Day 17 – Tuesday July 2 – Hoh Rain Forest – Olympic National Park

 

We knew we had to get up early to beat the crowds to the parking lot.  We left the campground at 6:30 and it took about 45 minutes to drive into the Park.  The road was completely lined with trees occasionally coming beside the Hoh River. 

When we got to the parking lot the spaces were already half full. Unfortunately, Buck could not walk the trails here, so we walked around the campground before I hit the trail. I decided to walk the Hall of Mosses.  It was beautiful.  Lots of people on the trail but it wasn’t crowded.  When we got back to the Visitor Center it was open but they didn’t have any power, so there were lanterns everywhere.

We left at 9:30 and someone pulled into my parking spot immediately.  As I drove to the gate I noticed cars lined up waiting to come in.  They were only allowing cars in when cars came out.  I was curious so I started counting. By the time I got to the end there were 158 cars in line!    As I continued to drive out the road there were probably another hundred cars that I passed going in.  I am definitely glad I got there early.

I drove east along the northern border of Olympic Park and stopped at Port Angeles at the Visitors Center.  They had electricity and we could buy some stamps, books and postcards.  We walked the Peabody Trail (Buck could be on this one). 

From here we headed up to Port Townsend hoping that we could take the ferry across.  This is a very busy crossing and you really need a reservation to get on the ferry, which I didn’t have.  The man at the gate said it was sold out for today and tomorrow, so my only choice was to turn around.    I found a nice little campground, Fort Townsend, to spend the nite.  They had a wonderful little Botany Trail where I learned so much about the plants I had been seeing.  I also found some Ghost Pipes, which I have always wanted to see.  Once I noticed them I saw that they were everywhere in the woods.

Like all the campgrounds I have stayed at in Washington this place was perfect.  The big beautiful trees, moss and the abundance of wildflowers.