The Olympic Peninsula could see a huge bump in tourists over the next few years with the development of two trails, one for avid bird watchers and another for water sports enthusiasts, advocates say.
Both the Washington Water Trails Association, a nonprofit dedicated to keeping the state’s shorelines open to the public, and Audubon Washington, a chapter of the National Audubon Society, want to develop trails for its members.
While the birding trail has already taken flight, the water trail still needs to get its paddles in the water.
Christi Norman, birding trails program director for Audubon Washington, said there are about 20 to 40 birds that can only be seen on the Olympic Peninsula.
“When you have natural habitats, it’s like money in the bank,” Norman said.
Her organization is creating a map of an Olympic loop for its Great Washington State Birding Trail, and the map is expected to be finished by January.
The loop will be the fourth one on the trail with others already established along the Columbia River, Cascade Mountains and South Puget Sound areas.
About 100 sites were nominated for the Olympic loop, and Norman’s organization will narrow it down to about 70.
