On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens blew its top and destroyed 230 square miles of forest. The eruption left at least 57 dead and created a mudslide that reached 50 miles. Two years later, President Ronald Reagan established Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument in order for the environment affected by the eruption to regenerate naturally.
The Hoh Rain Forest is one of the most magical areas of Olympic National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Washington. One of the largest temperate rain forests in the United States, it receives between 140 and 170 inches of rain annually.
The biggest attraction in Forks, Washington, other than the vampires, is the Forks Timber Museum. This modest museum on the southern edge of town educates visitors on the history of the town and the local logging industry.
The small town of La Push, Washington, is located a short drive west of Forks. It sits on the Pacific Ocean and within the Quileute Nation. The small town features resorts and a marina, and all businesses are owned by the tribe. La Push is also mentioned in the Twilight series.
We spent a windy, rainy day exploring (or trying to explore) some of the Pacific beaches at Olympic National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Washington. The beaches are often described as “wild” in many park publications, and for good reason. They’re part of the longest stretch of undeveloped beach in the contiguous United States. This entry covers all beaches we visited except Shi Shi Beach.
There’s no doubt that Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga is popular, selling more than 100 million copies worldwide in over 50 countries and being converted into films. Twilight enthusiasts have been flocking to remote Forks, Washington, the setting for the series, in order to get a glimpse of the places they learned about from the books and movies.
Neah Bay is a town on the Makah Reservation in Washington. It’s a popular place for fishing and hiking to places such as Cape Flattery and Shi Shi Beach.
If you’re looking for a bit of adventure, Shi Shi Beach can give it to you. This remote Pacific coast beach can be accessed via a two mile trail starting at the Makah Reservation and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Olympic National Park.
Cape Flattery is the most northwesterly point of the contiguous 48 states. It’s located in the Makah Reservation in Washington, near Neah Bay, and offers dramatic views of sea stacks and caves.
If you’re visiting Olympic National Park in Washington, the town of Forks is the biggest settlement on the western side of the park to base yourself in. We spent two nights in Forks to explore parts of the park and found it to be very centrally located.