Forest nestles up against the edges of Gray Harbor, hugging close to the two-lane road headed out of town, a narrow, gravel-strewn shoulder all that separates blacktop from needle-strewn underbrush. Along this lonely stretch, thick stands of western hemlock are interspersed with an occasional cluster of Sitka spruce, confers presenting a united front along the boundaries of the town.
Though there are a few residences this far out, it’s mostly untouched by the industry of the settlers, and here is where some of the oldest trees in the region can be found, left like a bulwark to stand against everything outside of Gray Harbor. A few small walking paths, partially reclaimed by the forest, lead out from here, spaced quite far apart. The most well-traversed is the old access to the town’s original cemetery, a lonely stretch of plots, covering at least eight acres, seeded with turn of the century loggers, their families, and others. Few follow the long, wending walking path to visit those grounds, but the trailhead can be spotted just past the town’s historic, hand-hewn WELCOME sign.
Welcome Sign:
A sturdy, broad wooden sign, perhaps six feet wide, is plugged into the ground with hand-hewn six-by-sixes, likely commissioned in the early 1900s. It’s re-stained every few seasons, deeply carved letters reading: WELCOME TO GRAY HARBOR, est. 1890, in hand-carved lettering. The side facing town, which visitors see when leaving, reads: Now Leaving GRAY HARBOR. Some intrepid soul has hammered up a hand-painted addition that reads, in swooping purple letters: GET OUT OF THIS TOWN. No matter how many times it’s removed, some joker tacks up a new one. The Historical Society has waged this war for months now.