About this spot
Travel west on Route 101 from Port Angeles, passing the Elwha exit and continuing toward Sappho. When you spot a Texaco station on your right, begin looking for the Log Cabin Resort and Spruce Railroad turnoff on your right. Take this turn and drive roughly three miles on the road as it narrows. After passing Log Cabin Resort on your left, watch for the Spruce Railroad Trail turnoff approximately a quarter-mile further, also on the left. Follow this for about another mile to reach the marked trailhead. The trail begins moderately with an initial ascent past an old apple tree and a field of horsetail ferns, then merges onto the former railroad bed and descends toward the lake. Expect mud during wet seasons. Olympic salamanders, a species endemic to the peninsula, are visible in damp conditions. The trail climbs briefly to traverse a rocky headland with a railroad tunnel you may explore, though a more accessible tunnel appears further along. Approximately one mile from the trailhead, you'll reach a bridge spanning a small lagoon offering good swimming access via nearby rocks. The trail continues with the lake visible throughout. The water displays a distinctive milky blue hue caused by glacial melt. Mount Storm King and Lake Crescent Lodge are visible across the water. Watch for mountain beavers concealed in salal ground cover. A second rocky headland appears one to two miles past the bridge where the trail diverges from the railroad bed. The railroad passes through a tunnel here that you may enter, though it appears dim and potentially unsafe. The trail concludes approximately one mile beyond this point at another parking area and remaining railroad rail.