We loaded up Summit and drove up to Hoodsport from Portland on Thursday evening after work. We hit traffic heading out of Portland, but once we got past Vancouver, the drive was pretty quick (2.5 hours without traffic). On the way, we stopped for dinner at the Talking Cedar off I5 just south of Olympia. It was a pleasant surprise and we’d definitely go back if we are in the area. We both had the tri-tip and I ended up with enough leftovers for lunch the next day. It came with mashed potatoes and vegetables and had a tasty house-made BBQ sauce on it. They also had five different IPAs. I tried three and liked the standard West Coast IPA. The brewery was attached to a distillery but we wanted to get back on the road so skipped the tasting this time.
The place we rented was a converted ranger station that was located on a hill above the little town of Hoodsport so there were views of the Hood Canal from the living room windows. It was lovely! Friday morning I was up early because Summit was whiny and got to watch the sun rise over the Hood Canal.
When Rich got up, we headed into town to the Hoodsport Coffee Company. In addition to the standard coffee and tea options, they had extensive sandwich options and sold ice cream and milkshakes. Rich had a breakfast sandwich and a latte and I got black tea and an onion bagel. Rich had to work, but I had the day off so I decided to do a bit of exploring.
My first stop was the Hoodsport Visitor Information Center. The woman working there was friendly and gave me lots of handouts that described local hikes, waterfalls and general tourist information. She didn’t have much in the way of restaurant recommendations although she said the Mexican restaurant had nice views of the Hood Canal. Spoiler, that was the one restaurant in town we didn’t try.
Based on the handout about short hikes in the area, I decided to take Summit toward Lake Cushman to do some hiking. The first stop was at the Big Creek Campground. The campground was closed for the season but there was a small parking area outside the gate and we walked around the gate and did the Big Creek trail through the campground. The trail is pretty flat and only a mile long. It connects to the longer Big Creek Loop trail which is a little over 4 miles and has some elevation gain, but since I wanted to also hike on Lake Cushman, we stuck with the quick leg stretcher.
After Big Creek, on the way to Lake Cushman, there was a viewpoint and picnic area and I happened to catch it when there was a rainbow over the lake for a great shot. Then we continued on to the far end of the lake and headed over a bridge to the Dry Creek Trail. Unfortunately, it started raining pretty steadily right when we arrived so we only hiked the road past cabins on the lake for a half mile and headed back.
It rained all Friday afternoon so I read while Rich worked. I made a quick trip into town to check out Potlatch Brewing and quite liked their Local Vibes IPA. A few times during the day deer walked past the house and we enjoyed watching them out the windows. Friday evening, we headed into Hoodsport and had dinner at the Model T Pub and Eatery. The place was busy- we got the last table. I am pretty sure Rich and I were the youngest patrons. They had eight or so beers on tap including two IPAs. I tried the Octopus IPA but wasn’t a fan so had a Georgetown Lucille. The menu is pub grub- burgers and fried food. Rich had a burger and I got fried shrimp and fries. The food was adequate. As we discovered, Hoodsport isn’t exactly a foodie haven.
Saturday morning, we got up early and made another stop at Hoodsport Coffee Company for breakfast sandwiches before hiking. I had egg, salami and honey mustard on a bagel- sounds weird but was quite tasty. Next up was hiking to Lena Lake (pictured at the top of the post). We got to the trailhead by 9 AM since it is a popular hike and one of the few in the area that was not snow covered in April.
The parking lot was about three quarters full when we arrived. There was quite a bit of traffic on the trail but it was worth it. Most of the elevation gain came in the first two miles of hiking up switchbacks through the woods. About a mile and a half in, snow flurries started but that just made the trail more beautiful. After 3 miles, we came to the split for the Upper Lena Lake trail. That goes into Olympic National Park so dogs are not allowed (and it was snow covered higher up). Just a few minutes beyond that we reached Lena Lake. We stopped to take photos and then followed the trail through the campsites for more lake views. It is an out and back so after enjoying the scenery for a bit, we headed back down to the trailhead.
We planned to go to Hama Hama Falls after the hike but fallen trees blocked the road a few miles past Lena Lake so we had to skip it. On the way back to Hoodsport, we stopped at The Tides Family Restaurant for lunch and we both thought it was the best meal of the trip. Rich had an omelet and I had a bowl of clam chowder with a side salad. Back at the ranger station, Rich napped and I went back to Potlatch Brewing for a beer overlooking the Hood Canal. We decided to be chill that evening so I headed to Burger Stand and grabbed dinner for us. Rich had the burger and I tried the teriyaki chicken. I should have had the burger.
Sunday we had to head home but we drove back over to Lake Cushman and the Dry Creek Trail and walked for an hour along the lake. On the way back, we stopped at Nina’s Lake Cushman Café. It has a backwoods local vibe to it and the wait staff was super friendly. They sold local crafts in addition to serving up food. Rich had the All American Breakfast and I had a breakfast burrito. Sizable portions kept us full all the way home.
I recommend a visit to the Hoodsport area if you live in the Pacific NW. In addition to the brewery, they have two wineries and a distillery in town and loads of hiking options that we didn’t get to. We’ll have to make another trip in the future.
