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From Sea to Shining Sea - A Tale of Two Coastal National Parks
Story and photographs by Kris Grant
Two of our national parks –Acadia National Park and Olympic National Park – are located on our country’s northern seacoasts. They couldn’t be more different but both sparkle as two examples of “America’s Best Idea.”
Olympic National Park encompasses nearly one million acres, much of it wilderness, including 73 miles of Pacific coastline on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Acadia is one of our nation’s smallest national parks, encompassing only about 50,000 acres, mostly on Maine’s Mount Desert Island.
Olympic National Park features a diversity of ecosystems, including temperate rainforests, glacier-clad peaks, more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams along with that stretch of pristine coast. A UNESCO World Heritage site, almost 95 percent of the park is designated wilderness.
It’s home to 26 endemic species and visited by more than three million people a year, placing it among the top 10 most visited parks in the country.
Within Acadia’s small footprint you’ll find rocky scenic beaches, conifer forests, wetlands and granite peaks. A park highlight, for which reservations are required, is Cadillac Mountain. Although it rises just 1,530 feet, this granite mountain is the tallest point on the eastern coast of the United States. From its rounded granite peak, if the fog has lifted, which it did on my second visit last year, you can see many of Maine’s islands.
Yet what I found most charming about the park is its extensive system of carriage roads, which are accessible to horses and pedestrians but not motor-driven vehicles.
Philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., made the carriage roads possible.
I have visited Acadia National Park several times. The first was via a shore excursion on a Royal Caribbean cruise – nearby Bar Harbor is a popular port of call for New England and Canadian cruises, with ships anchoring on the outskirts of Frenchman Bay and access via tenders. Last year I made two trips up to Acadia from Freeport, Maine, where I spent the summer.
Although I’ve visited the Olympic Peninsula several times over the years, this summer was the first time I visited Olympic National Park. Why did I wait so long?
Just outside each park, you’ll find charming towns, many worth a visit onto themselves. Do read on to learn a bit about the special character and personality that each of these coastal parks adds to our national treasury.
Olympic National Park
Did I mention that Olympic National Park is big? So, my first piece of advice is that you give yourself far more time than the four days I allotted myself for my trip. Plan for a week to 10 days, and do stay in some of those historic national park lodges I recommend you fly into SeattleTacoma International Airport and rent a car. Ferry over to Bainbridge Island, a perfect gateway to the Olympic Peninsula. There’s much to do in the towns the dot the peninsula, but let’s start out with a couple of national park highlights.
Hurricane Ridge
Hurricane Ridge is one of the most easily accessible sites of Olympic National Park. It’s a 17-mile drive up (and up and up) from the park’s main visitor center in Port Angeles to this mile-high destination and takes about 45 minutes. A former 1950-circa lodge was converted into a popular visitor center at Hurricane Ridge, but it sadly burned down in May of 2023. A temporary visitor station with information window and restrooms has replaced it. Guided walks are available in the summer.
It was a sunny day when my cousin Barbara and I visited Hurricane Ridge, so named because of occasional gale-force winds and storms that occur here, usually during the winter months, with the area receiving about 400 inches of snow each year. The 360-degree views of the jagged peaks of the Olympic mountains are breathtaking, and they were indeed snowcapped in June.
Barbara and I started counting deer along the roadside as we ascended. By the time we reached the ridge, we were at 10, with the highlight being a doe and her fawn meandering through the meadow, already dotted with wildflowers. We walked across the meadow to photograph the mountains to the northeast. Here, snow was present on the side of the paved 1.6-mile walking path around the ridge.
But the main draw of Hurricane Ridge is the view of the glaciated Elwha River Valley, the Bailey Range, and Mount Olympus, which at 7,980 feet, is the tallest and most prominent of the Olympic mountains. Glaciers on a number of peaks are visible, though binoculars are recommended. The most famous is the 2.6-milelong Blue Glacier that descends from Mount Olympus. However, the glaciers are rapidly disappearing. In 1982, there were 266; the National Park Service reports there were only 188 in 2009, and that was 16 years ago.
The Hoh Rain Forest
On the western side of the national park is the Hoh (pronounced Hoe) Rain Forest. As we entered the park, just next to the entrance sign, a flock of Canada Geese waddled across the road, and one by one, plunked into a pond. They had found bird nirvana, I think.
My first stop was the Visitor Center, and it’s a good one, with displays that educate young and old.
