Photo Credit: Aramark

By Maryann Hammers

Would you rather: the forest or the mountains? A wilderness walk or a coastal hike? A luxury lodge or a cozy cabin?

At Olympic National Park and Forest — one of the most-pristine places in the U.S. — the correct answer is “all of the above.” With nearly a million miles to explore, visitors can marvel at wild rivers, old-growth forests, a windswept shore, and glacier-capped peaks.

Admission to Olympic National Park (and all national parks, national wildlife refuges, and federal recreations sites) is free to U.S. military members and dependents with their Common Access Card or military ID (1173). Read how to obtain your free annual pass (regularly priced at $80) here. Purchase your pass at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center, and learn more about passes and fees here.

What is the best way to experience Olympic National Park? You can strap on a backpack and rough it at a campsite, if you’d like.

Or live it up a little and enjoy a more luxurious experience. Active duty and retired servicemembers can flash a military ID for 25-percent off the best available rate at four lodges and resorts within the borders of Olympic National Park and Forest . All four properties offer great hiking, water activities, and boat tours. (Since the properties span the peninsula, you can take a road trip around the loop, staying a night or two in each and collecting discounts along the way.) Ask for your discount when booking and show a military ID upon check in. Call (888) 896-3818 for more information, and read on for more details:

• The grand 91-room Lake Quinault Lodge was built in 1926 and features a majestic fireplace, newly renovated lakeside rooms plus historic lodge rooms, and pet-friendly options. It’s open year-round and a great base from which you can choose tour the Lake Quinault Rainforest.
• With an antique-furnished lobby, stone fireplace, and cozy sun porch, the turn-of-the century the century-old Lake Crescent Lodge is the perfect place to unwind and step back in time. The lodge is nestled among giant fir and hemlock trees and sits on the lake’s shores. Choose from lodge rooms, motel rooms, cottages, and fireplace cabins. Open year-round. Regular rates start at about $330 (so with the discount, expect to pay about $250 a night), and breakfast is included.
• Also overlooking Lake Crescent, Log Cabin Resort includes lodge rooms, lakeside chalets, and cabins (some cabins have kitchenettes and private bathrooms). Onsite amenities include a restaurant, deli, boat rentals, general store, and coin-operated laundry. Season dates run from late spring to early fall — so plan ahead for next summer.
• At Sol Duc Hot Springs , you can enjoy the hot mineral-spring pool and hot springs. Accommodations include cabins (some with kitchens), plus one three-bedroom suite, all along the Sol Duc river and surrounded by evergreens. Season runs from early spring to mid-October.

While you’re in the area and getting back to civilization, you might want to check out Little Creek Casino Resort. Owned and operated by the Squaxin Island Tribe, the resort is about an hour outside Olympic National Park and minutes from Olympia in the Kamilche Valley. The 190-room resort features concerts, live entertainment, dining, a golf club, a spa, and a smoke-free casino. Active duty and retired servicemembers get a 30-percent discount. (Regular rates start at $79, so your price is about $60.) Call (800) 667-7711.