Wilderness Lake

When I got the call to survey the ecological health of Wilderness Lake, near Newport, Washington, I didn’t expect it to actually be true to its name. This quaint, hard to find, woodsy lake is honestly one of my favorite bodies of water I’ve had the pleasure of working on. Through windy gravel backroads, with houses set on large rock outcroppings, the lake appears suddenly through the cattails and conifers.

A frog greeted me at a sort of “boat launch" and I peered through the clear water to see a healthy amount of native plants. The sheer amount of turtles amazed me. I counted nearly a hundred in a short amount of time. A few fish which I believe were triploid carp, were resting under submerged tree branches, and occasionally jumping out, breaking the calm water surface to show off their large fins.

This is the kind of lake I would dream of owning a cabin at and having a serene vacation. While not open to the public, I do believe it had some for-sale signs around, if you are in the market.

Thanks for reading!