Other Recreational Facilities

On Mayfield Lake

State park with campground, Ike Kinswa State Park is conveniently located by the lake for your enjoyment. It has a boat ramp, campground and day-use facility.

Wynoochee Lake Recreation

Wynoochee Lake, the 1,140-acre reservoir behind Wynoochee Dam, offers a variety of recreational opportunities.

From the vista area on the west bank downstream of the dam, visitors can enjoy a dramatic view of the structure and the river gorge. Interpretive exhibits at the vista tell the story of the Wynoochee Project. An area on the west bank of the lake near the project administration building is available for picnicking and swimming.

Wynoochee Lake Shore Trail, a 12-mile-long hiking and mountain bike trail, winds through the forest around the lake. The U.S. Forest Service rebuilt the trail and added a one-mile extension in 2000. The Working Forest Nature Trail, which educates visitors about the forest environment, begins at Loop B at Coho Campground.

Recorded information about flows on the Wynoochee River and the elevation of  Wynoochee Lake is available from Tacoma Power's toll-free Fishing and Recreation Line
1-888-502-8690. Information is updated regularly.

How to Get There

From Interstate 5 take Exit 104 (near Olympia) to Highway 101 north. Stay on Highway 101 for 5 1/2 miles; the road then bears left and becomes Highway 8 west toward Aberdeen. Highway 8 will become Highway 12. One mile west of Montesano, exit at Devonshire Road and Wynoochee Lake Recreation Area. At the stop sign at the end of the exit ramp, go straight (north) on Wynoochee Valley Road. Drive approximately 36 miles north. The last 17 miles are gravel (Forest Service Road #22). When you see a sign with directions to Wynoochee Lake and Coho Campground, turn left. Travel about a quarter mile to Forest Road #2294. Turn right on Forest Service #2294 and drive approximately one mile. The project entrance is a right turn off the road. There are no commercial services on this route or at the project.

Coho Campground

Campers and hikers can enjoy lakeside recreation facilities built and operated by the Forest Service. Coho Campground, one-quarter mile north of the project administration building, offers 46 sites for tents and trailers plus 10 walk-in sites for tents only. A boat ramp and picnic area are in the campground, and an RV dump station is just outside the campground.

Coho Campground is first-come, first-served campground; reservations are not available. Camping fees are charged.

Chetwoot Campground

Those seeking secluded, primitive sites will find them along the lake shore at Chetwoot Campground, one mile north of the administration building. Chetwoot Campground can be reached only on foot and by boat. No fees are charged for camping but a trail park pass is required for parking at the trailhead. The nearest parking area is a half-mile north of Coho Campground.

Information about Forest Service recreation facilities is available from the Olympic National Forest.

Lake Cushman Recreation

The 4,010-acre Lake Cushman is set amid the majestic Olympic Mountains. Kokanee, bull trout, cutthroat trout and some land-locked chinook salmon can be found in the lake's waters. Opening day of lowland lakes fishing season always draws a crowd of anglers to Lake Cushman.

A public boat launch at Camp Cushman (formerly Lake Cushman State Park) provides easy access to the lake. The park, which is owned by Tacoma Power and operated by a private concessionaire, also has overnight camping, full hookups, fire pits and picnic tables for day use.

Staircase Campground in Olympic National Park has camping, trails and an interpretive center. It is about 3 miles upstream from Lake Cushman.

Big Creek Campground in the Olympic National Forest sits in a forest along a creek north of Lake Cushman State Park.

Additional day-use recreation areas can be found along Lake Cushman Road near the upper end of the lake. This area contains 298 acres of picnic and vista areas.

Nature-lovers and photographers may be lucky enough to see the eagles and osprey that make their home near Lake Cushman. A herd of elk are often seen along the shoreline at the upper end. 

Lake Kokanee Recreation

A few miles downstream from Lake Cushman is the 150-acre Lake Kokanee. Lake Kokanee is prime fishing territory for catching kokanee and rainbow trout. A public boat launch is at the south end of the lake near the dam.

To get to the boat launch at Lake Kokanee, turn left off of Highway 119 at about milepost 2.4 and stay to the right for about two miles.

Saltwater Park

On Hood Canal across Highway 101 from the Cushman Powerhouse No. 2 is Saltwater Park, owned and maintained by Tacoma Power. Saltwater Park, is a day-use park with a boat launch, fire pits, picnic tables and restrooms.

How to Get There

The Cushman Project is near Hoodsport on the Olympic Peninsula. It takes about and hour and a half to drive from Tacoma to the Cushman Project.