Notes from the host
The Outback 1
Summary:
Reconnect with the simplicity of nature, where tranquility meets comfort at Manitou Lodge in Forks, Washington. Nearby many Olympic National Park entrances like Sol Duc Hot Springs, the Hoh Rain Forest, Cape Flattery, Rialto Beach, Ruby Beach, the Tree of Life and many more. Our centrally located refuge makes an excellent “base camp” from which you can explore the Olympic Peninsula. Hiking, fishing, and exploring, or immersing yourself in the Twilight Saga, we are the perfect escape!
The Space:
The Outback Cabin at Manitou Lodge is a 8′ x 12′ rustic cabin just a couple of steps from the main lodge building. This unit contains a double bed and a sink with hot and cold water. Outback also has a mini-refrigerator, microwave, and Keurig coffee maker. WiFi is available in the main lodge.
Outback occupants have access to an outdoor rainforest shower facility (short walk, next to tent site #3) and a port-a-potty (shared with one other cabin) that is a few steps away from the cabin. Towels are provided.
Pets are allowed in this room ($50 for the first, $25 each additional), which can be paid in via the website or cash on arrival. AIRBNB and VRBO guests please communicate directly, in advance of your stay, to make arrangements for payment.
Manitou Lodge is perfectly situated in Forks, Washington. Our accommodations provide guest rooms, cabins and camping on ten acres of coastal rainforest, just 3 miles from Rialto Beach, and 15 minutes west of Forks. Manitou is what a lodge should be – wood, stone, a Great Room with a massive stone fireplace, vaulted ceilings, and furniture you can put your feet up on. Nights in our forest are silent except for the distant rush of the Sol Duc river and occasional interruptions by coyotes and owls.
Originally built in 1970, our Forks WA Lodging is a built around a classic lodge structure whose most striking feature is a huge vaulted-ceiling Great Room with a massive stone fireplace. The numerous couches and chairs in this room provide the space to be with others, and, at the same time, to be private. The Lodge also is home to our lovely Gift Shop which features Native American and Pacific Northwest art, decor, jewelry and more.
Step Outside and Experience the Pacific Northwest
Situated on ten acres of coastal rainforest, our Forks WA Lodging is just about as far west as you can get in the lower 48 states. The property’s hemlocks and spruce are still imposing, and there’s a Western Hemlock on the property well over 1000 years old. The grounds include wonderful trails, bits of whimsy and lovely spots to picnic.
Summer is a delight with sunshine and temperatures that rarely rise above 80 F. With winter come the fish. Local rivers (Sol Duc, Bogachiel, Calawah, Hoh) offer world-class salmon and steelhead fishing. We also experience powerful winter storms which shape our coastline. It’s worth a dose of rain and wind in the face to witness one of these, especially when a couch, fire and warm bed are just a couple of minutes away.
SELF CHECK-IN: Any time after 3pm (no early arrivals, please). Find the card with your name on it at the front door and follow check-in instructions inside. With the convenience of self check-in at our Forks Washington accommodations, you can take your time and arrive at your convenience. AFTER DARK ARRIVALS: It will be VERY DARK and there are no street lights. Please be quiet and courteous of other guests while getting to your site. Having a flashlight available will also be helpful.
There is something for everybody any time of year in the Olympic National Park and Forks Washington. Explore wilderness beaches such as Rialto Beach, hike in the moss-draped beauty of the Hoh rainforest, fish the plentiful rivers of the region, or enjoy sightseeing. Forks is also the setting for the Twilight Saga, and hosts the Forever Twilight Festival every fall.
We’re located just a 45 minute drive from the Hoh Rainforest and Sol Duc Hot Springs, and about an hour from Cape Flattery (most Northwestern point in the lower 48 states) and the Makah Reservation and Cultural Museum at Neah Bay. Rialto Beach, spectacularly rugged and log-strewn, is just 3 miles away. The Quileute Tribe resides 9 miles away at La Push, as well as First Beach at LaPush and Olympic National Park’s Second and Third Beaches (not to be confused with Beaches 1-3 south of Kalaloch).
Rialto Beach, the only drive-to beach in the immediate area, is a spectacular, driftwood-strewn beach on the north side of the Quileute river about 3 miles from the Manitou Lodge. The surf is generally heavy, the driftwood logs huge, and the sunsets are magnificent. The Rialto crescent extends for about 1.5 miles and ends with two towering sea stacks, tidal pools, and “Hole-in-the-Wall”, a surf-carved tunnel in a headland. The 18 mile hike north from Rialto Beach to Cape Alava is a favorite with backpackers.
First, Second and Third Beaches extend south from the mouth of the Quileute River. These beaches are long, flat crescents popular with photographers due to sea-stacks (a well-known sea-stack complex, the “Quileute Needles”, lies just offshore), tidal pools, and eagles. Access to Second and Third Beaches requires hikes of 0.5 to 1.5 miles, respectively. The headlands at First Beach and Second Beach can’t be passed, but one can backpack south from Third Beach along the coast for about 17 miles to Oil City.
The Hoh Visitor Center is about 30 miles from us, and the Hoh Rainforest is possibly best known attraction in the Olympic National Park. Average annual rainfall in the Hoh Valley is in excess of 150 inches, and has a spectacular effect on the vegetation. Along the “Hall of Mosses” Trail, the moss-draped maples are extravagantly green year round, so much so that somebody has written that the air appears to be jade-colored. The Spruce Trail follows the glacier-carved Hoh river maple and red alder “bottom”. Scenic raft trips are available in summer along the Hoh River, and guides can be contracted throughout the year for fishing and scenic trips.
Other regional activities near Forks Washington include world-class fishing, mountain-biking, hiking in the Olympic mountains and along the wild beaches that comprise the Pacific Coast portion of the Olympic National Park, or a visit to Cape Flattery, the most Northwestern point in the lower 48 states. A boardwalk recently completed by the Makah Nation, on whose lands the Cape sits, has considerably eased the hike. The views of the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Tatoosh Island, and Vancouver Island from the Cape cliffs are inspiring. While visiting the Cape, you won’t want to miss the outstanding Makah Cultural Center and Museum at Neah Bay. These are just a sampling of the possibilities on the West End. For a more comprehensive look, consult some of the links listed below and visit the Forks Chamber of Commerce Five Day Guide to the West End. Twilight fans won’t want to miss a stop in Forks, WA.
Guest Access:
SELF CHECK-IN: Any time after 4pm (no early arrivals, please). Find the envelope with your name on it at the front door and follow check-in instructions inside. With the convenience of self check-in at our Forks Washington accommodations, you can take your time and arrive at your convenience. We are only a short drive from the beautiful Rialto beach if you find yourself ahead of schedule it is worth a short visit until your place is ready.
