Driving through lush, evergreen rainforest, far past the industrious city of Seattle, a rolling mist creeps in. Crisp air hangs heavy with the promise of rain. Shrouded by an ethereal fog, you swear you catch a glimpse of a werewolf running through the shadows. Most travelers imagine fall as pumpkin patches, golden leaves, and sweet mugs of apple cider. However, in a quaint small town, on the crest of the Pacific Northwest, autumn is the season for magic.
Welcome to Forks, Washington, the rainiest town in the United States. With an annual average rainfall of 10 feet, visitors don’t avoid the drizzle, they embrace it.
Sandwiched between nearly a million acres of Olympic National Park and 73 miles of Pacific coastline, Forks is a playground for nature lovers. Whether it’s hiking in the mossy Hoh Rainforest, exploring tide pools along the majestic Kalaloch Beach, or kayaking on the crystal-clear Lake Crescent, rain brings a mystical quality to every adventure. Forks might be the one destination where tourists are disappointed by a sunny day.
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October marks the start of the rainy season in Forks, and it’s perfect for a cozy fall getaway through autumn. Strolling through Forks is like stepping into a storybook with its wood-paneled kitschy gift-shops like Sasquatch the Legend or timeless burger joints like Sully’s Drive-In. “Forks is the hometown you never had,” Lissy Andros, executive director of the Forks Chamber of Commerce, told Travel + Leisure. Is there anything more homey than listening to the symphony of a rainstorm, snuggling by a crackling fire, and holding a steaming cup of hot cocoa?
No wonder Stephanie Meyer chose Forks to be the setting of her bestselling Twilight Saga. Dive into the world of vampires and werewolves by visiting the Forks Chamber of Commerce. You can snap a selfie with Bella’s pickup truck and pick up a map of Twilight tourist sites. La Push, also featured in the saga, is a Quileute village, with beautiful, remote beaches great for strolls, surfing, and storm-watching. Enjoy, with respect to the Quileute Tribe.
Andros’s advice for visitors? “Take a walk.” All over Forks are hidden gems waiting to be discovered. Even behind the Forks Chamber of Commerce, you’ll find a hidden rainforest trail where within minutes, you can disappear beneath a canopy of conifers. Alone with only the sound of trickling rain, “you’ll feel like the only person on earth.” And that’s magic.
