Hidden Taholah

You've reached the north end of Hidden Coast Byway. Travel out of Moclips on State Route 109 and you've arrived at this destination. You are entering the Quinault Indian Reservation and the village of Taholah.

Initial contact with Europeans was with the Spanish explorers in 1775. Santiago Beach and Sonora Reef were named for two of these ships commanded by Captain Bodega (now called Pt. Granville.)

Taholah is a community of the Quinault people. They walk the same beaches, paddle the same waters, and hunt the same lands their ancestors did centuries ago. The Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) consists of the Quinault and Queets tribes and descendants of five other coastal tribes: Chehalis, Chinook, Cowlitz, Hoh and Quileute.

Quinault ancestors lived on a major physical and cultural dividing line. Beaches to the south in Taholah are wide and sandy, while to the north, they are rugged and cliff-lined. This shares in the cultures of the people to the south as well as those to the north.

The Quinault were known to live in family groups in long houses up and down the river. They were sustained by the land and by trade with neighboring tribes. Remarkable salmon runs, plentiful sea mammals, wildlife, and forests provided significant material and spiritual wealth to their ancestors. Quinaults are known for their exquisite canoe carving and basket weaving.

The Quinault Indian Reservation is a land with over 20 miles of pristine Pacific coastline, swift-flowing rivers, glimmering lakes and majestic forests. More than 200,000 acres of some of the more productive conifer forest lands in the United States surround you.

• Chief Taholah Days - This annual celebration is during the first week of July. You'll find canoe races, salmon bake, vendors, baseball and more including fireworks over the water.
• Guided Fishing and Hunting - Winter or summer, tribal guides take you steelhead and trout fishing on the Quinault river below Lake Quinault. Guides will also take you bear hunting in season.
• Quinault Cultural Center - Tour the museum featuring natural and cultural artifacts. Open weekdays in Taholah.
• Quinault National Fish Hatchery - Stop at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's, Cook Creek Hatchery. It's on Moclips Highway just off U.S. 101 south of Lake Quinault.

Situated in the southwestern corner of the Olympic Peninsula in Grays Harbor, its rain-drenched lands hold an abundance of natural resources.Conifer forests comprised Douglas-fir, Lodgepole pine, Pacific, Silver Fir, Sitka spruce, western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock command upland sites. Substanstial stands of hardwoods including Pacific cottonwood and red alder may be spotted in the river valleys.

Wildlife to spot include bald eagle, black bear, blacktail deer, cougar, Roosevelt elk and many more dot the landscape. And when visiting Taholah, there are many sights and sounds to enhance your visit according to the Quinault Indian Nation.

As you travel State Route 109, experience Taholah and immerse yourself in the Quinault heritage. Enjoy these northern neighbors you find along the Hidden Coast Scenic Byway.