You don’t have to hike deep into the Hoh to sense the ethereal quality of this temperate rain forest. Just a stone’s throw from the visitor center, the short (.8 mile) Hall of Mosses trail displays an ecosystem of maple trees draped in moss, with many dead and downed trees covering the forest floor. As they slowly decay, they compete for space with ferns and more mosses. The overall effect is quiet and otherworldly.
Another short trail is the Spruce Nature trail (1.2 mile) that also leaves from the Visitor Center, and includes signage identifying trees such as towering spruce and hemlocks and plants. The main trail is the Hoh River Trail, a well maintained out-and-back 18-mile hiking trail that leads you through lush rainforests and subalpine meadows and crosses small streams; the first 13 miles are relatively flat, the next five miles get steep. Don’t forget you have to walk back.
Historic Park Lodges
Lake Crescent Lodge
Lake Crescent Lodge is situated deep within an old-growth forest of rainforest ferns, cedars and fir trees on the shore of Lake Crescent.
The lodge traces its history to a small hotel and cottages built in 1911 by Avery and Julia Singer in the Arts & Craft style prevalent during this period utilizing the woods of the area. The Singers eventually expanded the lodge to include close to 40 cabins and 100 acres before selling it in 1927. Five of the Singer’s original seven lodge rooms remain in use today.
As I opened the door to the main lodge, I beheld a setting that took me back in time. After warming ourselves before the massive stone fireplace, Barbara and I walked over to the enclosed porch overlooking the lake. Gazing through the paned windows, I imagined that previous guests including Henry Ford, Frank Sinatra and former First Lady Laura Bush must have taken in the same view of the lake and mountains beyond.
But the most noteworthy guest was President Franklin D. Roosevelt who spent the night of September 20, 1937 here with the primary discussion point being the establishment of Olympic National Park, which he so designated the following year on June 29.
It had been a long time coming. In 1897 President Grover Cleveland gave the area its first national designation, Olympic Forest Reserve, in response to concern about the area’s disappearing forests. Just two days before he left office in 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt used his authority under the Antiquities Act to create the 600,000-acre Mount Olympus National Monument. The designation protected the area’s endemic elk, later named Roosevelt elk, which had been decimated by overhunting and habitat loss from logging.
Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1933 and transferred management of all national monuments to the National Park Service. His vision was that the national parks should provide for the people who lived in the area and for those who would visit 50 years into the future. In creating Olympic National Park, Roosevelt made a statement from his office in Hyde Park, New York, noting his pleasure on building on the legacy of his cousin who had created the original Olympus National Monument. After the timber industry had pressured the government to cut the monument by nearly half its acreage in the 1920s, Roosevelt added 187,411 acres in 1939 and more in 1943; Harry Truman followed suit in 1953.
Lake Quinault Lodge
Roosevelt also lunched at Lake Quinault Lodge on that same September 1937 trip and the lodge later named its restaurant The Roosevelt Dining Room in his honor. The lodge was built in 1926 on the shores of Lake Quinault, a four-anda-half mile long glacial lake that lies partly in Olympic National Park, partly in Olympic National Forest and partly on the Quinault Indian Nation.
The lodge was designed by Seattle architect Robert Reamer in a rustic style reminiscent of Reamer’s work at the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park. Rustic style was a branch of the Arts & Crafts movement that emphasized handhewn craftsmanship in harmony with the surrounding environment.
Side note: Reamer moved to San Diego in 1894 when he was just 21 and in 1898 worked on architectural projects at Hotel del Coronado.
Blair King says “Welcome to Bainbridge Island”
Bainbridge Island is the gateway to the Olympic Peninsula, typically reached via a 35-minute ferry ride from Seattle. From that point, you can connect via bridges to many towns on the peninsula and Olympic National Park.
To get my bearings on the island, it was pleasure to visit with Coronado’s former city manager, Blair King, who for the past three years has been city manager of Bainbridge Island.
We met at his office at the island’s beautiful City Hall, just a short walk up through a park-like setting from the island’s main street, Winslow Way.
Blair was thrilled to share the many attributes of Bainbridge Island, where he and his wife Nancy Adams are happily ensconced with new friends and activities.
Blair notes that there are definite similarities between Coronado and Bainbridge Island, including the population size, which hovers around 20,000 in Coronado and 25,000 at Bainbridge Island, and just two ways in and out of the cities. Residents in both communities are affluent and well educated, and Bainbridge Island, like Coronado, has an outstanding school district.
