Lake Quinault Lodge

The lodge is cute, the location is great, and our room was nice. At dinner, there weren’t any tables set aside for guests, so we couldn’t get seated. We ordered fish and chips to take away instead. The fish was good, but there weren’t many fries for $30, and they’d left out the tartar sauce, so I had to go back to ask for it. Breakfast was tasty. In the room, the sheets felt scratchy, the pillows were very firm and full, and the bed frame creaked.

The lodge has a pretty, old-school mountain feel, and the staff were friendly and helpful. We stayed in room 111, one of the nicer options, and were very pleased with it. It was clean and roomy, with a comfortable bed, an indoor gas fireplace, and a patio overlooking the lake. Cell service is basically nonexistent, which comes with being this far out in the mountains. The guest WiFi worked well enough for calls and email. I used my Starlink dish to stream.

The trail across the street was a highlight for us. Our favorite rainforest walk in all of Olympic National Park was the 1.6 mile Lodge Trail. It was empty, lush with moss and greenery, and had a beautiful waterfall. It felt magical and overgrown, especially compared with the crowded trails elsewhere. There were plenty of other things right by the lodge too, including lawn games, Adirondack chairs, a beach firepit, and reasonably priced kayak rentals. We paddled across the calm water. We couldn’t drive around the lake because of road construction, but didn’t need to with so many trails nearby. We also had dinner at the Salmon House down the road. Our Superior Queen Room on the second floor had a stunning lake view, comfortable beds, a little fridge, a living room, and a balcony with table and chairs. The lodge had games, cozy seating, occasional live music, a lit fireplace, and a bar with good wine flights and hot chocolate. We ate breakfast in the Roosevelt Room each morning, and it was delicious with a great view. Staying here was one of the best parts of our trip. We’ll be back.

The grounds and restaurant are nice, but I left frustrated because I didn’t get the room I’d booked. I had reserved a Boathouse room, and at check-in they asked whether I’d seen a notice that it was unavailable for repairs. I hadn’t received an email. The woman at the desk seemed annoyed with me, even though I was polite and said I wanted what I’d paid for. They offered another room as an upgrade, a lake-facing room with a balcony. But the Boathouse sits right on the water without trees in the way and has Adirondack chairs, so it wasn’t the same for me as a small balcony. I’ll say again that, since Aramark took over for national parks, the front desk staff I encountered didn’t seem to have hospitality degrees or experience. The pool and sauna were unavailable too. This is just my experience, and I hope yours is better. I’d like to receive the room I paid for without being treated as if someone were doing me a favor.