Lake Mills, lake of the United States of America
Lake Mills is a former reservoir in Olympic National Park, Washington, that was completely drained after the removal of the Elwha Dam in 2014. The site now shows the former lakebed covered with sediment and recovering vegetation, where visitors can walk along trails that wind through regenerating forest and past the Elwha River flowing freely again.
The reservoir was created in 1927 when a dam was built across the Elwha River, fundamentally changing the landscape for nearly a century. The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration project resulted in the removal of the Glines Canyon Dam in 2014, marking one of the largest dam deconstructions in the United States.
The site reflects ongoing efforts to restore natural conditions after decades of dam control over the river. Visitors can witness how the landscape is healing and how free-flowing water now shapes the area in new ways.
Access to the area is from the Madison Falls Trailhead near Port Angeles, with multiple trails available for exploration through recovering forest and along the river. Visitors should bring water or be prepared to treat it from streams, carry map and compass, and dress in layers for rapidly changing weather conditions.
This site represents one of North America's largest dam removal projects, where natural processes are reclaiming a landscape reshaped by human control for decades. Boulder Creek and its small cascade demonstrate how mountain water now flows freely through the basin after the barrier was removed.
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