Olympic Peninsula

In 1897, President Grover Cleveland created the Olympic Forest Reserve in Washington State. Twelve years later, in 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt recognized a portion of this reserve as a national monument. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation creating the Olympic National Park, and in 1988, nearly 95 percent of the park was designated as wilderness. It wasn’t so long ago that a trip to the Olympic Peninsula meant access to one of the most beautiful places in Washington. It meant the privilege of touching one of North America’s finest, old-growth temperate rain forests. However, today as you drive along Hwy 101 you will see areas where groves of beautiful old trees have been cut indiscriminately, leaving large barren strips of land. Thankfully, the wisdom of conservationists is now prevailing and you will notice thousands of new trees being planted. Most of the clear-cutting of the forest is along the periphery of the park, and once you delve off the main road, you are in a paradise of nature that has been untouched by man. When planning your itinerary in the Olympic National Park, you might want to consider a hotel in the nearby town of Port Angeles, since in a couple of days this is where you will be boarding the ferry to Victoria Island. However, because the scenery is so outstanding, we prefer to stay right in the heart of the park where you find a choice of delightful accommodations—not fancy hotels but simple, rustic, lodges surrounded by awesome natural splendor. Another consideration in planning this part of your itinerary is the time of year you are traveling. Each season has its singular appeal, but for sightseeing, it is preferable to plan for the summer months when you have a better chance of sunshine. The Olympic National Park is a rain forest with an awesome amount of precipitation—the wettest months are in the winter. If you are looking for drier days, traveling in May, June, July or August offers the best chance for good weather. It is impossible to make a loop of the Olympic National Park since there is only one main road, Hwy 101, which cuts through the park with a few smaller roads leading off to the coast or penetrating deep into pristine forests. Since there is no circular route, once you have traveled from the north end of the park to the south end, you will need to come back the same way. One suggestion would be to drive directly to the south end of the park to the Lake Quinault area and spend one night there to explore the trails. Then, the next day, return back north and spend one night near Lake Crescent to explore the trails there. If you prefer not to change hotels, just choose one as your base and take side trips each day. (Bring rain gear, by the way!) For perspective, the drive from Lake Crescent, located on the northern end of the peninsula, to Lake Quinault, located on the southern end of the peninsula, takes about three hours, one way. You won’t be able to see all the suggested sightseeing in one day, so it is best to stop at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles. (3002 Mount Angeles Road; open from 8:30 am to 6 pm daily, June to September; and from 9 am to 4 pm daily, the rest of the year). Here you can get a map and talk to the rangers who will help you decide the best places to stop based on what most appeals to you and how much you want to hike. Follow the signage from 101 west. Get a map of the park and talk to rangers about what interests you. At the very least, you’ll want to take the drive up to Hurricane Ridge, if weather and road conditions allow. It’s well marked and only 17 miles south of the visitor center along the Heart o’ the Hills/Hurricane Ridge Road. The journey up the mountain is spectacular. Watch for signs to Lookout Rock, a viewpoint you won’t want to miss. Carrying on, you’ll pass through thick forests past sub-Alpine meadows, all the way to the top of a 5,000-foot ridge. From here, if the weather is permitting, you’ll see the splendid Olympic Mountains and the Pacific Ocean beyond. Look for easy Meadow Loop Trails that guide you through meadows covered in summer with wildflowers, but bring a jacket no matter what time of year. It gets cold up here! Return to 101 and drive west, passing along the southern shores of the glorious Lake Crescent. If you’re up for a gorgeous 2-mile hike, follow the signs to the Lake Crescent Lodge (360-928-3211) and find the trailhead for the Mary Mere Falls Trail. This path guides you through old-growth forest to a beautiful cascade of water. If you are keen to see something of the rain forest, continue west on 101. Pass through Sappho, Beaver, and Forks to a well marked road leading you 18 miles inland to the Hoh Rain Forest. The temperate rain forest in this valley (and this is true of Quinault and Queets Valleys, too) contains some of the most spectacular examples of undisturbed Sitka spruce/western hemlock forests in the U.S., where trees easily reach heights of some 300 feet. Precipitation here ranges from 12 to 14 feet every year! Nearly every bit of space is taken up with a living plant, as you will see. The mountains to the east prevent severe weather extremes, and very often the canopy of trees, mosses, lichen, and fern is so thick that falling snow is caught in the cover and never reaches the ground at all. Several short and easy trails will guide you through the forest. Head out of Hoh and in the direction of 101 again. Take it south and follow signs out to the stunning Ruby Beach (a photographer’s dream) and have a stroll along a rocky, log-strewn shore to enjoy gazing at dramatic rock formations. This is justifiably one of the most scenically distinctive beaches in this 10-mile stretch of Kalaloch (say CLAY a lock) Beaches, all considered excellent examples of primitive Pacific coastline. Beach 2 is the least rocky. Explore as you like. Watch for gray whales on their migrations from Alaska to Mexico, or for bald eagles that soar overhead or rest in the treetops on the cliffs. Leaving the beach area that stretches south from Ruby to Beach 1, continue on 101 to North Shore Road through the Quinault Rain Forest onto South Shore Road for a stunning 30-mile loop around Lake Quinault. This loop—admittedly not well marked—crosses the Quinault River and meanders through beautifully unspoiled sections of rain forest. The road gets pretty rugged—unpaved and out-and-out rocky in sections—but if you’re up for the adventure, you won’t regret the trip. If you prefer to explore on foot, there are many marvelous possibilities. Begin by stopping at the ranger station situated on the side of the road on the south shore of Lake Quinault. Here you can pick up information, maps, and suggestions from the rangers about the well marked paths that weave deep into the forest. One of our favorites is the Quinault Loop Trail, which begins across the road from the Lake Quinault Lodge. Another of our favorites is the Kestner Homestead Trail that begins on the north side of the lake. Again, there is a ranger station located nearby. Stop here first to pick up a map and ask the ranger for his trail suggestions. This path winds beneath towering maple trees, traverses a sparkling creek, and passes by an abandoned homestead, once owned by early pioneers, the Kestner family (you can see their photos in the ranger station which is located where the trail begins).