La Poel, Lake Crescent, Clallam County, Washington

La Poel Forest Camp

This sign, which no longer exists, was likely constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The present La Poel picnic and day use area was originally an Olympic National Forest campground, before the area was included within Olympic National Park. During the winter of 1934 - 1935, CCC crews from the Snider CCC Camp built a log octagonal shaped cooking shelter on the east side of the La Poel campground. La Poel was also managed as an Olympic National Park campground before the establishment of Fairholm Campground on the west end of the lake. Some old maps show that originally the La Poel area was called Pancake Point. The name La Poel is from Chinook jargon, and is derived from the French words “la poêle”, meaning frying pan.

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