Olympic National Forest – Washington.

When I was looking for a route from Bellingham, WA to a drive along the Pacific Ocean, I looked at adventure options if I visited the Olympic National Forest. I found three hikes that were just the lengths I could handle with nice scenic views, that seemed appropriate. Good decision! Except!

Except, I did not understand the route Google Maps showed on how I should drive to Forks, WA where I had motel reservations. It showed a line going over the Port Townsend Bay. I assumed this was a bridge. The car rental man tried to explain to me I should make a Ferry reservation. Still, not comprehending what I was going to encounter!

Well, after arriving at the Ferry Terminal without a reservation I figured it was quicker to go back and around Puget Sound to Forks. This meant I would drive by the Marymere Waterfall Trailhead after dark and arrive at the Forks Motel after it closed! The motel put my key under a mat and I did the Marymere Trail the next day.

Lesson learned; understand routes over water around Seattle, Washington!

When I finished the Spruce R.R. hike I drove around Lake Crescent to the Olympic National Forest, Storm King Ranger Station, for a hike to the Marymere Waterfall.

Lake Crescent, is a cold, clear, glacially-carved lake. Its azure depths, which plummet to 624 feet deep were gouged by the glaciers huge ice sheet thousands of years ago. As the ice retreated, it left behind this steep valley that filled with the clear blue waters.

The lake’s waters have very little nitrogen. This limits the growth of phytoplankton, tiny plants (like algae) that float in lake waters. Without them, the water stays clear. In some places you may see as far down as 60 feet. Clarity and reflecting light give Lake Crescent a stunning blue-green color.

Its protected waters are home to fish like the Beardslee and Crescenti trout, two types of fish found nowhere else in the world.

3-Mile, Rialto Beach hike to the Hole-in-the-Wall.

I hiked along a rocky beach, and giant drift logs, avoiding pounding waves with views of offshore islands known as “sea stacks.” These are the features that define the Rialto Beach.

Olympic National Forest Rangers also told me to only take this hike at low tide and, reminded me to never turn my back on the ocean. I had already checked the tied tables prior to arriving at the beach.

This was my third adventure hike of the day. It was early evening and I’d only eaten one energy bar on the Spruce R.R. Trail early in the morning. I figured their would be a nice seafood restaurant at a Pacific Ocean Coast beach, after 12 miles of hiking. Well! I was in the Olympic National Forest next to the Quileute Indian Reservation, NO restaurants near the Rialto Beach!

So I drove down the coast to the La Push fishing village, figuring where would there be no better place to have fresh sea food. Well! The only restaurant in town was closed. And, lots of police surrounding a nearby house with a young man in handcuffs being guarded by an armed officer. I got out of there quickly.

So I speedily drove back to Forks, WA, to the only nice looking restaurant in town, before they closed. The night before, I arrived in Forks 5 minutes before the 24-hour gas station closed and I only got a can of coke and a bag of chips for dinner!

Click the above Bridge Photo to view Uncle Jack’s next adventure at, Fort Stevens State Park, and, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, in Astoria, Oregon.

Copyright © 2022 JACK L. WINEGAR All Rights Reserve.