Olympic Peninsula & Washington Coast - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 269

you can reach by trekking 13 miles beyond the Graves Creek trailhead northeast of
Lake Quinault. After the late-June snowmelt it is possible to lengthen this hike by
continuing over 4464ft Anderson Pass and descending to the Dosewallips Trail-
head on the park's eastern side. Another favorite is a circular hike from the Deer
Park trailhead southeast of Port Angeles. After a 4.3-mile walk out to the Three
Forks backcountry campground you can trek up over Cameron Pass and Gray Wolf
Pass for fantastic views of McCartney Peak (6728ft) and Mt Deception (7788ft).
For all of the above, hikers should first take stock of local weather conditions
(June to September is the recommended walking window), wise up on wilderness
rules and regulations, and pack all necessary camping equipment and supplies.
Hikers will also need to acquire a wilderness camping permit ($5 per group plus an
additional $2 per person) from the Wilderness Information Center (3002 Mt Angeles Rd,
Port Angeles; 7:30am-6pm Sun-Thu, to 8pm Fri & Sat May-Sep, 8am-4:30pm daily Oct-Apr) , behind
the Olympic National Park Visitor Center ( Click here ) , before commencing. For
more information on this and other backcountry hikes, check out the national-park
website: www.nps.gov/olym .
Sights & Activities
Lake Quinault LAKE
The enchanting Quinault River Valley is one of the park's least crowded corners.
Clustered around the deep-blue glacial waters of Lake Quinault lie forested peaks, a his-
toric lodge and some of the oldest (and tallest) Sitka spruce, Douglas fir and western red
cedar trees in the world.
The lake itself offers plenty of activities such as fishing, boating and swimming, while
upstream both the north and south branches of the Quinault River harbor a couple of im-
portant transpark trails.
The lake may be accessed from the north and the south. The south shore hosts the tiny
village of Quinault, complete with the luscious Lake Quinault Lodge, a USFS office (
360-288-2525; 353 S Shore Rd) , restaurant, couple of stores, post office (S Shore Rd) and gas
station. The North Shore Rd passes the Quinault Ranger Station ( 360-288-2444;
8:30am-4:30pm) before climbing up to the North Fork Quinault trailhead.
Lake Quinault is part of the Quinault Indian Reservation, and fishing is regulated by
the tribe; check locally for tribal licenses and regulations. Boat rentals are available from
Lake Quinault Lodge.