PORT ANGELES — Beginning today, poetry will grace five trails in Olympic National Park.
The signs along the Hall of Mosses, Living Forest, Madison Creek Falls, Peabody Creek and Spruce Railroad trails will be up through May 31. With the exception of the Hall of Mosses Trail, access to the trails is free.
The program, now in its third year, is in conjunction with National Poetry Month.
Event organizers hope the playful combination of nature and art will encourage local residents and visitors to get out and be active.
“Some people might stumble upon the poems after they’re out on a hike, while others may choose to make the 15-minute walk from the Port Angeles Library up to the park visitor center and discover the great trails that surround it for the very first time,” said Noah Glaude, manager of the library at 2210 S. Peabody St.
“We have received a lot of positive feedback about the Poetry Walks since they were first offered in 2014,” he said.
“People regularly come in during the summer and say they wish the signs were still up, and the program has inspired similar events at other libraries and national parks.”
The Poetry Walks program is offered free to the public through the Port Angeles Friends of the Library.
Among the poets featured along the trails include Emily Brontë, Ogden Nash, Shel Silverstein and Gary Snyder.
Those who find themselves inspired to write a poem or take a photo while on one of the Poetry Walks are encouraged to share it at www.facebook.com/NorthOlympicLibrarySystem or with their friends on Twitter with the hashtag #FindYourPark.
■ The Living Forest and Peabody Creek trails begin at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center at 3002 Mount Angeles Road in Port Angeles and offer half-mile loops.
■ The Madison Creek Falls Trail is located in the Elwha Valley and offers a paved 200-foot walk to the base of the falls.
■ The Spruce Railroad Trail, on which bicycles and pets are permitted, begins at the end of East Beach Road on the north side of Lake Crescent and follows an old railroad bed for 4 miles.
■ The Hall of Mosses Trail, new to the Poetry Walks program in 2016, is an 0.8-mile loop trail that passes through bigleaf maples and Sitka spruces covered in vibrant green and brown mosses.
The Hall of Mosses Trail begins near the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center and requires park entrance fees to access.
More information about the trails and areas of Olympic National Park can be found at www.nps.gov/olym.
For more information about the program, see www.nols.org — the website of the North Olympic Library System which oversees public libraries in Port Angeles, Sequim, Forks and Clallam Bay — or call 360-417-8500.
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Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
