"drift wood" Top 5 Page for this destination Olympic National Park Off The Beaten Path Tip by richiecdisc

One of the things that makes the Olympic Peninsula beaches so rugged is the preponderance of driftwood. I grew up on the groomed beaches of New Jersey and anything that man didn't need on the beach was just taken away, including much of the dunes before they realized the devastating effect that had on beach erosion. Driftwood was something they sold in gift shops on the boardwalk. I could barely believe my eyes when I saw the real thing, often massive trunks of trees dried with salt from the sun and wind. While it can be a nuisance for man on public beaches, posing great danger to swimmers and a lack of space to spread out the old beach towel, it does provide shelter and nutrients as shipworms and bacteria decompose it. It is very much part of the natural order of things and this being a National Park dedicated to preserving such order, the driftwood belongs just where it is. Along with providing natural benches to sit on and make-shift bridges to cross engorged streams running to the sea, it makes for some very haunting photographic opportunities.