Port Townsend and Olympic National Park

Several popular tourist destinations on the Olympic Peninsula can be reached by county-run bus systems. A ferry ride and multiple transfers between bus lines makes the trip a bit complicated. This is definitely a journey for bus riding aficionados only. At least the connections are in general tightly coordinated, keeping the travel time to a reasonable length.

The first interesting stop on the bus ride is Port Townsend, well worth visiting for the sightseeing and shopping among the numerous historic buildings in its quaint downtown. There are also some hiking opportunities, too. Nearby Fort Worden State Park, located on the Puget Sound waterfront, is pretty and offers some short walks. Try walking the beach to Fort Worden from the marina at the north end of downtown, if the tide is reasonably low. Otherwise, follow Monroe Street over the top of the bluff to get to the park. Another walking opportunity starts at the south end of the town’s waterfront, where you will find a “rails to trails” path that goes on for many miles. Yet another possibility is to ride the ferry to Whidbey Island, where you can explore Fort Casey State Park located near the ferry dock. Lodging possibilities in Port Townsend are numerous, ranging from bed and breakfasts to full service hotels.

Busses from Poulsbo and Sequim arrive at a park-and-ride located just south of downtown. If you don’t want to walk from there, catch the Jefferson Transit shuttle (11) into town.

The next major town on the bus route, Port Angeles, is not considered a prime tourist attraction, although it does have some historic buildings near the waterfront. The town has long been somewhat depressed after the collapse of the logging industry, but lately has been showing some signs of renewed vigor. Some hikers have used a commercial tour bus to get from Port Angeles to Hurricane Ridge, a spectacular and popular vista point in Olympic National Park. Once on the ridge, backpackers can follow trails into the park’s back country. The “Royal Tours and Charters” bus is geared for day-trippers from Victoria, and leaves from the Port Angeles ferry dock at 1:00 p.m. Reportedly, they will sell you a one-way ticket to Hurricane Ridge.

The section of Olympic National Park most easily reached by public bus --Lake Crescent --features the historic Lake Crescent Lodge, as well as a clutch of nearby hiking trails going to Storm King Mountain, Marymere Falls, and Barnes Creek. Nestled among steep, forested peaks, Lake Crescent is a beauty. The Lake Crescent Lodge offers moderate to expensive lodging near the picturesque shoreline of the lake. No camping is available at the vicinity of the lodge; however, the Barnes Creek Trail heads into the Olympic mountain back country, offering the possibility of short or extended backpack trips. This 8 mile long trail climbs to the heights of Aurora Ridge, where one can enjoy flower-strewn alpine meadows and views of Mount Olympus.

The most famous part of Olympic National Park, the Hoh River Rain forest, is unfortunately not at all accessible by public bus. However, it is possible to take a bus out of the town of Forks to Bogachiel State Park, where a four mile walk will take you to the equally spectacular Bogacheil River forest. Expert backpackers can hike up the Bogachiel valley to the glorious alpine heights of High Divide. From there, one could take trails over Appleton Pass and Aurora Ridge, eventually arriving back to civilization at Lake Crescent.

Wilderness permits are required for overnight backcountry camping in Olympic National Park. Contact the Wilderness Information Center, Port Angeles, (360) 452-0300 or visit the website at www.nps.gov/olym/wic.htm. The “Trails Illustrated Map” for Olympic National Park, published by National Geographic, covers the entire park in good detail. It’s available at REI and major bookstores in Seattle. Green Trails maps also cover the area in more detail.

The following table gives one set of bus connections from Seattle, Port Townsend, Port Angeles, and Lake Crescent, valid for weekdays and Saturday; there is no Sunday bus service. Of course, these times will probably be all wrong by the time this information gets published. Be sure to check the Clallam County Bus website, which gives the connection possibilities.

Depart from downtown Seattle on Bainbridge Island Ferry at 9:25 A.M.
Arrive Bainbridge at 10:00 A.M.
Depart Bainbridge on Kitsap Transit Bus #90 10:10 A.M.
Arrive Poulsbo Transfer Center 10:35 A.M.
Leave Poulsbo on Jefferson County Transit Bus #7 10:45 A.M.
Arrive Port Townsend (downtown Park & Ride) 11:47 A.M.
Depart Port Townsend on Jefferson County Bus #8 11:50 A.M.
Arrive Sequim (Downtown at 2nd and Cedar) 12:38 P.M.
Depart Sequim on Clallam County Transit #30 12:43 P.M.
Arrive Port Angeles (Downtown at Oak and Front Street) 1:15 P.M.

To get to Lake Crescent, transfer to Clallam County Transit #14 (direction Forks) at 1:20 P.M. Arrive at Lake Crescent Lodge (Barnes Point area) at about 1:50 P.M.

Obviously with all these transfers, you will want to pack light! Also, bring plenty of change and dollar bills to pay all of the bus fares; the cost is about $12 to Port Angeles.

A simpler but much more expensive way to get to Port Angeles is to take the Olympic Bus Lines minibus from the Greyhound station in Seattle, which goes directly to Port Angeles. The bus leaves Seattle at 1:45 p.m. and arrives at Port Angeles at 4:20 p.m. To get to Lake Crescent, transfer to the 5:25 P.M. departure of Clallam County Bus #14.

For more information on these bus lines contact:

Kitsap County Transit www.kitsaptransit.org 1-800-501-RIDE
Jefferson County Transit www.jeffersontransit.com 1-800-371-0497
Clallam County Transit www.clallamtransit.com 1-800-858-3747
Olympic Bus Lines www.olympicbuslines.com 1-800-457-4492

02/17/07