show it between movie clips for a “behind the scenes”.
For more info on the Forever Twilight Festival, click here.
Where to Shop
There are about four stores on the main road through town. Native to Twilight is the biggest and they have a good selection of Twilight items, Olympic National Park items, and Washington souvenirs.
Pretty much all of the stores have the large character cutouts, just get a good laugh at me posing as Bella.
For more info on the Native to Twilight Store, click here.
Where to Eat
As I mentioned before there are only a handful of restaurants in Forks. We tried out The Old Vagabond Cafe and Pacific Pizza. The Old Vagabond is like a soda fountain shop. They’ve got burgers, homemade fries, and ice cream. They were really cheap and the food was good. Pacific Pizza had really good deep dish pizza and has some good dessert pizzas.
For more info on the Old Vagabond Cafe, click here.
For more info on Pacific Pizza, click here.
Forks High School
We drove by Forks High School to snap a photo, this is the real sign that was used in the movies but it was not filmed here. The actual high school used to film was Kalama High located in St. Helens, OR. This is however where Stephanie Meyer based the books on.
For more info on Forks High School, click here.
Dr. Cullen’s Parking Spot
We also drove by the Forks Community Hospital where they have a reserved parking sign for Dr.Cullen.
For more info on the Hospital, click here.
The Treaty Line
You can find the “Treaty Line” at Three Rivers Resort, a campground and RV Park. They have small cabins on the property to rent, a store, and a cafe. This is the line which the Cullens cannot cross into the Quileute tribe’s reservation and vice versa.
For more info about Three River’s Resort, click here.
Rialto Beach
Next we headed to Rialto Beach which is located on the Quileute Indian Reservation. (Jacob’s tribe) Dogs are not allowed on the beach.
Definitely the weirdest weather I’ve ever seen, it was 75 degrees and sunny in Forks. In fact, it was sunny and hot until right before we pulled into the Rialto Beach parking lot and it was like we drove into a cold cloud. It was foggy and freezing. This beach has a ton of driftwood logs you’ll need to climb over and is very rocky.
We only spent just about ten minutes here.We had planned to walk down to the “Hole in the Wall” which is a famous giant hole in a rock but it was miserable with the wind. This beach is dog friendly. The parking lot fills up fast but there is road parking, picnic tables, and restrooms.
For more info about Rialto Beach, click here.
Second Beach at La Push
La Push beach is the beach in Twilight that Jacob tells Bella about the “cold ones”. This beach looks straight out of the movie. We also made a point to visit at low tide to check out all the sea life. Keep in mind, dogs are not allowed on the trail or beach.
We chose to check out the “Second Beach” of La Push because it was the most recommended. There are three beaches at La Push. There are two big parking lots right off the main road. The big difference with this beach is that you actually have to hike a bit down to it. It is 1.9 miles out and back, so be prepared for a bit of a walk!
It is an easy hike but feels long.
When you finally get to the beach there is a giant mountain of driftwood logs you’ll have to climb over to get to the beach. It was difficult for me, I slipped a few times and we definitely had to help Aurora get over them.
La Push has giant rocks everywhere. The largest one actually has a few small caves to explore. Its the most fun to go at low tide because that’s when you can see the tide pools full of starfish, crabs, and more.
For tide charts, click here.
Lots of dead crabs, sea anemones, muscles, and starfish!
For more info about the Second Beach at La Push, click here.
Where to Stay
I had a pretty difficult time finding a place for us to stay. There are only two motels in town and I didn’t find that they were available or pet friendly. The only other places in the area are campgrounds. I looked into Three Rivers Resort to rent one of the small cabins for the weekend but their pet policy is that they are not allowed to stay in the campground when you are not present. So I found this fifth wheel on AirBnB for $99/night.
I was impressed with the camper. It is an older model but it was very clean and kept in good shape. It was perfect for us for the weekend. It is located on private property.
The Host also owns the campground next door to the property we were staying on and told us we were welcome to go hang out on the Sol Duc River. The campground has a great access point. If you are into camping, the tent spots here are only $25/night. Just keep in mind this campground does not have hook ups, restrooms, or showers. Rainforest Outdoors is who you’d call to reserve!
Sol Duc River
This river spans throughout the Eastern side of Washington and flows through Forks. We had a great time playing in the river and laying in the sun. Muffin also had fun!
There are lots more places to see, hike, and nice areas to visit within an hour or two from Forks. We did these on the same trip, so check out my other blog posts here:
Hiking at Lake Quinault
Visiting Ruby Beach
Hiking Hall of Mosses in the HOH Rainforest
Visiting Kalaloch Beach & Tree of Life
Finding the fun everywhere life takes us!
Love, Olivia Michelle
