In the Open— The National Forests of Washington ^"'^S;; 



OLYMPIC NATIONAL FOREST 



^ I \HE Olympic National Forest is on the Olympic Peninsula, and takes in the 



j[ entire upper drainage of the Olympic Mountains. Since the extension of 



the Olympic Highway to the foothills along Hood Canal, the Straits of 



Juan de Fuca, and Quinault Lake, a great number of people have been able to 



explore the Olympics. 



The rugged crags of Mount Constance, the Brothers, and the Cushman Moun- 

 tains, as they appear from any point on Puget Sound, do not look easy to scale; 

 yet frequently during the summer season parties ascend these high, majestic snow- 

 caps. Mount Olympus, with its many hanging glaciers, has been the main object 

 of most of the larger exploring expeditions. It can be climbed with comparative 

 ease and safety during late summer, although it calls for trail travel of fully 40 

 miles up the Elwha River. Greater distances must be covered coming up the 

 Hoh from the west, up the Quinault from the south, or over the Dosewallips divide 

 from the east, in order to reach its immediate base. It has an altitude of about 

 8,000 feet and is the culmination of a group of rugged peaks and high, craggy ridges 

 ranging from 5,000 to 6,000 feet. 



Although the valleys and lower slopes of the Olympic Mountains are heavily 

 timbered, many large open park areas are located near the divides; and it is here, 

 during the summer season, that one sees the Olympic elk (Roosevelt elk), an animal 

 protected by law until now it is found in abundance throughout these natural 

 retreats. These park-like woodlands are of special interest, since they are little 

 beyond the exploration stage of development at present. They abound in interest- 

 ing animal and alpine-plant life. 



Crescent Lake, Quinault Lake, and Lake Cushman, situated as they are in 

 densely timbered regions abruptly bordered by steep, high, rugged mountain 

 slopes, almost approach the sublime in natural beauty. For those who do not 

 wish to take their own camp equipment, attractive hotels have been built at these 

 points, and recreational facilities of many kinds have been developed. Trout — 

 Beardsley, Lake Cresent, cut-throat, rainbow, Dolly Varden — and other gamey fish 

 are found in these lakes. A number of summer visitors who come regularly have 

 established summer cottages on the shores on lots rented from the Government at 

 the modest rates of $10 and $15 per annum. 



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