Olympic National Park
Lodging & Dining
Kalaloch Lodge
The lodge is located on the scenic coast off U.S. 101, 36 miles south of Forks. There are 44 cabins with kitchenettes; 20 sit right on a coastal bluff. Built in 1953, the present lodge has 10 special guest rooms as well as 10 motel-style rooms at nearby Sea Crest House. All accommodations have private baths. Reservations are accepted. It is open year-round. There are no TVs. Phones are in the lobby and there is a small bar, a gift shop, a grocery store and fuel service. NPS offers interpretive programs in the summer. Please call (360) 962-2271, (866) 525-2562 or visit online at www.visitkalaloch.com. -
Dining: Enjoy the spectacular sunset in the casual atmosphere of the Kala-loch Lodge dining room. Entrées include fresh, local seafood dishes, steak and chicken. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. Casual dress and reservations are recommended for dinner. Starbucks coffee is served in the restaurant and latte's in the mercantile.
Lake Quinault Lodge
On the south shore of Lake Quinault in Olympic National Forest, this handsome timber lodge has welcomed park visitors since 1926. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was a guest here in the 1930s. Overstuffed leather furniture, American Indian designs and a brick fireplace decorate the lobby. The main lodge has 31 guest rooms, 36 lakeside rooms, 16 fireplace rooms and nine annex rooms. All rooms have private baths while some even have gas fireplaces. Reservations are accepted. It is open all year. There are no TVs. Phones are in the lobby, and a gift shop, a masseuse, an indoor pool, a sauna, a game room, and nearby hiking and seasonal boat rentals are available. Please call (800) 562-6672 or (360) 288-2900 or visit online at www.visitlakequinault.com. -
Dining: The dining room has a spectacular lake view (large parties can be accommodated). Traditional Pacific Northwest cuisine is featured which includes seafood, chicken, steak and pasta selections for the main entrées. Salmon and other fresh fish are the house specialty. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served. Casual dress is recommended and reservations are required for dinner.
Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort
At Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, 40 miles west of Port Angeles in the Sol Duc River Valley, you can soak in three mineral pools with temperatures ranging from 100—105°F.
The present lodge was built in the late 1960s, but a resort has been here since 1914. The resort has 32 cabins and 1 suite, all with private baths. Six of them are duplex kitchen cabins, five are stand-alone kitchen cabins and one is a River Suite with a 10-person conference room. There are also 17 RV sites with water and electric hook-ups. Reservations are accepted. The resort is open from late March to mid October. Amenities include a swimming pool and three hot spring pools, massage therapy, phones in the lobby, a gift shop and a grocery store, camping supplies and gifts. For information, call (360) 327-3583 or (866) 4-SOLDUC (476-5382) or visit www.visitsolduc.com.
Dining: The restaurant overlooking the hot springs offers Northwest sea-food, chicken, vegetarian and pasta dishes. Breakfast and dinner are served. A poolside deli offers hamburgers, salads, sandwiches and ice cream daily in summer. Casual dress; no reservations are accepted.
Olympic In Depth
News from the Parks
Tauck Hosts its 10,000th Guest-Volunteer in Yellowstone National Park
September 4, 2008 - 4:32pm
Tauck World Discovery celebrated a unique milestone recently when it hosted the 10,000th participant in its award-winning guest-volunteer program in Yellowstone National Park. The 10,000th volunteer was in one of three Tauck tour groups working in the Park over the weekend of July 19 - 20. The volunteers each donated a portion of their vacation time with Tauck, an escorted tour operator, to work on preservation and beautification projects in Yellowstone National Park.
September 4, 2008 - 4:32pm
Tauck World Discovery celebrated a unique milestone recently when it hosted the 10,000th participant in its award-winning guest-volunteer program in Yellowstone National Park. The 10,000th volunteer was in one of three Tauck tour groups working in the Park over the weekend of July 19 - 20. The volunteers each donated a portion of their vacation time with Tauck, an escorted tour operator, to work on preservation and beautification projects in Yellowstone National Park.
Dupuyer Elementary School Offering Students Unique Learning Experiences
September 4, 2008 - 4:24pm
Dupuyer students started class Wednesday, Aug. 27, and though their numbers are way down from last year, teacher Lydia Mild has some special educational treats for her five students. To kick off the year, the Dupuyer students are doing a comparison unit between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park. According to Mild, the unit will cover migratory trails, native tribes and many other aspects of the parks.
September 4, 2008 - 4:24pm
Dupuyer students started class Wednesday, Aug. 27, and though their numbers are way down from last year, teacher Lydia Mild has some special educational treats for her five students. To kick off the year, the Dupuyer students are doing a comparison unit between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park. According to Mild, the unit will cover migratory trails, native tribes and many other aspects of the parks.
Boston Trustees Discuss Township Issues
September 4, 2008 - 3:52pm
Boston Township Trustee Gerald Ritch told board members at the Aug. 27 meeting that it appeared unlikely the township could obtain state Issue I grant money to repair or replace failed septic systems of some township businesses. Ritch said a Summit County official told him Coventry Township was able to obtain money in a similar situation, but septic systems are not considered infrastructure, making it unlikely township businesses would qualify.
September 4, 2008 - 3:52pm
Boston Township Trustee Gerald Ritch told board members at the Aug. 27 meeting that it appeared unlikely the township could obtain state Issue I grant money to repair or replace failed septic systems of some township businesses. Ritch said a Summit County official told him Coventry Township was able to obtain money in a similar situation, but septic systems are not considered infrastructure, making it unlikely township businesses would qualify.
