The ODT

 Water’s Edge

It’s not just any water.  On the Olympic Peninsula the view is from sea level to over 10,000 feet — otters, eagles, whales and all!

The trail starts at water’s edge in historic Port Townsend where you may see Washington State’s official ocean-going vessel the Lady Washington, the impressive Adventuress, or any number of fascinating wooden vessels. Port Townsend has a rich history in wooden boats, from hand-built kayaks to planked vessels large enough to seemingly rule the seas.

Farther west you’ll find four miles of shoreline trail along the Strait of Juan de Fuca offering views of Port Angeles Harbor and even Canada. The trail continues another two miles through the city’s downtown waterfront and along Marine View Drive past lumber and paper mills before it turns away from the shoreline.

Continuing west, within Olympic National Park the route continues along the historical Spruce Railroad grade for six miles along spectacular Lake Crescent’s north shore. This section includes the restored Mcfee and Daley Rankin tunnels, a highlight on the more remote western track heading to the Pacific Ocean.

Arriving at the Pacific Ocean, near the most northwest point of the continental United States, is an extraordinary experience that no other trail provides.  For some, it’s as simple as that — exploring from the Salish Sea to the Pacific.

 Trestles and Tunnels

The Spruce Railroad was built in 1918 to transport spruce logs from the forest to Port Angeles where they could be converted to lumber for building biplanes for WWI effort. The war ended before any logs were delivered. The railroad was used for lumber and abandoned in 1951.

Five original railroad trestles have been converted for trail use. Three of them are over 400 feet long. The highest is 85 feet above the streambed and was curved to increase stability.

Original fire barrel stations have been converted to viewing platforms so users can see the structure and, in season, spawning salmon below.

The new 780-foot trestle over the Dungeness River connects to a rare wooden truss bridge. The surrounding Railroad Bridge Park has river walks and the Dungeness River Nature Center with an outstanding collection of local birds and wildlife.

Along the shores of Lake Crescent, the incredible McFee tunnel was opened in 2017. In 2020 the Daley-Rankin tunnel was restored, and the trail between the tunnels was completed.

 Rivers and Bridges

The trail runs along a coastal plain between the Olympic Mountain Range on the south and the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the north. Rainfall from moist winds off the Pacific Ocean falls in the mountains as snow in winter feeds north-flowing streams in the spring.

Almost 40 streams and rivers cascade from the Olympic Mountains across the trail route.

An equal number of bridges vary from the spectacular to the quaint. They include the historic timber truss bridge across the Dungeness River, a suspended trail bridge high above the Elwha River, and a 210’ trail bridge across Dry Creek. Mitigating bridge costs has stimulated creative reuse of non-traditional items, including a 93 foot railroad flat car, a ferry loading ramp, and a converted ship loading ramp across Bagley Creek.

 The Pacific Northwest Forest

Mature forests of evergreen, fir, hemlock, and cedar, interspersed with deciduous maple and alder, provide a canopy for many miles of the Olympic Discovery Trail and the Olympic Adventure Trail. West of the Elwha River to the remote western segments, the ODT route passes through virgin and state-managed forests before reaching the awe of the Pacific Ocean.