Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Blue Glacier on the flanks of Mount Olympus. A herd of elk calls the Hoh Val-
ley home and can sometimes be seen along these trails.
On your way up the Hoh Valley, you might want to stop in at
Peak 6 Adven-
ture Store,
4883 Upper Hoh Rd. (
&
360/374-5254
), an outfitter that sells not
only any outdoors gear you might have forgotten, but also Native American bas-
kets and art by local artists.
Continuing south on U.S. 101, but before crossing the Hoh River, you'll
come to Oil City Road, a secondary road that heads west from the Hoh Oxbow
campground. From the end of the road it's a hike of less than a mile to a rocky
beach at the
mouth of the Hoh River.
You're likely to see sea lions or harbor
seals feeding just offshore here, and to the north are several haystack rocks that
are nesting sites for numerous sea birds. Primitive camping is permitted on this
beach, and from here hikers can continue hiking for 17 miles north along a pris-
tine wilderness of rugged headlands and secluded beaches.
South of the Hoh River off U.S. 101, you can drive to the
world's largest
western red cedar.
Known as the Duncan cedar, this tree stands 178 feet tall
and is almost 20 feet in diameter. You'll find the tree about 4 miles off the high-
way on Nolan Creek Road. Near milepost 170, watch for road N1000 on the
east side of U.S. 101 and follow this road to a right fork onto N1100. Then turn
right onto road N1112, and right again onto N112.
U.S. 101 finally reaches the coast at
Ruby Beach.
This beach gets its name from
its pink sand, which is comprised of tiny grains of garnet. With its colorful
sands, tide pools, sea stacks, and driftwood logs, Ruby Beach is the prettiest of
the beaches along this stretch of coast. For another 17 miles or so south of Ruby
Beach, the highway parallels the wave-swept coastline. Along this stretch of high-
way there are turnoffs for five beaches that have only numbers for names. Beach 6
is a good place to look for whales and sea lions and also to see the effects of ero-
sion on this coast (the trail that used to lead down to the beach has been washed
away). At low tide, the northern beaches offer lots of tide pools to be explored.
Near the south end of this stretch of road, you'll find Kalaloch Lodge, which has
a gas station, and the
Kalaloch Ranger Station
(
&
360/962-2283
), which is
usually open in the summer and at other seasons when a ranger is in the station.
Shortly beyond Kalaloch the highway turns inland again and passes through
the community of
Queets
on the river of the same name. The Queets River val-
ley is another rainy valley, and if you'd like to do a bit of hiking away from the
crowds, head up the gravel road to the Queets campground, from which a hik-
ing trail leads up the valley.
A long stretch of clear-cuts and tree farms, mostly on the Quinault Indian
Reservation, will bring you to
Quinault Lake.
Surrounded by forested moun-
tains, this deep lake is the site of the rustic Lake Quinault Lodge and offers boat-
ing and freshwater fishing opportunities, as well as more rainforests to explore
on a couple of short trails (there is a total of about 10 miles of trails on the south
side of the lake). On the north shore of the lake you'll find one of the peninsula's
largest red cedar trees. This is a good area in which to spot Roosevelt elk.
For more information on guided tours and other outdoor recreational possi-
bilities throughout the park's west side, see “Guided Tours, Educational Pro-
grams & Outdoor Adventures” in section 3, earlier in this chapter.
WHERE TO STAY
IN THE FORKS AREA
The town of Forks has several inexpensive motels and is a good place to look for
cheap lodgings if you happen to be out this way without a reservation. These
