Lake Quinault, Washington -- Members of Lake Quinault’s Community Action Forum have announced that Lake Quinault will be hosting their third Annual Quinault Rain Forest Roosevelt Elk Festival on Saturday, March 17th of this year. The Lake Quinault Community is teaming up with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife – Coastal Region 6 Office – to promote “Watchable Wildlife” programs by hosting the Roosevelt Elk Festival.

The one-day festival will include a Wine and Cheese Social Friday night at the Lake Quinault Lodge, breakfast Saturday morning at the Rain Forest Resort Village, 2 guided interpretive Roosevelt Elk Tours in the Quinault Rain Forest and a buffet banquet dinner and dessert at the Lake Quinault Lodge Saturday evening. Guided interpretive hiking tours, museum tours, naturalist and photography trips, vendor booths, raffle drawings, door prizes, giveaways, special programs for kids, as well as visitor information about the Lake Quinault area and the Quinault Rain Forest will be part of the festival’s weekend program. Several speakers will also lecture throughout the weekend on big game habitat, conservation, management, history and education. Festival activities begin on Saturday morning. The festival is designed for all ages and abilities.

The Quinault Rain Forest is home to six champion conifer trees. These trees are recognized by the National Forestry Association as the largest living specimens of their species. Guided interpretive hiking tours of the World’s Largest Sitka Spruce Tree, located at the Rain Forest Resort Village, World’s Largest Western Red Cedar, located near the Lake Quinault Resort on North Shore, and several of the World’s Largest Douglas Firs located on the Quinault Loop Trail will also take place on Saturday afternoon.

The Quinault Rain Forest is also home to World Class Salmon and Steelhead fishing. In 2004, a visiting angler, guided by a local Quinault guide George Rose, caught what might have been the Washington State Steelhead Record on the Upper Quinault River. The angler released the Steelhead back into the wild, which measured 46" long, 24" around and approx. 35 lbs. During the festival participants will have the opportunity to meet local guides and outfitters in order to learn more about the local fishery and inquire about booking a trip. Information about the 5th Annual Quinault Rain Forest Mushroom Festival to be held in October 2007 and the Quinault Rain Forest Bald Eagle Festival to be held in December 2007 will round out the weekend.

Elk Festival participant costs are $40.00 for adults and $20.00 for children 6-17 years of age. Children 5 and under are free. Participants may register and pay the festival fee with the Lake Quinault Lodge. Registration will also be available Saturday morning, prior to departing for breakfast at the Rain Forest Resort Village. Participants will receive a “2006 Elk Festival Button” (designed by local Quinault artist, Heidi Bennett) which will be used as their “pass” for the weekend festivities.