Lake Cushman ()

Geography

Lake Cushman sits at above sea level and its maximum depth reaches up to . It is estimated to be around in length. The northern part of the lake (FS-24) is near the Staircase Entrance to Olympic National Park. The closest city is Hoodsport, located to the southeast via State Route 119. Surrounding the lake are Mount Ellinor, Mount Washington, Cub Peak, Mount Gladys, and Mount Rose. Access to Lake Cushman is limited during the winter months due to road closures and hazardous conditions. In an average winter, the lake water level drops by .

thumb|center|Panoramic image of Lake Cushman, 5000 feet below, as viewed from the summit of [[Mount Ellinor on a summer afternoon]]

History

thumb|upright=0.7|left|The Antlers Hotel on Lake Cushman, 1913

The Skokomish people, a subgroup of the Twana, have inhabited Lake Cushman and the surrounding land since time immemorial. There was a village of the Skokomish near what is now Skokomish Park, which was, prior to the construction of the dam, the furthest south extent of the lake.

2020 traffic jam incident

In August 2020, the U.S. Forest Service temporarily closed all public roads leading to Lake Cushman due to concerns of overcrowding amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A weekend traffic jam on the lake's primary two-lane, unpaved road had caused concerns about access for emergency vehicles, including an incident where one man died of drowning. The Forest Service also cited the congregation of people as being a potential vector for spreading COVID-19 and noted several fights, assaults, and other incidents.

Recreation

Hiking

The Lake Cushman area offers access to multiple hiking trails on the western side of the lake: Besides officially stocked fish, the lake also contains various species of trout, bass, sculpins, and salmon. Skokomish Park is fitted with a boat ramp with three paved ramps that allows access to the lake for a small day-use fee. Boat rentals are also available at the park.

Swimming and watersports

Swimming, boating, kayaking and cliff jumping are also among the most popular activities for Lake Cushman visitors. Public access to the lake is available at Skokomish Park and Lake Cushman Resort. The campground includes tent and RV campsites, group campsites and picnic areas. Further away from the lake are Big Creek Campground in Olympic National Forest and Staircase Campground in Olympic National Park. Big Creek offers tent sites and RV parking, and is situated from the lake. Staircase is from Lake Cushman and offers 47 camping sites.

The Lake Cushman Resort was permanently closed in 2018 due to the expiration of its 50-year lease with Tacoma Public Utilities.

References

  • Lake Levels and River Flows , Cushman Project Settlement, Tacoma Power
  • Photograph of Lake Cushman circa 1899 from the Lick Observatory Records Digital Archive, UC Santa Cruz Library's Digital Collections