Kayaking and Hiking Adventures

  Olalla Reservoir Starting Location:  Boat Ramp at Olalla Lake Point of Interest :  lake with wildlife, trail around lake (partial) Bathrooms:  Yes (porta potty) Parking : gravel lot, good size.  EV Chargers : No Rentals: No This was our second time at Olalla Reservoir. Our first time was during the 4th of July weekend, and it had been packed. Today, we were meeting friends, and bringing someone new to kayaking. We had planned to meet after 10am, but learned that the gate to the reservoir was locked, and that a ranger was supposed to unlock it by 11. I was expecting a long line of people waiting, but when we finally got to the gate, there were only 6 cars waiting, and the ranger showed up 10 minutes later, so we didn't wait long. The water level was much lower than in July, and I've heard that it usually gets closed in the fall at some point when the water level is low. However, we were able to get on the lake quickly.  We had borrowed a kayak for our...

Olalla Reservoir Starting Location:  Boat Ramp at Olalla Lake Point of Interest :  lake with wildlife, trail around lake (partial) Bathrooms:  Yes (porta potty) Parking : gravel lot, good size.  EV Chargers : No Rentals: No We decided to try Olalla Reservoir for the first time on the 4th of July. Needless to say, it was packed. We had a trailer for the kayaks, but were able to find a place to park. We didn't use the boat ramp to put in since it was so crowded. I was worried that our float would be loud due to noise on the beach and swim area.  But then, as we headed for the far side of the lake, we found that it extended much farther, and as we headed around the corner, all of the people noise went away, and we were able to enjoy the beauty and sounds of nature. There was just enough wind to make the temperature perfect, and much of the lake is protected from the wind There are also a lot of little nooks and bays to wander into. Even with the large crown at...