Spruce Railroad Trail — Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017

Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast

To escape the smoke and heat in Seattle, my dog and I took 4 days out on the Peninsula, camping and swimming and doing short day hikes (Rialto Beach/Hole in the Wall) and Spruce Railroad. The best thing about Spruce Railroad is the swimming hole from the bridge, about a mile in, just after you reach the tunnel. Divine swimming there, and for my dog, about 500 yards shy of the tunnel there's a path off to a granite beach with easy lake access. That first mile of the hike though is an industrial-strength gravel road-- not too pleasant for hiking or riding, but it's better after the tunnel. Another great swimming hole: At Klahowya Campground, further on the road towards Forks, in the Sol Duc River. It was still hazy out on the Peninsula, but cooler and not so smoky.