Olympic National Park, WA

Over the past several days, I’ve been touring the HUGE and remote Olypmpic National Park. So needless to say, there was minimal cell service for blog updating.

I started off at the southwestern side at the Quinault Rain Forest. It was very plush with ferns and moss covered trees.



Lake Quinault with the Mount Olympus in the background.



I stopped by Ruby beach, but the fog was so socked in I couldn’t get any good photos.



Next, it was off to the HOH Rain Forest. Again, so plush and green with gorgeous ferns and giant sitka spruce trees draped in moss.







This is one of the largest sitka spruce trees in the US. They only grow along a narrow coastal strip between California and Alaska due to needed growing conditions of high rainfall, fog and ocean moderated temperatures. This one is 500 -550 years old, 270 feet tall and 12 ½ feet in diameter.





The following day, I went to Rialto Beach to meet the Ranger and other potential hikers to go see the tide pools at the Hole-in-the-Wall. However, it wasn’t happening that morning. Hopefully, I’ll be able to see some at Salt Creek.

Coming across the northern tier is beautiful Lake Crescent.



And I stopped at Elwha to see some salmon cascades.



I’ll be hanging out in the Discovery Bay Area this week to regroup and hopefully get some good seafood! :)