By Pepper Fisher
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK – The North Olympic Library System’s annual Poetry Walk returns beginning April 1, and this year they’re teaming up with Olympic National Park to offer the walks along 5 beautiful hiking trails.
Library and Park officials hope the playful combination of nature and art will encourage residents and visitors to get out and be active, and maybe discover some new family friendly trails at the same time.
Poems will be placed on signs along the Hall of Mosses Trail, the Living Forest Trail, the Madison Creek Falls Trail, the Spruce Railroad Trail, and the Peabody Creek Trail. All are within the park and, with the exception of the Hall of Mosses Trail, access to the trails is free.
Trail walkers will find themselves among the big leaf maples, Sitka spruces, and the beloved skunk cabbages, from the Elwha Valley to Lake Crescent to the Hoh Rain Forest.
Poets featured along the trails include Mary Oliver, Ross Gay, Jericho Brown, Tim McNulty and many more.
The event begins April 1 and goes through May 31.
More information about the trails and areas of Olympic National Park can be found at nols.org and nps.gov/olym.