October 16, 2025
Olympic peninsula, Washington
Due to the ferry schedule on our way to the coast last month we had an extra few hours en route. Rather than waiting around for check-in time at La Push, we stopped at Lake Crescent on the way to hike up to Marymere Falls. It’s the first time we’ve walked that trail, a short and easy 1.8 mile round trip.
What was most notable along the trail was how old the forest is. We were surprised, given how close it is to the highway, U.S. Route 101, the main road on the Olympic peninsula. I’ve been traveling out to the coast for 60 years and there have been logging trucks barreling along that highway all that time, hauling ever smaller diameter logs. How had the trees by the side of the highway there escaped being logged like most other low elevation forests in Washington state?
Topographic lines very close together = steep
(Note: this is a map from the 1920s when the area was still national forest rather than a national park)
Turns out it was a combination topography and a timely inclusion into Olympic National Park. Lake Crescent is a deep narrow lake between steep mountainsides on the northern flank of the Olympics. The timber industry had no need to go into the mountains in the early days of logging since there were abundant giant ancient firs and cedars in the lowlands surrounding the Olympic mountains with relatively easy access to markets by sea and river. It was more trouble to cut timber up in the mountains than it was worth at the time. It wasn’t until 1918 that a railroad was completed to the northern shore of the lake to access Sitka spruce trees to build airplanes for WWI. Commercial logging north of the lake continued after the war.
Lake Crescent Highway, 1920s
The southern shore of Lake Crescent was still inaccessible by car or rail in the early 20th century. Lake Crescent Lodge was built there in 1914, but only reachable by ferry from the north shore, until 1922 when the first very basic version of Highway 101 was constructed, hugging the edge of the lake. Fortunately for the trees, the Depression cooled the timber market, and the flank of the mountain on the south side of the lake wasn’t logged. Then in 1938, the whole area came under the protection of newly established Olympic National Park (thanks to the personal lobbying efforts of FDR). The trees there were saved.
Nowadays Hwy 101 is a two-lane paved road with regular pull-over spots since it still winds along the shoreline with sharp corners. Maximum speed is 35 mph. But there’s a lot of traffic these days, especially in the summertime. Tourism has increased dramatically on the Olympic Peninsula over the past half century. We only visit the OP in the off season though so it wasn’t too bad, although you can tell the easily accessible trails are heavily used.
We parked at the Storm King Ranger station on Barnes Point, the only sizable flat area along the southern shoreline. The historic Lake Crescent Lodge is on Barnes Point too.
Lake Crescent at Barnes Point
The historic Storm King Ranger Station, built c.1905
Since the falls are on the other side of the highway I couldn’t figure out how we’d cross with all that busy traffic.
A tunnel!
Tunnel built some time in the middle of the last century
Trail angles downward on the right to the tunnel. Above is Highway 101 and Lake Crescent beyond
The trail parallels Barnes Creek until you go steeply uphill to the falls. That means there were many Big-leaf maples, Vine maples, Red alders and damp understory shrubs along the trail, as well as Douglas fir, Western Redcedar and Western hemlock. Those three conifers are the target species for the logging industry in lowland western Washington.
Redcedars on left, hemlock center, fir on right
Barnes creek hosts an endemic subspecies of cutthroat trout that spawn there from January to June. The creek was quite low when we visited, after the dry season, but there’s informational signage about the trout where the trail crosses the creek.
The understory in the creek bottom was lush temperate rainforest, although the precipitation here is much less than on the outer coast. The Olympic mountains provide some rainshadow.
Information about spawning sites in the creek:”Don’t tread on my redd!” it says
Vine Maple, mosses, ferns
Devil’s Club, aka Oplopanax horridus, both apt names. This plant has horrible spines that break off in your skin. Do NOT mistake this for Thimbleberry, which also has large leaves and makes great wilderness toilet paper.
A smaller tributary creek has a narrow log bridge that leads to a series of switchbacks up the hillside. The trail is well maintained and has railings, which is a good thing considering a number of walkers. In fact part of the upper trail is a one-way loop so you aren’t squeezing past other walkers. When we went there were several school groups on a field trip, their teachers showing them features of the old forest. The kids were middle school age, attentive and having a great time.
Log bridge over Falls Creek
Looking down toward the log bridge and a school group crossing it
Looking up toward the falls
The falls themselves were pretty enough though not especially dramatic in October. During winter and snowmelt seasons I’m sure they thunder down the cliff. It was the forest itself I enjoyed the most. Lush temperate rainforest with big old trees, and fall colors.
Douglas fir and scale figure
An old curvy Western yew
Barnes creek and fall colors
For our next trip to the Olympic Peninsula we’re going to deliberately schedule in some extra hours to do more hiking. Maybe to Sol Duc Falls. May is snow-melt season.
🍂
Note: I wrote a Daily Bucket a few years ago showing the drive along Lake Crescent. It was the same time of year but the light was such that the turning maples by the lakeshore were just spectacular. The Daily Bucket - Lake Crescent in October
🍁
Showery, breezy and cool today in the PNW islands. Temps in 40s.
What’s up in nature in your neighborhood today?
|
THE DAILY BUCKET IS A NATURE REFUGE. WE AMICABLY DISCUSS ANIMALS, WEATHER, CLIMATE, SOIL, PLANTS, WATERS AND NOTE LIFE’S PATTERNS.
WE INVITE YOU TO NOTE WHAT YOU ARE SEEING AROUND YOU IN YOUR OWN PART OF THE WORLD, AND TO SHARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF THE DAILY BUCKET FEATURE, CHECK OUT THIS DIARY: DAILY BUCKET PHENOLOGY: 11 YEARS OF RECORDING EARTH'S VITAL SIGNS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
|