A major difference is that Coronado is densely populated, while Bainbridge Island, roughly five miles wide by ten miles long, is semi-rural, “a little like Martha’s Vineyard,” Blair said. The island features densely forested areas, rocky shorelines, scenic vistas, farms and wineries, and has an extensive system of hiking trails.
“We have 285 lane miles on the island,” Blair said. “Our ability to maintain roads is always a top responsibility.”
Right now, he said, the city is involved in a major project of mapping storm drains. Other community issues are keeping the sign count down, and developing a better system to track Airbnb income. “We have 165 Airbnb’s operating in the city but there is a discrepancy in the lodging tax we collect. We are developing a better system of reporting the tax.”
Both communities have avid bicycling clubs and are wildly supportive of the arts. BIMA (Bainbridge Island Museum of Arts) is located a stone’s throw from the ferry terminal and is regarded as the jewel of the community. The night before I visited, it held its major fundraiser of the year, BIMA Bash, and was closed. I did get to peek inside at all the auction items still to be picked up. The 20,000-square-foot building opened in 2013 and in 2016 was awarded LEED Gold, the highest certificate level for energy and environmental design. The museum offers free admission.
Bainbridge Island’s City Hall is likewise a testament to the community support of the arts. Opened in May 2000, the building incorporated the work of several artists early in the design process. “We reopened City Hall after Covid while I was here,” Blair said.
Every Thursday night he and Nancy go out on the town and Blair recommends several restaurants including Agate (near BIMA), Amelia Wynn Winery Bistro, BASA Vietnamese restaurant, and The Islander, “the best bar on the island.”
Blair and Nancy’s home looks out over Puget Sound and the lights of Seattle. “That view never gets old,” Blair said, adding that every other weekend or so he and Nancy take the ferry over to Seattle to visit the youngest of their three daughters, Casey and/or Nancy’s brother and wife.
The couple now take their vacation in the winter months, and enjoy trips to such sunny spots as Palm Springs, Hawaii and, of course, Coronado, where they can connect with old friends, including Nancy’s friends at the Coronado Unified School District where she worked during their time on the island.
Blair first became aware of Bainbridge Island when Casey was a student at Washington State University. “A student in her dorm was from this place named Bainbridge Island and spoke highly about it, and it also became one of Casey’s favorite places,” he said.
After 36 years including 25 years as city manager for various cities in California, Blair was reaching the top for retirement benefits in California’s public employment retirement system, CalPERS, but he felt he had another decade or so of public service work before him. “A short time later I saw that the City of Bainbridge Island had a position open for a city manager and it caught my interest.”
Blair and Nancy’s daughters Jordan and Taylor have also achieved graduate degrees. Jordan attended Fresno State University (Blair’s alma mater including his Masters in Public Administration) and Casey earned a Master’s in Public Administration from Seattle University. She is now community outreach coordinator for the City of Renton, located southeast of Seattle.
Like father, like daughter?
Just maybe!
Port Angeles
There are six entry points into Olympic National Park and the main one is in Port Angeles, which I was surprised to learn, has a population of 20,000. Although my stay in the city was brief, I very much enjoyed both dinner at the Kokopelli Grill overlooking the waterfront and my stay at the Olympic Lodge. The city’s many murals enliven its downtown and the MV Kalakala mural by Cory Ench particularly intrigued me. It depicts an actual ferry built and designed by Boeing in 1930. Described as “the workhorse of the Sound,” it ran between various ports in Washington and British Columbia until 1970.
Forks
The town of Forks lies within Olympic National Park. It’s the rainiest city within the contiguous United States where annual rainfall tops 120 inches. That’s why writer Stephenie (yes Stephenie, not Stephanie) Meyer chose to make Forks the setting for her Twilight books that were later made into popular movies. It seems that vampires much prefer rainy locales where the sun doesn’t much shine. According to Meyers, the sun causes vampires to sparkle, due to the crystalline properties of their cells. Forks has seized upon the notoriety of the Twilight series, much to the dismay of Sasquatch.
Its “Forever Twilight in Forks Collection” at the Rainforest Art Center features costumes and props from the five Twilight films including screenworn Bella, Edward and Jacob costumes. Forks Chamber of Commerce director and Twilight devotee Lissy Andros connected with Hollywood producer Jack Morrissey, partner to Bill Condon, Twilight Saga director, and Morrissey loaned the center his extensive collection, with most items purchased at auctions. The collection
has continued to grow over its seven years at Forks, attracting hordes of Twilight fans from all over the world. Entrance is free but timed.
