Dosewallips State Park, Washington

As I write this update I am completely surrounded by a herd of elk....I'm not kidding!  In fact, one just passed the trailer and she was so close all I could see was her ears!

We went for a walk down by the river this morning after breakfast and when we arrived back at the campsite there was a herd of elk across the road. Since then they've moved into the campground and seem to have decided they like our little meadow in particular.  They've been grazing around us for about four hours, and have now decided it's time to lie down for their evening siesta.

The herd consists of about 60 elk - two full grown bulls, several young bucks and cows, and at least ten of this year's calves. Though they occasionally respond slightly to automobiles or other loud noises they are really quite tame and very much used to people....though I wouldn't want to be standing in front of one if it decides to move too quickly. We've puttered around our campsite, taking photos in between doing other things and they seem to feel safe in this area. They've moved back and forth around the campground but when they get startled they seem always to come back to our meadow. It's been a real treat to be able to observe them from such a close range, and we're lucky we're taking digital photos and not film - it would break the bank! Take a look at the album for a few more photos of the elk. Click "slide show" at top left for the best viewing.

We selected Dosewallips State Park as a stop primarily because it's "on the way" and only a short distance from the friends we will be visiting over the weekend. It has turned out to be a good choice! The biggest challenge in staying here is learning how to pronounce the name: "Dos-wail-opsh" or "doh'-si-wall-ips" are the two versions we've found. It's the name of a Twana Indian who, legend says, was turned into a mountain, forming the source of the Dosewallips River.

The park is well known for its shellfish beds (someone knocked on the door last night and offered us some of the clams they had harvested) and large campground, but it offers some nice hiking too.
The 3.5 mile Steam Donkey Loop Trail is an especially good choice in spring, with lots of small creeks and views of the Dosewallips River. There's no fishing to protect the salmon that run here, and there are lots of signs around with information about the salmon and their spawning behaviors. The park has a nice open feel, with most of the campsites arranged around a series of small circular meadows. It's an unusual layout but one that seems to work nicely here.

The property for the park was purchased by the state in 1950, so there are none of the lovely old CCC buildings here that we have found in other, older parks. There is a rather nice art feature however. One wall of the pedestrian walk under the freeway on the way to the river trail has The property for the park was purchased by the state in 1950, so there are none of the lovely old CCC buildings here that we have found in other, older parks. There is an "art" feature however. The pedestrian walk under the freeway on the way to the river trail ha a nice brass mural/sculpture depicting the life cycle of the salmon.

Fall has definitely come to the northwest. Ripening berries, rose apples and grasses all signify the end of summer, but make for very nice scenery. Fall can be a very colorful time of year, even in the northwest. Tomorrow morning we pack up and travel a short distance to Port Angeles where we'll be visiting friends for a few days.