Teresa Schoeffel-Lingvall

Olympic Hot Springs Teresa Schoeffel-Lingvall

The Olympic Hot Springs served as a destination resort in the Olympic Mountains near Port Angeles, Washington, for 60 years. Andrew Jacobsen is considered the first to discover the springs, nestled 2,100 feet up in the Elwha River valley, in 1892. Today, individuals still hike up the Elwha trail to soak in the earthen pools of mineral water, unaware that years ago it was home to a legendary resort. While on a hunting trip in 1907, Billy Everett, "Slim" Farrell, and Charlie Anderson rediscovered the springs and began work developing the site of Olympic Hot Springs, hewing logs into wood baths and building a cabin and bathhouse along the hillside. Everett went on to become proprietor of the enterprise, which opened to the public in 1909. In the years to follow, cabins, pools, and lodges were constructed along the hillside above Boulder Creek, and the beloved resort thrived with visitors. In 1940, the resort was annexed into the Olympic National Park, and it was later closed in 1966.