My cousin and I enjoyed an overnight at the Miller Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast. It’s been dubbed the Cullen House, an homage to the Cullen family home as described in Meyers’ books. We didn’t see any vampires; owners Trent and Mary Beth Thurman report that the family members often travel out of state.
Acadia National Park
Known as the “crown jewel of the North Atlantic Coast,” Acadia was the first national park to be established east of the Mississippi River. It spans 47,052 acres and is a mosaic of rocky beaches and woodlands with 125 miles of hiking trails and historic carriage roads. The park was “discovered” by French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1607. However, the Wabanaki people inhabited the land for at least 10,000 years prior to that, subsisting well on hunting and fishing.
During the late 19th century, the area became a summer recreation destination for the well-heeled classes, many of whom built mansions along Frenchman Bay.
Prominent Mount Desert preservationists joined philanthropist and summer resident John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in pursuing national park status. President Woodrow Wilson established the Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916. Three years later, more property was acquired and it was redesignated and renamed Lafayette National Park. In 1929, Congress authorized the National Park Service to accept a donation of land on the Schoodic Peninsula, when the park’s current name, Acadia National Park, in honor of the original French colony of Acadia that once occupied much of Maine, was adopted.
Give yourself three to four hours to drive the one-way Park Loop Road. This 27-mile ride will take you along seaside cliffs and you’ll possibly want to stop at Sandy Beach, Echo Lake Beach and other scenic turnouts along the seacoast. You might want to pull in to the parking lot above Thunder Hole. Here, when a turning tide forces waves into this narrow channel, the air escapes with a thunderous and thrilling boom. The loop road will also take you through mountain forests and to Jordan Pond, where you can enjoy one of the famous popovers at the Jordan Pond House.
The most well known landmark in the park is Cadillac Mountain, where you can take in views of surrounding islands and take a short hike around the mountaintop. There’s also a small gift shop and restrooms here. I was most impressed with the granite rock itself. It was pinkish grey in color. From October 7 through March 6, Cadillac
Mountain is the first place in the states to see the sunrise and many tourists trek up to the mountain in the predawn hours for this express purpose. During the rest of the year, this distinction goes to a small community to the north, due to the tilt of the earth.
But my favorite part of this national park was its carriage roads and bridges. I will definitely schedule a horse-drawn carriage ride the next time I visit. In fact, I pulled off the Park Loop to visit Wildwood Stables, where motorists leave their cars and embark on the horse-drawn carriage rides. The carriage roads are also open to hikers and bicyclists. Class 1 E-bikes are also permitted and bikes cannot exceed 20 miles per hour.
It was philanthropist Rockefeller who also donated 11,000 acres to the park, who made the carriage roads possible. A skilled horseman, Rockefeller wanted to ensure that the automobile did not impede on the natural beauty and serenity of Mount Desert Island. He provided the funding to build the 45 miles of crushed stone roads between 1913 and 1940. Rockefeller’s construction know-how had been passed down to him from his father, the founder of Standard Oil, who had earlier constructed carriage roads in Ohio and New York. More than providing funding, Rockefeller closely scrutinized the construction of the roads and 16 of the 17 spectacular bridges that span streams, waterfalls, roads and one cliffside. The roads and bridges were built entirely from granite quarried from within the park. The stonecutters developed such skill that Rockefeller coached them to chisel the stone in a fashion to create a more rustic look. Rockefeller also took care to preserve trees and to landscape the roads with native plants – blueberry bushes, ferns and sheep laurel – allowing the roads to blend with the landscape. The historic roads are 16 feet wide with six-to-eight inch crowns and side ditches that keep them well drained.
Today the well-marked roads wander through the park’s shady stretches of woodland, skirting lakes and ponds, providing scenic views of the Atlantic and nearby islands.
Bar Harbor
During the 19th century, the Golden Age of Bar Harbor, powerful American families, including the Pulitzers, Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, Morgans, Astors, and Fords, built grand summer “cottages” on Mount Desert Island. Then, in October 1947, a massive fire swept the island, destroying 67 summer estates along “Millionaire’s Row” and five historic hotels overlooking Frenchman Bay. The grand and historic Malvern and Belmont hotels were destroyed, and in an attempt to protect additional mansions and the town of Bar Harbor, the DeGregoire was intentionally burned to the ground. An additional 170 homes burned, but the town center of Bar Harbor was largely spared. Today, architecture that dates back to the Golden Age can be seen throughout downtown Bar Harbor. Historic homes and buildings that survived the fire have been finely preserved. The remaining summer estates have been restored and converted to inns or remain private homes.
