Spruce Railroad Trail, Rail trail along Lake Crescent in Washington, US
Spruce Railroad Trail is a rail trail on the shore of Lake Crescent, about 20 miles west of Port Angeles, following the former Port Angeles Western Railroad grade. It runs approximately 4 miles one way, with trailheads at both ends, and passes the McFee Tunnel, a bridge over a bay called Devils Punch Bowl, and Harrigan Point.
The Port Angeles Western Railroad grade was built during World War I by the Spruce Production Division to carry spruce from the western Olympic Peninsula for aircraft manufacture. It was completed in 1919, a year too late for that purpose, and abandoned in 1951. The corridor later became the Spruce Railroad Trail, part of the 134-mile Olympic Discovery Trail.
The trail follows the former Port Angeles Western Railroad grade, built for the Spruce Production Division to haul spruce for World War I aircraft. Tradition holds that both tunnels were blasted shut when railroad operations ended, and the Daley-Rankin Tunnel stayed closed until it reopened in late 2020.
The trail is open year-round with parking available at two trailheads. Some sections are paved and wheelchair accessible, while others are unpaved, so sturdy footwear helps on wet ground.
The trail crosses a bridge over a bay called Devils Punch Bowl, not a rock pool. The bridge is one of the trail's three named landmarks, alongside the McFee Tunnel and Harrigan Point, and the route follows the old Port Angeles Western Railroad grade along Lake Crescent.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,774 contributors worldwide.