Lake Aldwell, Elwha River, Olympic Peninsula, NW USA everyone drives right past; worth the stop

Update: ake Aldwell is now gone, with the removal of its dam, but other features remain as described here.  The former lake-bed is growing back in a jungle of saplings & brush.     One visitor in 10,000 might stop for the easy-quick check. Lake Aldwell is the impoundment of the Elwha River above the lower …

Anderson Ranch, Elwha River, Olympic Nat’l Park off-trail, river-bottom day-hike

nderson Ranch is a large river-bottom, flood-plain meadow on the left bank of the ; it lies immediately upstream of . More fully, or historically, it was the Billy Anderson Ranch, and that name will sometimes be seen. It is quite near the beginning of the main , but is on the opposite side of …

Rica Canyon Trail, Elwha River, Olympic Nat’l Park 1.5 mi to Elwha River's Goblins Gate

ica Canyon Trail is the access to , the upper entrance of .  It begins at the 3rd intersection up the main , about 1.1 miles out of the . The first two junctions are for a short side-loop trail called , which is a nice viewpoint for , itself an off-trail day-hike.