Around the wild and remote Olympic Peninsula, endless adventure can be found. Lurking in the woods on all sides, wilderness awaits you, hoping you dare enter its unpredictable and uncontrolled beauty.
While many will hike into and camp in the pristine gorgeousness that sits in the fantastic forests of the region, there are a few awesome opportunities to stay in a gorgeous and historic cabin in the Olympic National Forest. Booked through recreation.gov, these three cabins provide the perfect way to get close to nature and stay in a picturesque abode near the most pristine wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.
1. Louella Cabin
Up at the northern end of the Olympic Peninsula, just a few miles from the Orca-filled waters of the Salish Sea, a small cabin waits for your adventures. Southeast of the sleepy town of Sequim, toward the remote Buckhorn Wilderness, the National Forest Service provides a cabin for you to stay in and enjoy the majesty of nature. Named the Louella Cabin, this dwelling is a cozy, four bedroom structure that is an absolute steal, costing just $60 a night. Available year round, this cabin can sleep a maximum of six people a night, but don’t expect the comforts of home.
The place was built in 1912, and since it was constructed, little has changed. There is no running water, and a portable toilet is located outside. The draw of the cabin is that it overlooks a pretty valley pushed up against dense, breath-taking forests. If you are looking for a place that is primitive, historic and remote, the Louella Cabin is perfect. Here, just a few miles from pristine wilderness, you are completely isolated. Luckily, the cities of Sequim and Port Angeles are both just a short drive away, giving you access to all the amenities you’ll need a brief jaunt from your cabin door. The nearest phone is five miles away, however, and cell service is spotty at best, but the only call that you will get is that of nature. The cabin is close to stunning trails like the Tubal Cain Mine, Marmot Pass and Mount Buckhorn, as well as many other hidden, outdoor destinations.
2. Hamma Hamma Cabin
Along the Hood Canal, next to the stunningly gorgeous Hamma Hamma River, another Forest Service cabin is available for overnight stays. Known as the Hamma Hamma Cabin, this is one of the most popular accommodations in the Olympic National Forest, and for good reason. It is located close to a handful of the Olympic Peninsula’s best hiking trails, and it provides close access to the wild and scenic Hamma Hamma River. The cabin, which was built in 1937 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, should, without question, be added to your short list of Olympic Peninsula vacation destinations.
Staying at the Hamma Hamma Cabin costs just $60 a night, but it does book-up quickly. Sleeping up to six people in the two bedrooms of the cabin, this is a quaint and cozy place to stay. Offering a hexagonal bay window overlooking the Hamma Hamma River drainage, the cabin has a few more amenities that the Louella Cabin. Complete with a bathroom with a flush toilet, propane lights, a propane heater, and a cook range so you can make easy camp meals, this unique place is a combination of the old world and the new. Hikers will love staying at this cabin because it is close to the Lena Lake trailhead and is just a short drive from the stunning and world-class destinations of Lake of the Angels and Mildred Lakes.
3. Interrorem Cabin
Finally, there is a cabin just a short walk away from the often overlooked Duckabush River, along the Hood Canal side of the Olympic Peninsula. Known as the Interrorem Cabin, it is one of the few places in America that offers the level of beauty, romance and solitude that this remote cabin does. Built in 1907, this small, square building in the middle of the forests of the Duckabush has changed very little since then. Close to a cool trail called Ranger Hole and just a short drive from the Duckabush River Trail to Big Hump and beyond, this elk-filled region makes for a perfect family outing or a romantic weekend away from the lights and stress of the city.
The cabin has a wooden porch and cedar shake roof but no running water inside, giving you a chance to travel back in time. Drinking water can be found, though, by heading outside and using the hand pump just a few feet from the front door. Furnished with a dining table and chairs, a living room with a futon couch/bed, a bedroom with twin bunk beds, and even a propane heater to keep you warm during the night, this cabin will reward you with all the perks of life at the start of the 1900s. Costing just $50 a night, it can sleep up to four people.
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