Olympic NP in late June

I'm going to take a photo workshop (Art Wolfe will be lecturing for two days) late June. I'll be shooting (mostly in groups, sometimes on my own) in Olympic NP. I'm interested in both scenery and wildlife

and would appreciate some recommendations. Suggestions for accomodations are welcome. Anyone else going feel free to send me e-mail.

It would be helpful to know where the workshop is based. Oly NP is

big, and the roads that cicumnavigate it are windy and slow-going

in places, so you can't necessarily just jump in the car for a

quick two-hour ride/hike up, say, the Dosewallips if you're situated

over at Lake Quinault or whatever.

 

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And, what are you interested in? Flowers? Rainforest? Bears? I imagine

the workshop will point you towards the wildnerness coast, the

Hoh river valley, and Hurricane Ridge. There are a bunch of other

possibilities, but without knowing more specifics it's hard to make

just a couple of suggestions.

 

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Oly NP varies from beaches to glaciers...

Thanks, Don. The limited info. I have is that the workshop will take place in Port. Angeles and field trips should be in Oly NP. I'm certainly interested in wild flowers (if there is any late June), rain forest, wildlife, scenic view, etc. It would be help if you could point out where the major spots are and what one should be looking for

around those locations.

You might want to stay at the "pond" motel just west of Port Angeles. There are bed and breakfasts in the area that usually offer a pretty good deal especially if you eat a big breakfast like me!

 

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Check out Dungenous (sp?) Spit. YOu can walk along it right out into the Straight of Juan de Fuca. However, be aware that it was breached earlier this year. I have no idea of the breach has closed.

OLY NP is visited very heavily and, alas, is being loved to death.

Don's point about the size of the park and your mobility is a good one. But on the other hand you have an amazing range of nature topics in a relatively small area. And for a first timer, I would second the three main areas that he mentioned.

 

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1. Hurricane Ridge. The road leading to it goes South from Port Angeles. It is less than 20 miles, but winding and steep (I will not forget doing this on my bicycle). This will provide both nice mountain vistas, weather permitting, and perhaps some wildflowers in late june.

 

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2.The Pacific Ocean beach, probably at LaPush

 

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3.The Hoh rain forest.

 

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These last two are within a fairly short distance (50 miles?) of one another; there's camping at each and they are in a 2 hour drive of Port Angeles. Stay at a motel in Forks if you do not camp.

 

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If your view of nature photography allows for "the hand of man" (environmental nature photography?), you will also have plenty of opportunities for seeing the effects of humans on environment (logging and fishing especially), and for "the payback" as the depletion of available resources through consumption and regulation take their toll on communities like Seiku and Forks.

This is somewhat off of your subject, but I would be interested in your review of that photo weekend.

I am very curious if these weekends, seminars, classes with BIG NAME photographers are really worth the cost.

The others have given you good advice. The only question is to what is open in late June. We had a very wet, snowy Winter and Spring this year and some trails are not open yet. Check at the Park HQ in Port Angeles for upto date info. You will probably find all you need in a very small area. I really like Hurricane Ridge and La Push. If you are going to be the N.W. for a week or so, consider Point of Arches near Neah Bay, if the tides are right. The coast can be dangerious at high tide. Enjoy. Michael J. Glaze, Seattle, Wa.