Photo Courtesy: R Digital Design via Lake Crescent Facebook
From our friends at SUP The Mag
30 Lakes in 30 Days | Lake Crescent | Washington
Deep within Olympic National Park, fringing the twists of the northernmost segment of the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 101), Lake Crescent is an 8.5-mile stretch of translucent, azure water running 624 feet deep—the second deepest lake in Washington. Crescent is surrounded on all sides by the rich greenery of the Hoh Rainforest, which receives more than 140 inches of rainfall per year, making it one of the wettest and lushest temperate rainforests on earth. To get an idea of the type of scenery the region has to offer, check out the 2008 vampire blockbuster, Twilight, which was filmed in the forest not far from Lake Crescent. Lake Crescent is opend to all motorized boats and fishing, but don’t let the boats scare you away, as most visitors choose a paddling mechanism over a motorized one to explore all the lake’s many hidden coves. Early mornings are the best bet for smooth paddling since the wind tends to increase throughout the day, but then you can easily turn the leisure paddle into a downwinder and still have a blast. Take some time off the water to walk down the Spruce Railroad Trail to the footbridge where you can find an old railroad tunnel and popular swimming hole known as Devil’s Punch Bowl, complete with an impressive 40+-foot cliff jump.
30 Lakes in 30 Days Project:
America is riddled with countless unsung watering holes ideal for your next SUP adventure. To highlight some of our favorite freshwater paddling locales, we’re profiling 30 lakes in 30 days for the entire month of July. We’ll give you the lake’s local rundown, outfitting options in the area and we’ll even tell you where to find the best bite and beer post-paddle. It’s a resource just for you and it’s brought to you by Tahoe SUP.
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