Driving Tour of the Olympic Peninsula Loop
Washington Heritage Corridor Audio Tour Beginning in Olympia
Aug 16, 2008
This heritage tour consists of 330 miles, 7 hours in length, circling the Olympic Peninsula. Considered the least developed region of the lower 48 states, the tour enjoys spectacular views of the Olympic Range, Puget Sound, Hood Canal, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Pacific Ocean, Olympic National Forest, Grays Harbor and many other beautiful sites along the way.
The Olympic Peninsula Loop Tour
Beginning in Olympia, the tour follows the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway or US Highway 101, encircling and also passing through the Olympic National Forest and Park. From Olympia, the tour heads northwest through the Capital Region to Shelton and the Skokomish Indian Reservation. Recordings of spiritual leaders telling Native American stories and legends, enriches the journey moving through the ancient home of these people.
One of the most amazing aspects of this tour is the many opportunities to view the magnificent Olympic Range. Moving north, the road runs along the Hood Canal, passing by the bountiful oyster and geoduck beds. Many cultural, historical and interpretive sights are mentioned along the tour, with directions to visitor centers, museums, viewpoints and parks.
Once at Discovery Bay, near Port Townsend, the road turns west, moving along the Strait de Juan de Fuca through the Miller Peninsula, Sequim Prairie and Dungeness Valley. Mentioning this area as the driest in western Washington, due to the rainshadow of the Olympic Range, it is also an important location for wooden boat and yacht building and repair. Heading west past Port Angeles, lends views of Mt. Olympus, the tallest peak in the Olympic Range.
Nearing Sappho and turning south to Forks, the highway moves through private and public timber lands. With a rich logging history, the tour includes information on logging techniques, historical accounts and points of interest along the road. Recordings of interviews with cultural historians, logger poems and bluegrass music clips, provides supplemental information and a real feeling for the culture of the region.
The tour heads south along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean, through the Olympic National Park Coastal Strip. Just passed Queets the road juts east and then south again until Hoquiam and Aberdeen, along Grays Harbor. The old ethnic halls of immigrants from Finland, Poland, Croatia, Norway and Italy, and the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport provide rich cultural and historical attractions to visitors.
Following the Chehalis River, the tour then travels along Highway 12 east, and then turning to Highway 8 before returning to the beginning of the tour, near Mud Bay.
This heritage audio tour is available from the Northwest Heritage Resources website, by phone (206) 306-1181, or through regional booksellers. The audio tour is available on CDs and MP3s.
For more information on this audio tour and guidebook, read the Review of the Olympic Peninsula Loop Tour Guide.
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