Picnic area · Olympic National Park
A short loop to huge Douglas-firs and Lake Quinault views.
Overview
This used to be a 28-site tent campground. In 2002, the park converted it to day use after camping pressure compacted soil and damaged the roots of old-growth trees. Slow down under the Douglas-firs: some here are at least six feet in diameter.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy this is a picnic areaMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Olympic Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Olympic National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Olympic audio tourRecorded for this place
July Creek: Lunch Beneath the Douglas Firs“July Creek Picnic Area is coming up on Lake Quinault's north shore. If you've brought lunch, stop for tables with lake views beneath huge Douglas firs, some at least six feet across.”
Plays as you drive up to July Creek Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Olympic Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
July Creek Picnic Area is a small day-use stop on Lake Quinault’s north shore, with tables reached by a wooded loop. Stop for a meal among huge Douglas-firs and a lake view; this is a brief break, not a destination hike. The loop is 0.19 mile, but its entry and exit pitches are steep.
The compacted-gravel route drops from the parking area to two picnic sites, crosses July Creek on a bridge, then climbs to North Shore Road and follows it back to the lot. A van-accessible space is beside the start. The path is 3–5 feet wide; grades in the picnic area stay below 7%, but the entry and exit reach 13%. The short mileage hides a significant pitch.
Wildlife
710 sightingsOlympic MarmotMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
30 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
42 sightingsGrey WhaleMost seen around noonSighting map
23 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
71 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
306 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Olympic. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyQuinault Loop Trail #8544 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.8 mi awayA boardwalked bog, cascading falls, and Lake Quinault in one loop.
EasyQuinault Big Sitka Spruce Tree Trail0.4 mi · 30 min · 1.9 mi awayA short forest path leads to a towering Sitka spruce.
EasyMaple Glade Rain Forest Trail0.5 mi · 30 min · 2.1 mi awayMoss-draped maples and nurse logs in a gentle half-mile loop.
EasyKestner Homestead Trail1.3 mi · 45 min · 2.1 mi awayAn easy forest loop to an old homestead and orchard.
Campground · 1.7 mi awayFalls Creek CampgroundRainforest campsites with lakeshore access and a CCC-built shelter.
Campground · 1.8 mi awayGatton Creek CampgroundFive walk-in tent sites beside Lake Quinault.
Sight · 1.8 mi awayQuinault Big Sitka Spruce TreeA short walk to a 191-foot spruce with a 59-foot girth.
Ranger station · 1.9 mi awaySouth Shore Quinault Ranger StationA useful stop for maps, trail advice, and wilderness permits.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayLake Quinault MuseumTwo 20-plus-foot cedar canoes anchor this small local museum.
Lodging · 1.9 mi awayLake Quinault LodgeStay or eat at the 1926 lodge on Lake Quinault's south shore.
Campground · 2.1 mi awayWillaby CampgroundRainforest camping, lake access and short walks around Quinault.
Ranger station · 2.2 mi awayQuinault Rain Forest Ranger StationA useful base for two short rainforest walks by Lake Quinault.Parkwolf’s Olympic ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
