It's all in the perspective.
pper Lake Mills Trailhead is an unimposing pullout on the gravel , a one-lane montane ‘improved goat-trail’ that serves the important and nearby . The pullout serves the , or if it is full use Whiskey Bend at road’s end, and walk a couple of tenths mile back down. The trailhead is a little less …
Continue reading “Upper Lake Mills Trailhead, Olympic Nat’l Park a deceptively minor pullout“
lwha River drains the central and interior , flowing to the north and emptying into the central . It’s a principle watershed on the , of far northwestern . The upstream portion of Elwha is entirely contained within ; it is an important developed tourist destination for the Park, and is a rewarding & diverse …
Continue reading “Elwha River, Olympic Nat’l Park premier lowland recreation in Olympic Nat’l Park“
lk Overlook is the first side-trail and first named attraction one comes to, only about 3/4 mile up the main from the , in the . The intended view is of the meadow, where sometimes folks see the local elk herd feeding or bedded down. It’s worth a lot of dry runs down the hill, …
enchmark Rock is an informal spot about 3/4 mile up the from its beginning at the . The author , in his book , refers to the location as Benchmark Rock, in his Elwha Trail section (pg 40). (Note that historically & culturally, the name of this trail is sometimes seen as Elwha Trail, and …
he is sometimes seen referred to as the Elwha River Road. Locals are not affected … even though they also practice & perpetuate the ambiguous usage. The road that visitors to the and the facilities & recreation along the will be looking for is the Olympic Hot Springs Road. Not the Elwha River Road.
lympic Hot Springs Road leaves at its bridge over the and goes up the valley (south), soon entering the . The junction is about 10 minutes west of . This is the road that leads to popular recreational areas on & around the river, to the , and provides access to various river-valley campgrounds and …
[G]oblins Gate is a dramatic entrance to the of the in . It’s at the lower end of and the area. The river is suddenly pinched into a narrow canyon between vertical rock walls (like a gate). It is an easy day-hike to Goblins Gate, via . A broad, low ridge of resistant rock, a …
Continue reading “Goblins Gate, Elwha River, Olympic Nat’l Park”
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 …
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 …
Continue reading “Anderson Ranch, Elwha River, Olympic Nat’l Park off-trail, river-bottom day-hike“
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.