Sequim Lavender Fields: Visiting the Lavender Capital of North America

We booked our places to stay on the Olympic Peninsula for our August Olympic National Park road trip just a few weeks before we arrived. By this time, most places in Port Angeles were either already booked or were too expensive.

Since we really wanted to explore the mountainous side of the park, like Hurricane Ridge and Obstruction Point, we looked for cities and towns near the park’s northern entrance. That’s how we found Sequim (pronounced ‘skwim’), a small town about 25 minutes east of Port Angeles.

When we first got to our hotel to check in, they gave us a couple of brochures for things to do nearby, all with lavender fields on the cover. That’s how we found out we were in the Lavender Capital of North America.

Where We Stayed in Sequim: Hotel vs. Farm Airbnb

Since we booked our stays late, we weren’t able to find a place that had an opening for 5 nights and was within our budget. So we split our time between two places. We spent one night at the Red Lion Hotel in town and four nights in an Airbnb out in the country, just south of Highway 101.

Both were pet-friendly, which was a must since we were exploring Olympic with our dogs, Toby and Lily.

The Red Lion Hotel was just like a regular hotel stay. The place was clean, came with a surprisingly good, if not ordinary continental breakfast and had a pool and hot tub. Those last two are things that we don’t usually get when we stay in Airbnbs, so we definitely enjoyed them during our stay.

The Airbnb, being out in the country, was much quieter. It was out on a farm, which made the transition from cozy Sekiu to busier Port Angeles feel less jarring. There wasn’t much cell service and the Wi-Fi on the property wasn’t the best, but it was still better than no signal at all like we had while glamping near Forks.

Our dogs loved the stay, except for the one day Lily wouldn’t stop howling at the farm dogs while we were out hiking Hurricane Ridge.

Whenever we travel with Toby and Lily, we bring a small travel router and a Wi-Fi pet camera so we can keep an eye on them while we’re gone. It also sends us notifications if it detects barking or movement, and lets us talk to them through the speaker.

After we were driving back from Hurricane Ridge, the moment we got cell signal again, our phones blew up with camera alerts. We tried talking to Lily through the pet cam on the drive back, but she made up her mind that she would continue to howl. Sorry again to our host!

Hitting Lavender Season at Just the Right Time

On our 2023 road trip to Mount Rainier National Park, we wanted to check out some lavender farms, but we were too late in the season. This time, though, we hit it just right (by accident). Sequim’s lavender was still in full bloom and we were just a week late for their big festival.

You can’t drive through Sequim in August without seeing lavender since it’s home to quite a few farms.

We didn’t know which one to visit and ultimately decided on B&B Family Lavender Farm because it was less than a 15-minute drive from our hotel.

Our Visit to B&B Family Lavender Farm

We got there a little after 1 pm when it was sunny, not too hot and the entire area smelled like lavender. I don’t usually like scents, but I found this to be soothing. They handed us a pair of scissors and a tie and told us to go cut whatever we wanted for ~$20 (as long as it fit in the tie). So we filled the tie until it was completely full.

The fields were laid out in neat rows, with landscaping fabric between them (the heavy-duty kind that keeps weeds down) and just beyond the lavender were the Olympic Mountains in the distance.

Bees were buzzing around as we walked between the rows. I was convinced I’d get stung (bees and wasps love to sting me) but I somehow made it out without a single sting. That still surprises me since bees and wasps sting me even while I’m walking the dogs on the sidewalk.

Also, I learned something. I always thought lavender was just… lavender. But B&B grows a bunch of different species. There are actually over 45 lavender species & 450 varieties, and this farm had 10 varieties growing right there in one field.

As someone who doesn’t know much beyond “plants need sun and water,” that was pretty cool.

Bringing Lavender Home from the Olympic Peninsula

We brought home a full bunch of cut lavender and also picked up a small canvas bag of dried lavender from their store. Our cut stems made it through the full 2,500+ mile drive back home, and even now, they’re still sitting on our bookshelf, and still smell amazing.

July 2026 Update: The cut lavender is still standing in our apartment, but they don’t smell nearly as strong as they once did.

That said, quite a bit of it did fall apart in the car on the way home. We were finding bits of lavender under our seats for weeks.

As a side note, apparently our car picked up enough pollen that bees kept flying up to investigate it during our drive home and even after we got back to Alabama. For over a month.

Would We Visit Sequim Again?

Not for Sequim itself. The town was fine, but had fewer food options than Port Angeles and most places closed early. It felt like a small town near a popular spot, not a destination on its own.

But for the lavender and, presumably, the Lavender Festival? Yes. If we ever found ourselves back in the area during bloom season, we’d absolutely go again. Maybe even plan better and catch the festival next time.

Exploring Olympic National Park from Sequim

If you’re staying in Sequim and are looking for outdoor places to explore in Olympic, here are some of our favorite hikes and places to see:

• Sol Duc Falls: A quick, easy 1.8-mile walk through a mossy rainforest to one of Olympics’ most powerful waterfalls.
• Marymere Falls: Less than 1.8 miles loop near Lake Crescent that leads you to a beautiful waterfall.
• Hurricane Ridge: An iconic mountain view with trails, like Hurricane Hill (3.4 miles) nearby.
• Obstruction Point: Take Washington’s “scariest road” to a longer hike near Hurricane Ridge.