Lake Crescent

— As you drive U.S. Route 101 approaching the historic Lake Crescent Lodge, you will likely stop several times to admire the brilliant blue waters of Lake Crescent in Olympic NP. In some areas, you will see striking Madrones trees by the shore, as shown in the photos above.

Wikipedia provides some basic information about this lake It is 12 miles (19 km) long and has maximum depth of 624 feet (190 m). The reason the lake’s waters are so blue is “caused by a lack of nitrogen in the water which inhibits the growth of algae,” according to the same source.

Built in 1915, the lodge offers accommodations in its historic building as well as in more contemporary rooms adjacent to the historic lodge. We stayed in one of those contemporary rooms during our visit to this section of Olympic NP. From here you have access to some trails as well as boating in the lake. The entire area is very peaceful and offers several points with lounge chairs right by the lake.

These photos were made during our 2011 vacation visiting the three national parks in Washington. Although it was during the summer, we were lucky to have a friend in the Seattle area with whom we would spend the weekends away from the crowded parks. Then during the week, we’d go and visit one national park at a time.

Olympic NP was the last one on our list. As I mentioned above, we stayed in one room at the Storm King Motel right next door to the historic Lake Crescent Lodge. The grounds in this area were stunning and were covered with giant fir and hemlock trees on the shores of beautiful Lake Crescent. We didn’t even have to leave our room to enjoy beauty and serenity, as you can see the photos below. I made the photo while sitting on the patio outside the room.

Just place yourself at the far end of the pier in the photo below, soaking up the rays on a cool summer afternoon. I can assure you it was one of the best stays we had in a national park.