With its ancient temperate rainforests and jagged mountains, the Olympic Peninsula is a short drive away.  At just one mile from the Guest Houses, the Hood Canal Bridge (a floating bridge that spans the canal) serves as a gateway to this vast and beautiful wilderness paradise.  Crossing the bridge is a scenic journey in an of itself with in your face views of the snow-capped peaks to Hood Head to the north. 

The Olympic National Forest is a hidden gem that is often overlooked by visitors and is one of eight such areas in the State of Washington.  While most will flock to the Olympic National Park visitor center near Port Angeles, the National Forest area along the Hood Canal offers an impressive range of recreational opportunities without the crowds.  Surrounding the National Park it allows motorized access deep into the interior via forest service roads.  Opportunities for camping, picnicking, hiking, swimming, fishing, hunting, auto touring, backpacking, boating, and watching wildlife abound.   And then there are some very unique opportunities such as scuba diving, oyster picking, and clam digging.   Passes and permits are required for some activities.  Please see links at the end of this article for more information.

The terrain is varied and diverse.  It includes saltwater beaches (Hood Canal), densely forested river valleys, dramatic canyons, alpine lakes, towering waterfalls, snow capped peaks and sweeping high altitude views.  The flower shows never disappoint with the rhododendrons in June to the explosion of wildflowers in late July.  What you see is limited only by how far you want to go so dust off those boots and get out there!

Easy
Mount Walker - Scenic drive to the summit where sweeping views of Puget Sound lay at your feet.  Road closed during winter months.

Fallsview Canyon - Also known as Rainbow Canyon, this is located practically across the road from Mount Walker and is accessed from the Falls View campground.  Visitors have the option of hiking down to the river or taking a short trail offering a view across the canyon of the falls.

Rocky Brook Falls - A local favorite along the Dosewallips River Road south of Brinnon.  Accessing these falls requires a 1/4 mile walk.   

Moderate
Mount Walker (hike) - Same as above except you can hike to the top instead of drive.

Murhut Falls - This newly discovered (not shown on many maps) waterfall is impressive and is access by a short mile hike.  This trail is not recommended for small children or pets as there are many steep drop-offs and the trail is very narrow near the falls.

Duckabush River Trail - This is a great river valley trail that follows the Duckabush River.  The first 3 miles are quite easy as it makes its way down to the river. 

Difficult
Mount Townsend - This is a gem of Northwest hiking.  Beginning in dense forest, it climbs trhough alpine meadows and pops out at the summit for sweeping views of the Olympics.  When wildflowers are in bloom, the color show is truly amazing.  It's a moderately difficult trail but certainly worth every step.

Duckabush River Trail - Same as above however containuing beyond 3 miles is steep.  Eventually the trail will cross into the Olympic National Park.  Note that pets are not allowed in the National Park.

What to Know Before you Go
Naturally, we want you to enjoy your experience in this beautiful area.  Always be prepared by carrying your essentials and knowing conditions in advance.  Wear the appropriate clothing and shoes (sturdy boots if hiking) as the weather can change quickly.  Check with your local outdoor outfitter.  In addition, when venturing into the backcountry make sure you have appropriate passes and know the pet policies.  Depending on the length of your stay you will need either a National Forest Recreation Day Pass or Northwest Forest Pass.  All of this information can be found here.  The closest Forest Ranger office location to the Guest Houses is the Quilcene Office.

Other Information
 Recreation Guide to Washington National Forests
 Olympic National Forest website