Lake Crescent is a beautiful cold water lake on The Olympic Peninsula.
It's 9. 5 miles long, and depth is actually unknown, at least over 650 feet.
This is the place Roosevelt signed the Park into being, The Olympic National Park
There is a lodge at Lake Crescent and we stay here a lot because it is a nice place to relax and walk, kayak, etc
A warning..
Since Aramark started running Lake Crescent, I have definitely seen some huge corporate changes that defy logic, intelligence, and good taste.
The man who was there to start and tend the fires in the fireplace before Aramark bought in is no longer a staple at Crescent. Now women and men who work at the desk do it instead; plunking a log down, not knowing a thing about how fires work, (it is an art), and it is important not to have particulates in the air you breathe, they are very dangerous to your health.
While we have been there the whole upstairs has gotten smoke filled.
It never happened before Aramark that I know of because they had a skilled person who tended the fires before they took over. We are actually there quite often, even if it is a quick stop that ends up being longer, for dessert on the veranda or for a burger. But we stay the cooler months when the fire is used more. Also I am there often to see how the fire is not tended properly.
So I wouldn't actually recommend staying until they get things designed better for the service to the patrons. Also I would recommend eating there either, as I was just there and everything was terrible.
And it is moderately expensive. It was so bad in fact I couldn't make a complaint because I felt it was too much to comfortably complain about.
I'll probably talk to them about it later however.
And lately, this year, they have signage all over the porch about tours etc, (a money making scheme), and I find that the signs are a menace to navigating the porch and stairs for some people or when it is crowded.
If they have to market programs to make more money, I think they should be more subtle; brochures given to guests at check in would be subtle, a table with a sign and brochures, would be subtle. And subtle at such a place is tasteful.
And tasteful is what you'd expect at such a place
So go visit the lake, but you might just look at the lodge because it is a beautiful old lodge, but eat and sleep elsewhere. At least don't stay in a lodge room, stay at some other facility on the grounds.
Be sure to walk the grounds, assuming you can still do that without a tour; and kayak, assuming you can still rent a kayak at a reasonable price, and for an hour, and without, ahem, a tour.
