Welcome to the towns of
Brinnon and Quilcene, also known as the
Emerald Towns of the Hood Canal, which sit in the lap of the eastern slopes of the grand
Olympic Mountains. Brinnon and Quilcene, both situated on the western shores of the Hood Canal of the Puget Sound, are the gateways to the
Olympic National Forest and the Olympic Mountains, which includes
the Olympic National Park. (Our
Focus Points section includes a look at the current situation regarding public access into the National Park.) There are a lot of camping opportunities, too. The
Emerald Towns of Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce has a full listing of area camping sites.
The Olympic mountains are glacier capped with old-growth forests which hug the wild Pacific coast. The Olympic Peninsula is also known for its biological diversity. Isolated for eons by glacial ice, and later the waters of Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Olympic Peninsula has developed its own distinct array of plants and animals. Eight kinds of plants and 15 kinds of animals are found on the peninsula but no where else on Earth.
There are two river valleys leading into the Olympics out of Brinnon:
The Duckabush, and
the Dosewallips. In addition, right in
Brinnon, you can visit
the Dosewallips State Park, a 425-acre, year-round camping park with 5,500 feet of saltwater shoreline on the Hood Canal. It also has 5,400 feet of freshwater shoreline on either side of the Dosewallips River, which originates in the wilderness of the Olympics.
Quilcene is home of the Quilcene Ranger District, which covers 155,000 acres in the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula. This area lies in the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains and contains some of the driest ecosystems on the Olympic Forest. Running from the mountains to salt water, the district includes alpine botanical wonderlands, several major rivers, and the 50,000 acre Buckhorn Wilderness. Recreation opportunities include hiking and interpretive trails, campgrounds, self guided auto tour and an oyster beach.
We, the residents and business owners of south
Jefferson County, have been described as a "fiercely independent, remote South County Community" - but we know different. We are a warm, caring, environmentally conscious community that invites visitors to come participate in our love of the natural resources we preserve and adore.
Interested in visiting our south Jefferson County communities of Brinnon and Quilcene? We'd love to have you visit! Please check out the
local lodging information.
Thank you for stopping by. Come back often!
