Quinault: Big Trees, Rain Forests, and Shades of Green

The world’s largest Sitka spruce is one of the highlights of this area. We woke up to a beautiful sunny morning and decided to make it our first adventure of the day.

Turns out, the tree is at the end of our campground, about 200 yards away.

An easy walk, so we headed there with Dixie.

The tree is 1,000 years old. It is over 58 feet around and 191 feet tall. Honestly, it is showing its age, but nevertheless, it is a magnificent sight.

Just a short drive away was the Rain Forest Nature Trail, a loop through the Quinault Rain Forest. The trailhead was already crowded when we arrived, but fortunately we found a spot for our little car and off we went.

I looked at my phone.

It was 11:11!

What can I say? We are in sync with the universe, or at least the number angels.

Although the parking lot was full, our walk was peaceful. The rain forest was amazing. An otherworldly experience.

I was still fascinated by all the shades of green, so I took pictures along the way. (Check out the photography post.)

Afterward, we headed to the Quinault Lodge, built in 1926. It sits facing the lake with amazing views.

We had lunch at the Roosevelt Room, named for the president who visited the lodge during his presidency, and sat outside under the umbrellas. The food was delicious, and the view created a wonderful sense of calm and escape into vacation world.

It was easy to imagine decades of people lounging on the great lawn, sitting in Adirondack chairs, playing lawn games, or swimming in the lake.

The true essence of leisure.

Interestingly, in a display case in the lobby, they had casts of Bigfoot footprints discovered by people throughout the years. The casts were from different decades and, I assume, are evidence that Bigfoot truly does exist.

Who knows.

Honestly, I did think I caught a glimpse of him in the woods on our last hike of the day, to the Gatton Trail waterfall.

It was another trek into the rain forest, and we were the only people there. The forest was so dense that the trail sometimes felt like a tunnel.

It was quiet and peaceful.

Once we reached the falls, we stood on the bridge and allowed the beauty of nature to drench our souls.

On the way back, I heard something in the woods.

It was moving slowly.

It was dark and big.

And then it suddenly vanished.

Who knows??

My imagination? Or could I have seen Bigfoot?

We’ll never know.

We ended the day at the Salmon House, another lakeside spot. We ate dinner as the sun set behind the mountains beyond the lake.

It was a perfect adventure day.