Lake Mills
Lake Mills was a reservoir formed by the Glines Canyon Dam on the Elwha River.
Plan Around Lake Mills
A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.
Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Lake Mills Details
Lake Mills was a reservoir formed by the Glines Canyon Dam on the Elwha River, and was located about 13 miles from the mouth of the river on the Olympic Peninsula. It was fully contained within Olympic National Park. It was formed in 1927 with the completion of the dam and after the lowland forest that occupied the river bottom was clear-cut. With no fish passage facilities, the dam blocked passage of anadromous Pacific Salmon from the upper 50+ miles of the Elwha watershed located within Olympic National Park. The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration project removed the Glines Canyon Dam. The lake was fully drained by October 2012. Olympic National Park crews are revegetating the area to speed up ecological restoration and improve the habitat for the return of the salmon. Lake Mills was a habitat for rainbow trout, bull trout, and Dolly Varden trout which used the lake as their "ocean", because the dam blocked access to the Pacific. It is expected that these fish will return to their natural anadromous lifestyle. Source: Wikipedia
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
Region
North Side
Nearby Parks Around Lake Mills
Compare nearby parks around Lake Mills when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Lake Mills
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Lake Mills while the map context is still fresh.
0.1 mi away
Elwha River Restoration
Dam removal began on the Elwha River in mid-September 2011.
1.0 mi away
Hurricane Hill
This stunning trail offers some of the most wide-open, sensational vistas across the Olympic Peninsula.
1.0 mi away
Whiskey Bend Road
This is a rough, unpaved, five-mile road leading to the Whiskey Bend Trailhead.
1.1 mi away
Elwha Ranger Station
Information, bookshop, maps, trails.
