Dscudder's september 09

Olympic National Park is 922,000 acres of stunning alpine and coastal wilderness. Over 3 million people visit every year, and yet the park still retains an untouched, natural feel. It's known as the focal point of the Olympic Peninsula.   http://www.nps.gov/olym

Olympic National Park: 24-hour Road & Weather Recording: 360-565-3131

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Quilcene and Brinnon are nestled between the beautiful Hood Canal and the Hood Canal Ranger District of the Olympic National Forest. This unique location leaves endless opportunities for hiking and visiting viewpoints. One-hundred and ten miles of trails and viewpoints exist within the Hood Canal Ranger District of the Olympic National Forest and are accessible from the Quilcene/Brinnon area.

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If you like history, especially the local history, be sure to stop by and check out the exhibits at the Olympic Peninsula Gateway Visitors Center which is sponsored by the Jefferson County Historical Society. there are amazing photos of native peoples, early settlers to the area as well as antique tools for farming and forestry. Kids of all ages love the giant threshing machine out front.

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Perched at the northern entrance to Puget Sound near Port Townsend, Fort Worden State Park, a military base that was commissioned in 1902, is a legendary gathering place. With a 360 degree panorama of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, the Fort's 434 acres are bordered by pristine wetlands and miles of sandy beaches.

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The Olympic Peninsula is home to many tribes of native people, including the Quinault , Hoh, Quileute, Makah, Elwha Klallam and Jamestown S'Klallam. From culinary influence, native art, traditional song, dance and festivals, there are many ways to experience our wonderful native cultures.

Each Tribal community offers places and/or activities for respectful visitors.

The Makah Museum in Neah Bay is a world-class cultural center, with many objects of Makah art available in the gift shop. There are demonstrations of carving and basket making nearly every day.

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At 5.5 miles in length, the Dungeness Spit is the world's longest naturally occurring sandspit and home to the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is a sanctuary for over 250 species of birds, 41 species of land mammals and eight species of water mammals. Its trails and picnic areas offer breathtaking views of the beaches, Dungeness harbor and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

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Scenic ocean shores with easy access are found in the Kalaloch (pronounced clay-lock) area, 15 miles south of the Rain Forest Road on Hwy 101. Beach Trail 4 is a pebble beach with dramatic surf (beware of the strong undertow), tidal pools and is a popular place to dip for smelt (schools of small fish that spawn in the surf in warm, calm weather and can be caught with a large net). Picturesque Ruby Beach with a meandering creek, dramatic sea stacks, and drift logs is named for its sometimes garnet-colored sand. A gold mining operation was located here in the early 1900’s.

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This County Park, with sweeping views of the shipping traffic as they make their way through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, serves as the trailhead for the Dungeness Spit National Wildlife Refuge.  

Dungeness Recreation Area has 67 campsites, 3 restrooms (2 with showers), group camping with a shelter, playground, hiking and equestrian trails, on 216 acres.

 Summer: 7 a.m. until dusk
Winter: Campground is closed October through March

The park is open year-round for day use.

Clallam County Parks Department Phone: 360-417-2291

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A Magical Misty Tour
A delightful way to explore the Olympic Peninsula, the Waterfall Trail offers year-round adventure and dramatic beauty. From the cliffs of Cape Flattery, to the glacial fjord of the Hood Canal to the Enchanted Valley of the Quinault Rainforest, waterfalls of all sizes and shapes abound! Some are easy walks on fores trails, others reached via paved, wheel-chair accessible paths, still more are in the backcountry of Olympic National Park. Two falls can only be reached by boat.

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The Quilcene/Brinnon area holds an abundance of magnificant scenery just waiting for that special photograph.  From magnificant mountain views at the top of one of our nearby mountain peaks, to the brilliance of the sunlite water of Hood Canal, to the soft light of forest trails winding along river banks or through wildflower meadows, this area is a photographer's dream.

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