Forks

Forks is a city in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington in the Pacific Northwest of the United States of America. Well-known due to the Twilight saga hype, this little charming town serves primarily as a transit point for visitors further exploring the beaches and mountains on the Olympic National Park, while the city itself has a number of attractions related to the movie that are worth seeing.

Forks from the north

Get in

By car

The main route that goes through the town is U.S. 101. Forks is about 77 miles (roughly 90 minutes) west of Port Angeles, 2 hours north of Aberdeen and Hoquiam.

By bus

The 🌍 Forks (bus) Transit Center for Clallam Transit and Jefferson Transit is located along Hwy 101 (Forks Ave locally) at 551 S Forks Avenue on the corner of Forks Ave and "E" Street, south of the high school. Buses travel more or less along US Hwy 101 and do NOT go into the Olympic National Park itself, Hoh Rainforest Visitor Center or the Olympic National Forest. They can only drop off along the road and it is up to the individual to hike into the park:

• Clallam Transit provides bus services from Monday to Saturday in and around Forks (Rt #17); to Port Angeles (#14), to/from La Push (#15) and Neah Bay (#16).
• Jefferson Transit-Olympic Connection travels along Hwy 101 between Forks and Amanda Park/Amanda Mercantile on Mondays through Saturdays. Connection with Grays Harbor Transit Rt #50 to Hoquiam & Aberdeen is at Amanda Park (Mercantile). There are no east-west roads across Jefferson County (Olympics Mountains) between the US Hwy 101 corridor and Port Townsend (major city and county seat of Jefferson County) without going all the around through Port Angeles. Passengers can also transfer buses in Aberdeen to continue further south along the coast or east towards Olympia and Shelton.
• Rocket Transportation, toll-free: [phone]. Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM, Sat 10AM-2PM. Door to door service in the Olympic Peninsula (Port Angeles, Sequim, Forks) from Sea-Tac $66-$150 one way, 30% discount for additional persons with one full fare passenger. 

By plane

The Forks Airport FAA LID: S18 (for general aviation only) is located one mile south of the city. While there is no commercial air traffic currently operating, the airport has a good number of general aviation traffic every day. An alternative is Quillayute Airport FAA LID: UIL, 10 mi (16 km), 20 minutes to the west of Forks, which has quieter traffic but a longer runway.

Get around

By car

The local roads are designed more or less around a grid system, where most roads are numbered based on their distance from the city center. Addresses also conform to the numbering of the roads around them. Nearly all streets run with the compass directions. Forks Ave (US-Hwy 101) divides east from west while Division St divides north from south.

By bus

The town of Forks is compact and can be easily covered on foot. Clallam Transit Route 17 runs a loop around the town.

See

Rialto Beach Seastacks

Forks is the key setting of the Twilight series by the author Stephenie Meyer and houses several sites featured in the novels and films.

• 🌍 Forks Chamber of Commerce, 1411 S Forks Ave (Outside Forks Airport), toll-free: [phone]. Summer: Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM; Sun 11AM-4PM. The tourist center to Forks, visitors can pick up guides here for lodging, shopping, activities and dining. There are logging tours each Wednesday at 9AM that last three hours. Outside the Chamber of Commerce is a replica of "Bella's Truck" from Twilight. Free. 
• 🌍 Forks High School, 191 S Spartans Ave (At junction with C), ☎ [phone]. While not open to the public, the school is the setting for Bella and Edward's school in Twilight. The school sign was replicated for the movie and is popular with visitors for photos.  
• 🌍 Forks Community Hospital, 530 Bogachiel Way (At junction with 5th), ☎ [phone]. The workplace of Edward Cullen's father in the Twilight series, there is a reserved spot in the parking lot for Dr Cullens. 
• 🌍 Forks City Police Department, 500 E Division St (At junction with Camas). This is the setting in Twilight for the workplace of Bella's father Charlie Swan. 
• 🌍 Cullen House (Miller Tree Inn Bed & Breakfast), 654 E Division St (Just past Forks City Hall), ☎ [phone]. 10AM - 4PM. Similar to the written description offered by author Stephenie Meyer in her first "Twilight" book (page 321), the house is nearly "a hundred years old . . . painted a soft, faded white, three stories tall", with a "porch . . . wrapped around the first story". The public is welcome on the front porch for a free view of the note left by Esme. Inside photo opportunities of the graduation caps and Carlisle's Office are available for $3 per person. 

