Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Olympic National Park – Two Nights, Two Roosevelts, and Two Lakes
It was a short get away, but we packed in most of our favorite spots in Olympic National Park, starting with Lake Quinault.
We stayed at Lake Quinault Lodge where FDR stayed. It was Franklin Roosevelt who visited the area in 1937 and signed the act the following year that created Olympic National Park.
We took a walk nearby for a look at the largest Spruce tree in the world, which I showed you pictures of in an earlier post; what’s a few more among friends?
On the north side of the lake, we saw elk grazing, Roosevelt Elk, not named for FDR, but rather for his distant cousin, President Theodore Roosevelt. It was Teddy Roosevelt who established Mount Olympus National Monument in 1909 to protect the elk, the largest in North America, before the national park was created.
We had the Maple Glade Rain Forest Trail totally to ourselves as we absorbed all the green that we could, forest bathing I believe it’s called!
The next day we headed north for Lake Crescent, my favorite, and arrived to find the sun setting over the lake. (We took our time with stops by Ruby Beach and Hoh River Rain Forest, which I’ll save for later.)
FDR also stayed in this lodge, and we found signs of his visit everywhere.
We’d eaten a late lunch before we arrived so settled on dessert in front the fire.
The next morning, I rose at sunrise and wandered around snapping pictures of the lake.
“Lake Crescent, a cold, clear, glacially-carved lake, owes its existence to ice. Its azure depths, which plummet to 624 feet, were gouged by huge ice sheets thousands of years ago. As the ice retreated, it left behind a steep valley that filled with the clear blue waters of Lake Crescent.” Olympic National Park
Snow could be seen far off in the hills, a sure sign of winter coming.
That night we were back home and snug in our bed again.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
For being so late in the fall, your weather was incredible! What a great getaway, and no crowds!
Truly! It was clear and beautiful, and no crowds!
That lodge sure looks impressive…and expensive. Beautiful photos, Susanne
It’s a fun place to stay, and prices were decent for this time of year!
Wow guys! The mountains, lakes and the lodge are fantastic! How nice that you can travel there easily! 👍🏻❤️😊
Yes, it’s a wonderful getaway for us, we’re there in under 3 hours. 🙂
That’s great! 👍🏻😊
Such a beautiful place.
Thank you. It really is. 🙂
Wow! The moss-covered branched looked…primordial. I expected a dinosaur to step out! That dessert looked really good. Sounds like a great time!
Yes, we had a wonderful time! And there’s nothing quite like a walk in the rain forest!
You had great weather for this time of year. Such a beautiful area. I never stayed at the lodges. Too close to home comforts!
Yes, it was clear the few days we were there and no crowds! It was fun staying at the lodges, but your own bed is always the best!
Looks like a beautiful area and a nice hotel too!
Yes, a special place for sure and both lodges are wonderful!
🤩
You’ve transported me back to a wonderful trip, although we followed this route in the opposite direction and at a rather different time of year! We stayed in the Lake Crescent lodge and had breakfast at the Lake Quinault one, but I didn’t know about the FDR connections. I think I have very similar Lake Crescent shots to yours, despite the difference in the season!
We love visiting the area, and usually take the opposite route as well. But this worked nicely for what we wanted to do. And I always thought the Roosevelt connections were interesting, Teddy first protecting the elk, and FDR creating the national park.
Wonderful photos showcasing the beauty of the area. Looks and sounds like the perfect getaway. Thanks for taking us along.
Thank you! We love the area and usually manage to visit a few times a year. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
What an absolutely stunning place!
It really is! 🙂
Beautiful photos from your trip: It looks like a great place for a vacation. 🙂
Beth @ PlantPostings.com
Thank you. It’s a special place!
Really beautiful scenes. (And have been watching the Ken Burns “The Roosevelts” series so really fun to see some of the places today that FDR and Teddy had a hand in visiting and protecting in your post.)
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.