Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tunnel. See “Olympic National
Park West” in chapter 7.
•
Second Beach & Third Beach
(Olympic National Park outside
Forks): It's difficult to pick the
best beach in the national park,
since they are almost all ruggedly
beautiful, but these two beaches
just outside the community of La
Push are our personal favorites.
Here you can listen to the calls of
the eagles and gulls and contem-
plate the sheer vastness of the
Pacific. See “Olympic National
Park West” in chapter 7.
4 The Best Hikes
•
Trails Out of Hurricane Ridge:
Hurricane Ridge is the most easily
accessible alpine region of Olympic
National Park, and from here, and
nearby Obstruction Peak, there are
several possible hikes that will give
you a glimpse of a superb part of
the Olympic wilderness. See
“Olympic National Park North &
the Northern Olympic Peninsula”
in chapter 7.
•
Hall of Mosses Trail/Hoh River
Trail
(Hoh River Valley):
Whether you're only up for a short
walk in the woods or want to do a
multi-day backpacking trip, this is
the best place to experience the
Olympic Peninsula's famed rain-
forest. Just don't forget your rain
gear. See “Olympic National Park
West” in chapter 7.
•
The Maple Pass Loop Trail:
Along the North Cascades Scenic
Highway, you simply won't find a
more rewarding hike than this one.
The trail climbs nearly 2,000 feet
from Rainy Pass to a ridge with an
astounding view of seemingly all
the mountains in Washington. See
“Mount Baker & the North
Cascades Scenic Highway” in
chapter 9.
•
Trails Out of Sunrise:
The Sunrise
area, on the northeast flanks of
Washington's Mount Rainier,
offers fabulous unobstructed views
of both the mountain and
Emmons Glacier, the largest glacier
in the contiguous 48 states. From
Sunrise more than a dozen trails of
different lengths head off to view-
points and lakes. Take your pick.
See “Mount Rainier National Park
& Environs” in chapter 9.
•
The Beacon Rock Trail
(Colum-
bia Gorge West of Stevenson):
Although this hike is less than
2 miles long, it makes up for its
short length with its steep pitch.
In fact, much of the trail is on
metal stairs bolted to the sheer
cliff face of Beacon Rock, a mas-
sive monolith that rivals the Rock
of Gibraltar in size. The view from
the top is superb. See “The
Columbia Gorge & the Mount
Adams Area” in chapter 9.
5 The Best Scenic Drives
•
Chuckanut Drive:
This road
winds south from Bellingham
through the Chuckanut Moun-
tains, which rise straight up from
the waters of Chuckanut and
Samish bays. Across the water lie
the San Juan Islands, and the sun-
sets are spectacular. Larrabee State
Park provides an opportunity to
get out of your car and walk down
to a pretty little beach. See
“Bellingham & Environs” in
chapter 5.
•
The North Cascades Scenic
Highway:
Passing through the
most rugged and spectacular
mountains in the Northwest, this
highway was not opened until
