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Highway 101: Lake Crescent, Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Photo: Adbar · CC BY-SA 3.0 · cropped

Drives Washington The Olympic Peninsula

Highway 101: Lake Crescent

US 101, Olympic Highway · Port Angeles → Forks

Leisurely50 mi1 hr2,500 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,200 ftOne way
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The drive

West of Port Angeles, US 101 enters Olympic National Park and runs along the south shore of Lake Crescent, a glacier-carved lake that reaches 624 feet deep. The lake sits in the northern foothills of the Olympics about 18 miles west of Port Angeles. For roughly 10 miles the road hugs the water, narrow and curving, with rock on one side and the lake on the other.

Lake Crescent Lodge sits at Barnes Point, just off the highway, and the trail to 90-foot Marymere Falls starts nearby. Fairholme is at the west end of the lake. After the lake the highway follows the Sol Duc River through forest toward Forks.

The drive is 49.9 miles and takes about an hour. Logging trucks use this road.

Along the way

  1. Port Angeles (Highway 112 junction)
  2. Lake Crescent Lodge
  3. Fairholme
  4. Forks
Elevation
2,500 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,200 ft
Port AngelesForks
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
Port AngelesForks
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The lakeshore stretch is narrow and tightly curved, so take it at an easy pace.
  • Logging trucks share the road, so give them room.
  • Some lake services, including the Fairholme store and campground, are closed for the season, and Lake Crescent Lodge is generally open from late spring to early fall.
  • The Sol Duc Road, another drive on this list, branches off this highway west of the lake.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Olympic National Park: alerts and conditions.

Questions about this drive

How long does the Highway 101 drive around Lake Crescent take?

Port Angeles to Forks on US 101 is 49.9 miles and takes about an hour. The road runs along the lake for about 10 miles.

How deep is Lake Crescent?

The National Park Service gives its depth as 624 feet. Highway 101 follows the south shore.

Is Highway 101 around Lake Crescent curvy?

Mostly gentle curves overall, but the lakeshore stretch is narrow and more tightly curved, with rock walls beside the road.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Highway 101: Lake Crescent, from Port Angeles to Forks