Lake Sylvia State Park

We’ve been meaning to check this park out for a hot minute. It sits just above Montesano, WA, and I just so happen to spend a shit ton of time in Montesano getting horrible things done to my teeth. 😅

The park is 233 acres, located in a dense temperate rainforest (just the way I like ‘em). The area was originally homesteaded in the late 1860s by my man Michael F. Luark. He built Grays Harbor County’s first water powered sawmill there in 1871. (dope)

There is the neatest wooden dam at the end of the lake that was built in 1909, that once provided power to a generator that provided power and water to Montesano until the early 1930s.

Silas and Elsie Wilder lived in the park, above the generator room. They raised fourteen (christ) children while operating the generator.

Elsie is considered to be the only woman in the United States to operate a power plant in the 1920s, and possibly, like, ever. (we LOVE a woman in STEM) What an absolute baddie.

The park was passed to Washington State Parks (shout to to them, they’re rad) in 1936.

The city watershed of Montesano lies at the head of the lake and is managed similarly to a national forest.

The park is home to mallard ducks, canada geese, a family of osprey, bald eagles, and even FUCKING BEAVERS 😭😍

The park offers swimming, fishing, biking, camping, hiking…literally everything cool you can do outside. What an absolute delight.

We didn’t stay long as it was cold as balls, and I had just had 2 hours of dental work (brain = fried) but we cannot WAIT to fuck back off into that forest. Easily one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen.