Rest In The Serene Setting Of Olympic National Park At A Historic, Spacious Lakeside Lodge

When you choose to vacation in a temperate rainforest like the one that spans Olympic National Park, it's a good idea to build in some moments of warm, luxurious respite. Sure, you can camp, but those reservations you made six months in advance might just land you in the middle of a torrential downpour, even in the supposed "dry" season. We speak from experience. 

A stay at the rustic, historic, 1929 Lake Crescent Lodge guarantees you'll avoid that waterlogged fate, and makes this destination a year-round gem. Imagine relaxing after an autumnal kayak paddle in the lodge's expansive waterfront sun room, where comfy wicker armchairs let you enjoy all of the views and none of the weather. Or watching the steam curl off your hiking boots in the main lodge, a gleaming wood paneled jewel box where you can cozy up in front of a massive stone fireplace under the gaze of an equally imposing moose head. And if you book one of the Roosevelt Fireplace Cabins, which are listed on the National Historic Register, you can have your very own hearth to canoodle in front of in total privacy.

A fireplace is a welcome amenity just about any time of year here, where the average high temperature even in August is just 69 degrees Fahrenheit. The trade-off for all this damp is a landscape that's a kaleidoscope of green, where dramatic sword ferns, trilliums, and huckleberries flourish under a moss-draped canopy of Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, and Hemlock. The vast Olympic National Park contains four distinct ecosystems, and Lake Crescent is located in the lowland forest zone. From here, you are close enough to the coastal, mountain, and rainforest zones to make this your base for many days of exploration.

From the lodge, you're just 20 miles from Sol Duc Hot Springs, which is also where you'll find the trailhead for the short, scenic trek to spectacular Sol Duc Falls. While this trail is just 1.8 miles round trip, you can make a longer, 5.8-mile loop that includes a section of trail known as Lover's Lane (pictured). This enchanting, gentle hike takes you through old growth forest, where you'll half-expect to see dinosaurs roaming, or bigfoot peering around the trunk of an ancient, mossy tree. 

Travel 45 miles west to the town of Forks and you'll arrive in the heart of the temperate rainforest — an area that gets 119 inches of rain per year. Visit the eerily hushed Hoh Rainforest and traipse along the Hall of Mosses nature trail, keeping an eye out for the Roosevelt elk that roam there. It's just another 14 miles from Forks to Rialto Beach, one of the easiest places to access the stunningly rugged Olympic coast. Soft gray sand, silvery driftwood, and craggy rock outcroppings reaching through the mist make for haunting scenery.

To experience more of the mountains, head for what many consider Olympic National Park's best view hike, Hurricane Hill. This is a paved, 3.2-miler, making it accessible to all. You'll have stunning panoramas to keep your head on a swivel along every inch of it. And for an entirely different vibe, head 35 miles east from the lodge and you'll be in the Olympic Mountains' "rain shadow" where the lovely, lavender-growing town of Sequim (pronounced "squim") enjoys an almost Mediterranean climate with a scant 16 inches per annum. 

Should you luck into a sunny day, your cozy cabin at Crescent Lake Lodge is steps from the trailhead for another hike with epic views, the rigorous trek up Mount Storm King. You'll climb 2,000 feet in 2 miles, and there's a permanent rope to help you scramble over the last section to reach the peak, where you're rewarded by sweeping views down to the forested lakeshore. For an equally beautiful but less physically ambitious hike, you can see old growth trees on the 0.8 mile Moments in Time loop trail that begins right at the lodge. You can also reach the majestic 90-foot-tall Marymere Falls this way. All three destinations can be combined into one perfect day hike for the trail-hardy.

The 12-mile long lake is endlessly explorable by kayak, canoe, or paddleboard, all of which you can rent at the lodge, or you can book a full day "peddle and paddle" tour for a guided experience that includes a morning on the water and an afternoon on two wheels. You've got miles of paved, gentle grade to explore on the Spruce Rail Trail, which travels along the lake's northern shore, opposite the lodge. It's part of the glorious Olympic Discovery Trail, a partially-complete biking, hiking, and horseback riding route that traverses the Olympic Peninsula east to west. Maybe while you're sitting in the sun room, tired and happy at the end of your day, you'll be looking across the lake and fantasizing about next year, when you'll return on an epic bikepacking trip, stopping in this very same spot for a warm bed and a pub burger. These are the things forest dreams are made of.