Forget Chelan, This Huge Pacific Northwest Lake Has Camping, Fishing, And Coastal Hikes

Washington State's acclaimed outdoor scenery largely revolves around its prominent mountains, temperate rainforests, and ethereal coastline. But Washington also has plenty of amazing lakes, many of which showcase the state's famous geography from their shores. Ozette Lake, a major highlight of Olympic National Park, warrants the same prestige as more popular Washington lakes like Lake Chelan. Ozette Lake, after all, has the advantage of sitting quite close to Washington's magical Pacific coast. Not only that, but it's also located within one of the nation's most famously beautiful national parks.

Ozette Lake (also known as "Lake Ozette") lies among the extraordinary coastal scenery that has made Olympic such a premier destination for national park lovers. Ozette Lake is part of Olympic National Park's larger Ozette region. Being just a few miles from the coastline, Ozette Lake is one of the few lakes in the world that can hold its own with a major ocean right next door!

Though fairly remote, the Ozette Ranger Station and campground are reachable by car on the Hoko-Ozette Road via Washington State Route 112. The Ozette Ranger Station offers parking at the northern end of the lake, and visitors can proceed on foot (or paddle) from there to the lake's wilder regions. An Olympic National Park entrance pass or America the Beautiful pass is required for parking. In addition to its hiking, fishing, and camping opportunities, Ozette Lake touches on the region's human history, with one of the best-preserved Native American archeological sites protected near its shores.

Lake Chelan's reputation as America's cleanest lake and a recreation-rich Pacific Northwest beauty makes it a top lakeside tourism destination in Washington. However, Ozette Lake's national park location (and scenery) may challenge even popular vacation spots like Lake Chelan. Within Olympic National Park, Ozette Lake lies between the Olympic Peninsula's Pacific coastline (with its impressive ) and mysterious forests, creating a backdrop few other lakes in the country can boast. 

Ozette Lake itself covers nearly 7,500 acres and 20 miles of shoreline within a temperate rainforest about 3 miles from the coast. Ozette Lake is Washington's largest fully natural lake, reaching depths of more than 300 feet in a glacially carved basin. It features several scenic bays and three islands — Tivoli Island, Garden Island, and Baby Island — that make excellent destinations for paddlers. 

Ozette Lake may match the beauty of other Olympic National Park scenes like the blue waters and mountain views of Lake Crescent, but Ozette has the added bonus of a rich human history buried under its placid surface. The lake's small homestead village in the late 19th century was part of its story from the earliest days of the national park, but recent discoveries have revealed a history dating back at least 2,000 years. In 1970, a storm uncovered a well-preserved village of the native Makah Tribe with about 55,000 artifacts that had been buried near the lake's shores for around 300 years. 

Ozette Lake is an exceptional spot for scenic paddling outings, but the area around the lake also features many of Olympic National Park's prettiest trails. The lake is a prominent stop along the 9.4-mile Ozette Triangle Trail, which covers its northern shores along with the Pacific coastline and the surrounding forests in one epic three-point loop. The Ericson's Bay Primitive Trail is a more challenging, unmaintained hiking tour of the Ozette Lake area, covering over 11 miles of the lake's northern and western shores and the coastal forests lining the Olympic Peninsula. 

Between April and October, Ozette Lake is available for fishing, though limited to the use of artificial lures and barbless single hooks. Despite restrictions like these, the waters are home to large populations of around a dozen popular gamefish, including salmon, perch, pikeminnow, trout, steelhead, and bass. The developed areas around Ozette Lake are great for shoreline fishing, but anglers can also use the boat launches at the campground and at Swan Bay to get further out into the lake's waters. 

Camping at Ozette Lake is available at the small but gorgeous Ozette Campground. The 15 campsites here are available year-round on a first-come, first-served basis for $20 per night at the time of writing. Though the campground is fairly undeveloped compared to other Olympic National Park campgrounds, it does put campers right on the northern shores of Ozette Lake, near the Ozette trail network. If Ozette Campground is too primitive for you, Ozette Lake is less than two hours from the small beach town and Olympic National Park gateway of Port Angeles, which has (relatively) more luxurious lodging options.