Washington Highway 101
Road Trip Guide

A Brief History of Port Angeles

Port Angeles is situated at the northernmost point of Highway 101, which makes it a logical starting point for the Pacific Coast Highway road trip guide. Highway 101 actually continues around the entire Olympic Peninsula, heading down the western side of Puget sound, and eventual terminating just outside of Olympia, Washington. Port Angeles has a long history of settlement, from native tribes to Spanish explorers and finally European Americans. All of the towns in this area, including Port Angeles, were slow to grow due to their remote location. It wasn’t until the development of a full scale trading post that the town began to develop in earnest. 1914 brought a large lumber operation and railroad connecting Port Angeles to the more densely populated mainland. Completion of the Hood Canal Bridge in 1961 greatly reduced travel times from Seattle and other population centers to the southeast, bringing a previously unseen level of tourism to the area. Tourism, especially to Olympic National Park, replaced the logging industry and continues to be the main economy to this day.

Fun Facts About Olympic National Park

1. 95% of the land is designated as Wilderness, one of the highest ratios of any National Park.
2. There are over 3,000 miles of rivers and streams fed by over 60 named glaciers.
3. It’s the 4th most-visited park, with almost 4 million annual visitors. Most people come to experience the park’s amazing hiking opportunities.
4. There are 3.5x more trail miles than road miles in the park.
5. Mount Olympus, the highest peak on the peninsula, cannot be seen from any metropolitan center including Seattle.
6. The Hoh rain forest receives between 12 to 14 FEET or rain each year! Olympic is home to the only temperate rain forest in the contiguous Unites States.
7. The coastline is 73 miles of beaches, sea stacks, and rocks. One of the best ways to experience the park is by backpacking the entire length.

The Creation of Hot Springs

Photo by Max Penn (on Flickr)

Local Native American lore tells a story of how Olympic Hot Springs and Sol Duc Hot Springs were formed, and it goes like this: Many years ago there were two mighty dragons. One dragon lived in the Elwha valley while the other lived in the Sol Duc valley. Neither of them knew of the other’s existence until one day, while out hunting, they came across each other at the crest of the ridge separating the two valleys. A fierce battle ensued, each dragon blaming the other for invading its territory. The dragons fought a brutal battle, each trying to reclaim their own land. This continued for many years until both dragons acknowledged that they were evenly matched. They turned and flew back down to their respective valleys and crawled into caves. The hot springs we now enjoy are from the tears of these mighty dragons, who still cry from their defeat.

Olympic National Park Travel Tips

Olympic National Park is a unique place in many ways. Here you’ll find a beautiful trifecta of rugged coast, moss draped rain forest, and glaciated alpine. Unlike most national parks, there are no roads that connect through the park. Instead, the intrepid traveler must circumnavigate and puncture the outskirts where roads are available.

Hurricane Ridge provides roadside access to the high alpine areas and is the most popular place in the park. The road to Hurricane Ridge is open year-round, making it a great snowshoeing destination in the winter. The Hoh rain forest is famous for it huge trees and Tolkien-esque ambiance. The Hoh river trail is the main access route for mountaineers wishing to climb 7,980 foot tall Mount Olympus. The coastline is a mixture of rugged rocky and beautiful sandy beaches. Ruby Beach is the best easy-access beach but some of the true gems, like Shi Shi and Second Beach, require longer hikes.

If you only have a day to visit Olympic National Park, it’s best to choose just one region to explore. A full trip around the park required 4 days minimum to see the sights. Of course, the longer you have to spend the better you’ll get to know this beautiful place.

About Estuaries

Grays Harbor is the third largest ria estuary located along the United States pacific coast (after San Francisco Bay and Willapa Bay). An estuary is partly enclosed coastal bay with fresh water flowing into it. This mixture of fresh and salt water creates nutrient rich brackish water, which is why estuaries are one of the most productive natural habitats in the world. A ria is a type of coastal inlet formed by a drowned river valley. A treelike outline, caused by smaller valleys stretching outward, is the classic look of a ria. Ria are caused by either global sea levels rising or local land sinking. The final result is a disproportionately large bay for the size of the river.

The Corps of Discovery

On May 14th, 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began a two and a half year journey from St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River. Their task was to chart the land and collect information for future expansion. The Corps of Discovery faced many challenges along their one and a half year trek to the Pacific, but miraculously only lost one man along the way. In mid-November of 1805, the Corps was nearing the mouth of the Columbia. Their hope was to meet up with the last trading ship of the season for valuable supplies and to send their notes back home to President Jefferson. However, on November 10th a fierce storm whipped up, forcing the Corps off the river at a site they named Dismal Nitch. The Corps was trapped here for 6 brutal days, missing their chance to meet up with the trader ship.

Finally, the weather cleared, which allowed the Corps to establish Station Camp and finish their trek to the Pacific. The Corps stayed at Station Camp in order to create an accurate map of the mouth of the Columbia and surrounding region. On November 24th, 1805, cold rains and brutal weather forced the Corps to seek a winter camp with more protection and nearby game than Station Camp could provide. The party crossed the Columbia to the Oregon side and established Fort Clatsop where they spent the winter.