The Olympic Discovery Trail is a nice gem on the Olympic Peninsula. The trail starts at water’s edge in historic Port Townsend and ends at the Pacific Ocean. We started in Deer Park which is east of Port Angeles and rode west one day.
For the most part the Olympic Discovery Trail is a path separate from any lane of traffic though there are some road crossings and sections that are on road. We started by the Morse Creek Trestle bridge, originally built in 1914. It’s been rebuilt since then and the trail follows the old railroad grade through the forest a short distance to get to the shoreline of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The view here is phenomenal of Port Angeles Harbor and even Canada! The trail continues another two miles through the city’s downtown waterfront and along Marine View Drive past lumber and paper mills before it turns away from the shoreline. We headed inland a bit and then descended to the Elwha River.
In 1912 the nearly complete Aldwel Dam burst and the resulting flood surge destroyed the wooden bridge crossing of the Elwha River. Never fear, a new bridge was completed in 1914 for a whopping $496,000. The story doesn’t end there though. Structural deficiencies were found in 1992 and a new plan was set in place. This is the bridge we rode across. It’s neat because the cars go on top and a pedestrian and cyclists bridge deck is suspended below it.
We ate our sandwiches on the sunny banks of the Elwha River before turning around and riding back. What a pretty day.
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