Foreign Tourists Visit Park
September 4, 2008 - 3:44pm
Joy Mehrten's Kaweah Marina had a great spring, hosting droves of European tourists who stopped at the lake on their way to Sequoia National Park. As the weather warmed, Mehrten said, foreign visitation cooled. But business stayed strong.
September 4, 2008 - 3:44pm
Joy Mehrten's Kaweah Marina had a great spring, hosting droves of European tourists who stopped at the lake on their way to Sequoia National Park. As the weather warmed, Mehrten said, foreign visitation cooled. But business stayed strong.
September Featured Species: Zebra Mussels
September 4, 2008 - 11:39am
Mussels are a key part of our aquatic ecosystems. They’re filter feeders, meaning they filter the water as they eat the debris that floats in it. They also serve as a food source for birds, fish, small animals and even humans. Usually there’s not much more to say about these mollusks, but one particular species, the Zebra Mussel, has made a journey that highlights not only its hardiness, but also the vulnerable balance of native ecosystems. Zebra mussels are small, freshwater mollusk species named for the stripes that commonly line the outside of their shells. Their sizes and shapes range can vary – oblong to almost circular, measuring anywhere from the size of a fingernail to two inches long – so it can be tricky to identify at first. The species is native to the lakes of Southern Russia but has been introduced, and has since caused quite a stir, in North America, the British Isles, Spain and Sweden. In these places the species has overgrown, and while it filters the water and provides food for bottom feeders in waterways, it’s more of an unchecked pest than anything. Zebra mussels are prolific. An adult female can produce between 30,000 and a million eggs in a year, which are fertilized during spring spawning sessions. What’s more, there are too few predators to keep the species in check. Having so many mussels around may not seem like a big problem on its face, but it has proven to be quite costly not only to the other members of its ‘host’ ecosystem but to humans as well. Many native lakes in North American have seen their native mussel populations drop due to the invasion of the zebra. It tends to latch onto the hardest substrates in the watery environment. In silty sands, these objects are the native mussels themselves, which are then often killed by the attachment of the zebra. The US coastguard estimates the cost of economic losses and control measures around the zebra to be worth about 5 billion dollars each year! These are hearty creatures that can survive out of water for several days or weeks if the temperature and humidity allow for it. Since 1988 they’ve have reproduced and weathered their way to richly populate all of the great lakes and begin a sprawl into the major rivers in the US. Scientists predict that the zebra mussel will continue to spread its population range by riding along the bottoms of small vessels and tourist ships. Zebra mussels can disrupt the food chain in freshwater ecosystems, ruin facilities like docks and rams, clog pipelines and engines and litter beaches with their smelly shells. But you can help to stop this trend of their growth in the US. Before launching your boat, you can check it thoroughly. Remove all mud, plant and animal debris from the boat, trailer and other equipment to enter the water. When you’re out of the water, drain the boat, motor and live well so that it can dry out – the boat needs to be completely dry for at least five days before entering another body of water. Doing your part will help protect freshwater ecosystems around the US and in our national parks, as well as reduce the dollars spent to reduce the damage caused by this prolific species.
September 4, 2008 - 11:39am
Mussels are a key part of our aquatic ecosystems. They’re filter feeders, meaning they filter the water as they eat the debris that floats in it. They also serve as a food source for birds, fish, small animals and even humans. Usually there’s not much more to say about these mollusks, but one particular species, the Zebra Mussel, has made a journey that highlights not only its hardiness, but also the vulnerable balance of native ecosystems. Zebra mussels are small, freshwater mollusk species named for the stripes that commonly line the outside of their shells. Their sizes and shapes range can vary – oblong to almost circular, measuring anywhere from the size of a fingernail to two inches long – so it can be tricky to identify at first. The species is native to the lakes of Southern Russia but has been introduced, and has since caused quite a stir, in North America, the British Isles, Spain and Sweden. In these places the species has overgrown, and while it filters the water and provides food for bottom feeders in waterways, it’s more of an unchecked pest than anything. Zebra mussels are prolific. An adult female can produce between 30,000 and a million eggs in a year, which are fertilized during spring spawning sessions. What’s more, there are too few predators to keep the species in check. Having so many mussels around may not seem like a big problem on its face, but it has proven to be quite costly not only to the other members of its ‘host’ ecosystem but to humans as well. Many native lakes in North American have seen their native mussel populations drop due to the invasion of the zebra. It tends to latch onto the hardest substrates in the watery environment. In silty sands, these objects are the native mussels themselves, which are then often killed by the attachment of the zebra. The US coastguard estimates the cost of economic losses and control measures around the zebra to be worth about 5 billion dollars each year! These are hearty creatures that can survive out of water for several days or weeks if the temperature and humidity allow for it. Since 1988 they’ve have reproduced and weathered their way to richly populate all of the great lakes and begin a sprawl into the major rivers in the US. Scientists predict that the zebra mussel will continue to spread its population range by riding along the bottoms of small vessels and tourist ships. Zebra mussels can disrupt the food chain in freshwater ecosystems, ruin facilities like docks and rams, clog pipelines and engines and litter beaches with their smelly shells. But you can help to stop this trend of their growth in the US. Before launching your boat, you can check it thoroughly. Remove all mud, plant and animal debris from the boat, trailer and other equipment to enter the water. When you’re out of the water, drain the boat, motor and live well so that it can dry out – the boat needs to be completely dry for at least five days before entering another body of water. Doing your part will help protect freshwater ecosystems around the US and in our national parks, as well as reduce the dollars spent to reduce the damage caused by this prolific species.
