In the summer of 2022, I traveled to Washington State and explored Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Parks. In this post, I will share photos I took in the southern Olympic National Park area. Click here to read my previous posts about Washington State.
The Quinault Rainforest is the type of thing one might travel all the way across the country (like I did) to see. It’s not as famous as the Hoh, but it’s just as beautiful. Click here to order a print of this photo.
My dad takes in the scene.
The tree in the middle has grown around a stump. Click here to order a print of this photo.
Thanks to the combination of my Canon EOS R5’s in body image stabilization and my 100-500mm lens’s image stabilization, I was able to get this shot at 1/8th of the second at 500mm handheld. Click here to order a print of this photo.
The Quinault Big Sitka Spruce Tree claims to be the world’s largest spruce tree. Click here to order a print of this photo.
I had the opportunity to stay at the Lake Quinault Lodge, a sprawling resort on the edge of the rainforest.
The lobby of the lodge is rustic and cozy.
Yes, there is a giant Bigfoot in the lobby, as the Pacific Northwest is known as the Sasquatch Capital of the World.
The lodge affords gorgeous views such as this one from the sweeping lawns. Click here to order a print of this photo.
The lovely boathouse is one of the areas guests can stay in.
It’s a great place to sit down and take in the lake.
This is the photo that almost wasn’t. I was devastated after I foolishly deleted the three photos that make up this image off my camera. Taken from the boathouse, I loved the sun star effect as the sun was setting. When I went to try to recreate the shot, the sun had already set. Luckily, upon returning home, I was able to recover the three photos, albeit JPGs instead of RAWs and one of them partly corrupted, using EaseUS Data Recovery. With the three images, even though they were JPGs, I was able to create an edit I was happy with. Click here to order a print of this photo.
The beautiful boathouse at night.
One of my favorite things to do when I’m staying somewhere is to go out at night and take photos.
Here is the resort from another angle.
A self-portrait (via shadow) by the shore of Lake Quinault. Click here to order a print of this photo.
A view from the boathouse at night.
The Kestner Homestead Trail affords another opportunity to take in the rainforest. Click here to order a print of this photo.
This is one of my favorite shots taken along the trail. Click here to order a print of this photo.
This is something you don’t get to see in upstate New York!
This beautiful trail leads to the Kestner Homestead. Click here to order a print of this photo.
Across a bridge, the Kestner Homestead can be seen in the distance.
The homestead dates back to the 19th century.
It is the oldest remaining settler-built homestead in the Quinault River Valley
You can’t go in, but you can peek.
A view into the living room helps you imagine what it once used to look like.
A view from the front porch to the barn.
On the walk back, I got some more rainforest shots. Click here to order a print of this photo.
It’s hard not to love all these moss-covered trees! Click here to order a print of this photo.
The Lake Quinault Lodge has a lovely restaurant where I enjoyed a delicious breakfast.
I spotted this hummingbird outside the restaurant.
To see more of my travel photography be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and X. All photos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.
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One thought on “Washington State Trip Part III: South Olympic National Park Area”
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Beautiful!!!