What to See in Port Angeles - Top Sights and Attractions

Lodging. The Naval Lodge Elks Building, also known as Naval Lodge No. 353 BPOE Temple is a historic building located at 131 East First Street, Port Angeles, Washington. It was first envisioned on September 28, 1896 when the city leaders of Port Angeles, Washington met with members of the Navy to found Naval Lodge No. 353 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The lodge also received special approval from the national Grand Lodge of Elks to become the only Elks Lodge in the country whose name was not based on its location. The lodge was built in 1927 following designs by architect J. Charles Stanley. When dedicated in 1928, the building was the largest fraternal lodge in the city. It is still used today as an Elks Lodge.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.^[2]

Ediz Hook is a 3-mile-long sand spit that extends from northern shore of the Olympic Peninsula at Port Angeles in northcentral Clallam County, Washington, USA, northeasterly into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, located about 15-mile west of the larger Dungeness Spit. It is relatively narrow at points, but broader toward the base and the northeast tip.

Much of the spit is accessible by car on the Ediz Hook Road (1.5 to 2 miles), which passes several turnouts and picnic areas, with broad views of Port Angeles and the Olympic Mountains, notably the peaks of Mount Angeles and Klahhane Ridge. To the north marine traffic can be observed, and orca pods, harbor seals and other marine life can be spotted. Several long stretches of public beach facilitate beachcombing and birdwatching. The end of the spit is used by the Coast Guard and not accessible to visitors.

"The Hook" was created by wind and tidal action along the southern edge of the Strait, that carried sediment from the delta of the Elwha River eastward. The presence of the sand spit creates a natural harbor to the south, with the spit sheltering the area off Port Angeles from the large ocean-sourced swells that roll eastward down the Strait.

The calm waters of the harbor and sandy beaches attracted people to the area long before the appearance of European explorers and settlers. Recently uncovered archeological evidence indicates that a community, known today as Tse-whit-zen, was occupied for generations by the Klallam Native American people.

After white settlement, the Ediz Hook Light was established to guide ships safely by the spit in low-visibility conditions. Currently, the end of the spit serves as home for the Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles. It is also the base of operations for the Puget Sound Pilots.

For the past few decades, notable erosion of Ediz Hook has occurred. This is believed to be caused by the presence of the Elwha River dams, which have reduced the amount of sediment carried by the river. The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration project has completed a program of dam removal that has restored the original flow patterns of the Elwha river and is expected to diminish this loss. Several projects have added large boulders to the northwest side of the spit to slow its erosion and protect the Port Angeles Harbor.^[4]

Building in Port Angeles, Washington. The U.S Post Office, also known as the Federal Building and the Old Post Office, is a historic building located at 138 West 1st Street in Port Angeles, Washington which was built in 1931–1933.

A Post Office had been established in Port Angeles since 1860, but had no permanent home and moved several times. The land for the Post Office and Federal building was originally occupied by a squatter for whom the city raised funds to build a new house at a different location. The cost of the building was $124,807. In 1978 the growing community of Port Angeles constructed a new post office in which all mail operation were moved.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.^[5]