Bar Harbor is now not only a summer mecca for business tycoons, celebrities, and socialites, but also draws visitors from all socio-economic levels and from across the globe. Beginning in the 1980s, it became a popular port of call for New England and Canadian cruises. Today in late spring, summer and early fall, cruise ships anchor on Frenchman Bay and deliver up to a maximum of 1,000 visitors daily by tender to downtown Bar Harbor. Most cruisers depart on bus tours of Acadia National Park, spending time in town to eat and shop before and after the excursions. A delightful array of restaurants and gift shops have opened along Bar Harbor’s Main Street, and Historic West, Cottage and Mt. Desert cross streets. In the summer months, you’ll find roving street entertainers and a free shuttle service, the Island Explorer, making rounds of the city. It’s a city filled with happy vibes.
Where to stay? Just two minutes from the park entrance, I passed Salt Cottages at Hull’s Cove. Even on a foggy morning I was drawn to these darling nautically themed white cottages accented with red doors, striped umbrellas and white picket fences; in fact, I made a U-turn to go back and check them out. This complex opened in summer of 2022 and features 30 individual cottages that
range from studios to two bedrooms; there are also 10 boutique motor lodge rooms. An inviting pool and deck plus two hot tubs are located in the center of the property, which also has all the trappings for lawn games like badminton, bocce ball or croquet.
Another option in the heart of Bar Harbor that appeals to me is the Bar Harbor Inn & Spa. It offers luxurious rooms, plus spa services and the elegant Reading Room restaurant on its premises.
You’ll find many cute-as-a-button bed and breakfast inns throughout Bar Harbor. But be aware that most B&Bs do not have elevators, so either be prepared to carry luggage up sometimes steep stairs or reserve a first-floor room.
I think when I next visit Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park it will be in early fall. That’s when the large throngs of tourists will have thinned and the leaves will change. One positive aspect of the 1947 fire was that many spruce and fir trees that dominated the landscape before the fire have given way to birch and aspen that change colors with the season.
IF YOU GO… Olympic National Park
Olympic Peninsula
Washington state’s official tourism and travel site. Includes timely information on events and festivals and guides to hiking and biking www.olympicpeninsula.org
Olympic National Park Visitor Center
3002 Mount Angeles Rd., Port Angeles Open daily year round; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Hours vary according to season. www.nps.gov/olym
Bainbridge Island www.visitbainbridgeisland.org
SequimOfficial website of City of Sequim Tourism www.visitsunnysequim.com
Forks Chamber of Commerce Forever Twilight in Forks Reservations can be made here www.forkswa.com
Lake Crescent Lodge416 Lake Crescent Road Port Angeles www.olympicnationalparks>lodging> lakecrescentlodge
Miller Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast Forks www.millertreeinn.com
Lake Quinault LodgeQuinaultwww.olympicnationalparks>lodging> lakequinaultlodge
The Inn at Pleasant BeachBainbridge island www.pleasantbeachvillage>theinn
Recommended Restaurants
Amelia Wynn Winery BistroBainbridge Island www.ameliawynnwinerybistro.com
Kokopelli Grill Port Angeles www.kokopelli-grill.com
Downriggers on the Water Port Angeles www.downriggerspa.com
B & B Family Lavender Farm Sequim www.bbfamilyfarm.com
Olympic Discovery Trail www.olympicdiscoverytrail.org
Acadia National Park
State of Maine Tourism Association www.VisitMaine.com
National Park Service/AcadiaFull information on the park, including hours and fees, and Cadillac Summit Road reservations. www.nps.gov/acad
Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce www.visitbarharbor.com
Salt CottagesDarling individual cottages at Hulls Cove overlooking Frenchman Bay www.saltcottagesbarharbor.com
Transportation
Island ExplorerThe free Island Explorer features bus routes linking hotels, inns, and campgrounds with destinations in Acadia National Park and neighboring village centers. Clean propane-powered vehicles; racks for standard bikes; no routes operate daily, June 23 through mid-October with a reduction of service in August.www.exploreacadia.com
Recommended Restaurants
Geddy’sFeaturing lobster and lobster rolls; pick your own from its saltwater tank. www.geddys.com
HavanaLatin-inspired dishes including seafood paella www.havanamaine.com
Mount Desert Island Ice CreamTry the Madagascar vanilla bean www.mdiic.com
Side Street CaféKnown for its nine signature mac’ n cheeses and its horseshoe bar www.sidestreetbarharbor.com
