Tourist and Recreation Potential: The Olympic Peninsula Area Washington

Lowe, James; Brown, David; Dill, Henry; Haskins, Dale

This report is the result of a special evaluation and on-the-site inspection of the tourist and recreation potentials of the Olympic Peninsula (Pacific, Grays Harbor, Mason, Jefferson, and Clallam Counties), the San Juan Islands (San Juan County), and Point Roberts Township (Whatcom County). It is made in accordance with a memorandum of agreement between the Area Redevelopment Administration and the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, dated January 15, 1963. Underlying study objectives were to: 1. Evaluate the tourist-recreation potentials of the study areas, with emphasis on the identification of specific tourism-recreation development opportunities. 2. Review the tourist market potential of the study areas, taking into consideration traffic flow data, sources, numbers, and economic characteristics of the prospective travelers to the area. 3. Identify adjustments that need to be made if the tourist and recreation growth potentials of the study areas are to be achieved. 4. Identify resources and major areas within the study areas that offer the greatest potentials for development as tourist-recreation destination points. Such developments are to be evaluated in relation to the overall tourist-recreation development potential of the Pacific Northwest region. 5. Determine status of and need for public recreation facilities, including public parks and privately developed resources when the public interest can be served. 6. Recommend actions necessary to achieve maximum development and economic impact of recreation and tourism in the study areas. In keeping with the above objectives, the report that follows describes and locates the study areas, evaluates their tourist and recreation potentials, analyzes the present and future tourist market in relationship to the overall recreation needs of the Pacific Northwest region; identifies major adjustments needed to achieve the maximum effects of a tourism-recreation program on the economies of the areas, and identifies resources and specific areas that offer the greatest recreation development potential.