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Local Love & Wanderlust | Cleveland-Based Travel & Lifestyle Blog

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Visiting Beautiful Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park

Destinations, Outdoors

Crystal blue waters against rocks in Crescent Lake, Olympic National Park | Local Love and Wanderlust
Why The Lake Is So Crystal Clear & Blue

Visiting the crystal blue waters of Lake Crescent is worth a spot on everyone’s Olympic National Park’s to-do list. It’s a beautiful, 624 foot, a glacially formed lake known for its crystal clear water and intense blue color. The lake owes its crystal-clear depths to its lack of phytoplankton, an algae-like plant that floats in lakes, due to low levels of nitrogen in the water.

Tree at Crescent Lake, Olympic National Park | Local Love and Wanderlust

Indian Legend On Lake Crescent’s Creation

There’s a fascinating Indian legend about the creation of Lake Crescent that’s supported by geological records. The tale tells us of a major fight between the Klallam and Quileute tribes. A nearby mountain spirit, angered by the senseless fighting, hurled a giant boulder down killing the warriors. This action caused a damming effect which in form created Lake Crescent. For many years tribal members did not visit the lake where their relatives were killed.

Geological records support this legend with evidence of a landslide from surrounding mountains that divided a once larger lake into two separate lakes. This isolation also created a genetically unique form of trout found nowhere else on earth.

Looking for an easy hike in Olympic National Park? Check out my post on the hike to Marymere Falls

The drive To Crescent Lake

At roughly 18 miles west of Port Angeles, the drive to Lake Crescent is a breezy one. The roads are windy through beautiful forest and you’ll catch glimpses of nearby mountains in the distance. There are several turnoff points where you can pull over, stretch your legs, and enjoy the views of the lake. The lake is nearby several other Olympic National Park attractions such as the hike to Marymere Falls and Mount Storm King and Devils Punchbowl. Not far away is the Elwah River, Sol Duc Falls, and the Hoh Rainforest, and the coast are roughly 30 minutes to an hour’s drive away.

Crystal blue waters in Crescent Lake, Olympic National Park | Local Love and Wanderlust
Unique tree at Crescent Lake, Olympic National Park | Local Love and Wanderlust
The drive to Crescent Lake, Olympic National Park | Local Love and Wanderlust

See more of Olympic National Park from our Epic 8-Day Pacific Northwest Trip

Crystal blue waters in Crescent Lake, Olympic National Park | Local Love and Wanderlust
Man walking the shore of Crescent Lake, Olympic National Park | Local Love and Wanderlust

Things To Know Before You Go

  • The lake is roughly 624 feet deep
  • There are several trails nearby, but not around the entire lake as there are residences and the highway on either side.
  • Nearby destinations include Marymere Falls, Devils Punchbowl, Sol Duc Falls, and more.
  • National Park Fees may apply in some areas. We did not have to pay for where we explored.
  • Visit the park’s website for the most up to date details and weather alerts (visit page)

Have you been to Lake Crescent or plan to visit? Tell me about it below!

Find more content like this under: Destinations, Outdoors, Hiking, National Parks, Washington

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Hi there, I’m Jen. Cleveland-based photographer and designer with an eye for well-designed spaces and places. Local Love & Wanderlust is a travel and lifestyle blog that shares photo-focused guides and content with a focus on life in Cleveland, the outdoors, and postcard-worthy destinations across the US.

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Have you seen these Pop Art gems in Cleveland? To Have you seen these Pop Art gems in Cleveland?

To celebrate #popartday I wanted to share a few great pieces you can see in Cleveland museums from one of my favorite artists and someone I share a birthday with, Andy Warhol 🤍

1-3 Andy Warhol’s Endangered Species exhibit currently going on at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History @gocmnh 

4-6 Two Warhol pieces currently hanging at the Cleveland Museum of Art: Marilyn x 100 in the Contemporary Art wing, and Jaqueline Kennedy II in the Photographs in Ink exhibit.

That’s just a preview, there’s more great Pop and other art to discover in Cleveland. Do you have a favorite piece or artist?
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#andywarhol #popart #clevelandmuseumofart #museumsoftheworld #thisiscle #ohiofindithere @ohio.findithere
4 Exciting Ways to Celebrate Mardi Gras in Clevela 4 Exciting Ways to Celebrate Mardi Gras in Cleveland on the blog now!

You’re going to want to save this one.

Visit localloveandwanderlust.com

Of course there is the New Orleans style revelry, but did you know Cleveland celebrated 3 other cultural festivities with ties to Mardi Gras?

PLUS Did you know Cleveland is also going to have a Mardi Gras parade and big celebration downtown?

We even have a New Orleans-themed restaurant!

It doesn’t end there- I also reviewed menus from so many local restaurants, bakeries and other shops to find who is making Beignets, King Cakes, Paczki, New Orleans cocktails, and delicious Cajun & Creole food.

If you love this, please share! If you learned something new or feel I forgot somewhere, let me know in the comments 💜💚💛
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#mardigrascleveland #mardigras #thisiscle #paczkiday #clevelandkurentovanje #ohiofindithere #clevelandfattuesday
I need your help! What other Ohio winter hikes sh I need your help!

What other Ohio winter hikes should I add to this wishlist??

Tell me in the comments
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#hikeohio #winterhiking #ohiohikers #clevelandblogger #clevelandmetroparks #summitmetroparks #lakemetroparks #ohiofindithere #thisiscle #hike24in23 
Winter hike in Ohio, snowy hikes, Ohio Parks
Love hiking that first fresh snowfall! The vivid Love hiking that first fresh snowfall! 

The vivid green pops of the hemlock trees truly made the views something special.
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#lakemetroparks #remarkablelakecountyoh #hogbackridgepark #snowyhike #instanature #exploremore #hike24in23
This is my new favorite Ohio winter hike! Our sec This is my new favorite Ohio winter hike!

Our second hike on our goal of hiking 24 new-to-us trails this year was also our first snowy hike of the year.

@lakemetroparks feed influenced me to add this park to our list. The vivid hemlock trees really pop against the snowy and leafless tree landscape. It was so worth the drive to get there.

What I liked most was how much visual and trail surface variety this park has. It’s a new favorite and I hope to return in the spring when an abundance of wildflowers are said to be in bloom. 

You’ve got to see this place, it’s dreamy.

📍Hogback Ridge Park part of Lake Metroparks
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#hike24in23 #ohiofindithere #lakemetroparks #hikeohio #hogbackridgepark #ohioblogger #beautiful_ohio_scenes #thisiscle #remarkablelakecountyoh #bestofthebuckeyestate #ne_ohio_parks #snowyhike

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