Port Ludlow Resort is a retirement, residential and recreational community hugging the shores of Ludlow Bay. It is the first community encountered on the Olympic Peninsula after crossing the Hood Canal Bridge.

Tree-crowned islands and picturesque views of the Olympic Mountains frame Port Ludlow's 100-slip sparkling marina. Visitors can appreciate the area's natural beauty by enjoying the resort's 27-hole championship golf course, recognized as one of the most beautiful in the world. Visitors can also watch wildlife, enjoy boating and wind surfing or hike trails to stunning vista points, including Ludlow Falls.

Port Ludlow is home to more than 100 businesses, many centered in the commercial center at the corner of Oak Bay Road and Paradise Bay Road. Businesses offer casual dining, a grocery store, a gas station, the Port Ludlow post office and a gift shop.

Named in honor of Augustus C. Ludlow, a naval officer in the War of 1812, Port Ludlow was founded in 1842 by explorer Charles Wilkes. The town's beginnings were drawn from one of its most striking features: dense forest.

The first lumber mill was built in 1852 and was acquired 27 years later by Andrew Jackson Pope and William C. Talbot of East Machias, Maine. While mill workers elsewhere were paid in scrip that was good only at the company store, Pope & Talbot paid four-bit pieces that were redeemable anywhere. Company houses were constructed in traditional New England style, and workers sponsored baseball teams and Shakespeare study groups.

Less than 100 years after Pope & Talbot's acquisition of the mill, the Hood Canal floating bridge was built, making the Olympic Peninsula more easily accessible. In the 1960s, Pope & Talbot began redeveloping the former lumber mill town into a four-star resort and retirement complex.

Today Port Ludlow has grown to be home to more than 2,500 people, and has been named "best residential community for active adults in the United States."

Destinations

Port Ludlow Marina: Open year-round, Port Ludlow Marina offers watercraft, kayak and bicycle rentals. Boat charters through Captain Bry's Port Ludlow Charters are available for sightseeing, touring, sailing and nature cruises.

Reservations

800-308-7991, 360-437-8377

marina@portludlowbaymarina.com

Captain Bry's reservations

360-821-9056

www.captnbry.com

Port Ludlow Golf Course: Port Ludlow Golf Course offers a 27-hole championship golf course, a golf school and lessons, with four different practice areas.

800-455-0272, 360-437-0272

teetimes@ludlowbaygolf.com

Mats Mats Bay: A unique inner harbor about three miles north of Port Ludlow features a boat launch and picnic area.

Teal Lake Park: Built and maintained by the Port Ludlow Fly Fishing Club, this park features a well-stocked lake that's great for flyfishing. The park's fishing dock and picnic area are wheelchair accessible.

Hood Head/Shine Tidelands: With easy parking, the Hood Canal Bridge's west end is a great place for a stroll on the beach. When tides permit, you can walk all the way along a sand spit to Hood Head. Although it looks like an island, Hood Head is connected to the peninsula by the sand bridge.

Timberton Trail Loop: Located off of Paradise Bay Road on Timberton Drive, a five-mile loop trail offers views of the Cascade Mountains from Mount Baker to Mount Rainier. Numbered rocks along the trail help orient hikers.

Ludlow Falls Interpretive Trail: Parking for the falls trail is available at the Port Ludlow Village Center. Pleasant views and spring/summer waterfalls make the short trail worthwhile.