Do

• 🌍 Rialto Beach, Pacific Ocean Wild Beach (14 miles E on HWY 110 then Mora Rd). An iconic beach, part of the Olympic National Park. Lines of sprawling sea stacks. The lines of sand has an access to Little James Island and has a view of the La Push Marina.  
• 🌍 Second Beach, Pacific Ocean (Accessible via the Second Beach Trail from La Push). Fabulous 1 1/2 mile walk on a safe easy path through beautiful tall trees to Tealwhit Point. Breathtaking! Great beach, tide pools and driftwood. Mystical. 

Buy

• 🌍 Forks Outfitters, 950 S Forks Ave, ☎ [phone]. Daily 8AM-9PM. The only grocery store in the city, cheaper wine but equivalent quality to big chains. Also houses an Ace Hardware and sporting goods. (updated Jul 2015)

Eat

• 🌍 Forks Coffee Shop, 241 S Forks Ave, ☎ [phone]. Daily 5:30AM-8PM. Diner with super-sized all-day breakfast and pastries. Eerie taxidermy ox and run-out interiors but the food is not a let-down. Up to $15. (updated Jul 2015)
• 🌍 South North Gardens, 140 Sol Duc Way, ☎ [phone]. Tu-Th: 11:00AM - 9:00PM, F 11AM-10PM, Sa noon-10PM, Su noon-8PM. Decent Chinese food option in this small city. Offers both family and individual combos, and a wide array of both meat-based and vegetarian-based main courses. Popular as a to-go option. Up to $11. (updated Jul 2015)

Drink

Sleep

Bed and breakfast

• 🌍 Miller Tree Inn Bed & Breakfast, 654 East Division St (6 1/2 blocks east of Forks' only Hwy 101 stoplight), toll-free: [phone]. Check-in: 4:30PM-7:30PM, check-out: 11AM. Historic 1916 farm house with 8 guest rooms, all with private baths and TV/DVD's. Two rooms have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs, while the Orchard Suite also features a small kitchen. The inn plays the part of the Twilight Series' Cullen House, which however looks nothing like the Hollywood version, which is located in Portland, OR. Hearty breakfasts, soft drinks, cookies, wireless internet and parking included. $115-$235. 
• 🌍 Misty Valley Inn B and B, 194894 Highway 101 N (2 miles north of Forks on HWY 101), ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 4:30-10PM, check-out: noon. A stone and cedar home nestled on a ridge in the rain forest overlooking the Sol Duc River Valley. Antique furniture and collectibles are set off by the hand rubbed natural woods, rock work and unusual lighting. Guests can select their own menus and meal times, in addition to a wake-up call. All rooms have private baths. The gardens feature plants accented with seasonal flowering perennials and annuals, with an adjacent outdoor spa. A dessert and beverage bar is available to guests in the afternoon into the evening. $85-$170. 

Motels

• 🌍 Forks Motel, 351 S Forks Ave, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. Check-in: 3PM-10PM, check-out: 11AM. A large motel at the heart of the town. Old interior. Ample outdoor area for BBQ and a swimming pool. Winter from $65, Summer from $90. (updated Jul 2015)
• 🌍 Pacific Inn Motel, 352 S Forks Ave, ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, obtain key after office closes at 10PM, check-out: noon. A small motel at the heart of the town, across the Forks Motel. All rooms have air-conditioning. A few rooms are Twilight-themed, with black and red interior, even into the towels. Spotty Wi-Fi. In-house self laundromat available. Winter from $70, Summer from $105. (updated Jul 2015)

Connect

Go next

• Visitors following the Twilight series usually combine their tours with a visit to La Push, the home of the Quileute Tribe in the stories. It is 14 miles west of Forks along Route 110, and is also accessible by Clallam Transit Route 15, which runs three daily services on weekdays (leaving Forks 7:20AM, 11:05AM and 3:35PM) and two on Saturdays (leaving Forks 9:20AM and 4:50PM).
• Port Angeles is the largest city in the Olympic Peninsula, just an hour drive away northbound on Highway 101
• Queets is a small town located about 40 miles south of Forks along Route 101. On the way you'll pass through Kalaloch campground, with amazing views of the Pacific Ocean. There are many places to camp here, as well as cabins. Queets features a "general store" and a small village on the border of the Quinault Indian Nation.

Routes through Forks

Aberdeen ← Hoquiam ←

S  E

→ Lake Crescent/Marymere Falls → Port Angeles