OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The warmest weekend of the year has a new attraction for locals and visitors alike.
The National Park Service has opened its new site out of an old Elwha River dam.
With Elwha River restoration fully underway in the Elwha Valley, visitors can view the restoration process and learn about its history. The new Glines Canyon Spillway Overlook, located along the Olympic Hot Springs Road southwest of Port Angeles, is wheelchair-accessible and includes eight interpretive exhibits.
“We invite people to visit the new Glines Canyon Spillway Overlook,” said Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum. “It is a place for all to enjoy the canyon views and learn more about the history and ongoing restoration of the Elwha River.”
Perched on what was once the spillway of the Glines Canyon Dam, visitors can enjoy expansive views of the wide valley that formerly held the Lake Mills reservoir.
Lake Mills formed when Glines Canyon Dam was built between 1925 and 1927, flooding an area known at the time as Smokey Bottom and providing electricity for the growing North Olympic Peninsula.
The 210-foot dam was fully breached last year, allowing the Elwha River to flow free for the first time in a century.
The companion Elwha Dam downstream was removed earlier.
To get there, take U.S. Highway 101 west from Port Angeles to Olympic Hot Springs Road, then turn left (a right turn eastbound on the highway from Forks and the West End). Follow the road to the Glines Overlook (although you’ll be required to pay an entrance fee to Olympic National Park en route).
