Seventeen years ago, I stayed at the Rain Forest Resort Village on Lake Quinault with my friend Jen. I always remembered it being pretty and remote and that we liked the resort, but none of the details. The only reason I remembered the name of the place is because I have a coffee mug from there. It was never one of my favorites, a little too small for a proper cup the way I like it, but I did like the mug so I never threw it away (or any of the other 50 or so coffee mugs from across the globe that I have). The resort was even better than I remembered it and it was in the perfect location, which is why I was there for four nights instead of the one that I planned.
I’m always hesitant to go back to a place that I really enjoyed, I’m afraid that it will have changed a lot or won’t be as incredible as I remembered it. That wasn’t really a problem this time since everything about this part of the world was perfect! The resort was AWESOME! I had a lake view cabin that was discounted (it is the end of season you know) and really nice, the trails and forest were magnificient. If you ever wondered what the world looked like when it was new, I can’t think of any place that feels more pre-historic than here, I kept expecting a pterodactyl to fly over my head.
The weather was not to be believed, for someplace that gets 12 feet, yes that’s right 12 feet of rain every year it was sunny and beautiful almost the entire time I was there. If that weren’t enough, the restaurant was fantastic. The chef has been whipping up amazing dinners at the resort for 14 years. The season was winding down, but the restaurant was packed every night.
I did a total of five hikes, four in the Quinault Rain Forest and one in the Hoh Rain Forest. I wish I could have done a dozen more!
Conquering The Mighty Fallen Sequoia That Was Part Of The Trail
Petra On Nature's Climbing Wall, It's An Over-Turned Tree, Those Are The Roots At The Bottom Of The Tree She's On
Olympic National Park Is Home To Some Of The Tallest Trees in The World!
Sunset Over Lake Quinault
Pony Bridge, Olympic National Park
The World's Largest Spruce Tree
A View Inside The Spruce ( It's Hollow) Almost 1000 Years Old
Oh Wait, This Is The World's Largest Spruce, The Other One Is The World's Largest Some Other Kind Of Tree, Maybe a Douglas Fir, Let's Go With That
Rainbow Over The Ocean On The Way To The Hoh Rain Forest
Ruby Beach
Hiking In The Hoh
The Hoh Rain Forest Trail
How do you know that is the world’s tallest tree? who told you?
Love that place! Awesome that you did it again.
Im thankful to be able to call Lake Quinault HOME. wouldn’t change it for anything.
I think that hollow one is the largest Cedar on the North Shore. Thank you for writing this! I love my home, where I work (Rain Forest Resort and Village), and I’m happy you love it to 😉
That huge tree at the Rain Forest Resort is the largest Sitka Spruce tree (the Oregon tree was felled by a storm a few years ago). There are other large trees and, if they claim some status, it’s because Those Who Know in Forestry circles keep track of tree size records.
We’ve stayed at the RFR for past six years in early March; the weather is sometimes sunny, often rainy (but it’s great to watch the forest wake up after winter) and the way the lake changes through the day is always a wonder. Highly recommended, indeed!
I have lived and raised my family here in Lake Quinault. Iam very proud to call it home. Very Very grateful to have been here all my life. There truly is no other place I would rather be. Iam always amazed at its awesome beauty. Thank You for writting such wonder things about my Home
Hi April, thank you for your lovely comment and thank you for sharing your beautiful home with me for the brief time I was there, it’s a wonderful, wonderful part of the world!
I too grew up here in this Beautiful Place! Although as an adult life took me many miles away, Lake Quinault will always be my home. There is no place on earth that smells as wonderful as the forest after a rain. I can’t wait to return again this summer for a visit, it truely is the hilight of my year!
Thank you for writing such a great article to let others know of the beauty of the Olympic National Forest.
Thank you Megan, I don’t want too many people to know about it though 🙂 I love the smell after the rain too, I also really love the way the sunlight glistens off of the moss and the ferns when they’re all wet and beautiful. Have a wonderful visit back to Lake Quinault!!
Thank you for the pictures, Ralph and I lived there years ago, I love the rain forest, just hate all the day after day of rain.We both worked the shake mills there until the economy took it all away…beautiful place to live tho….Dianne