Unit Goodman

Forks and the smaller settlement of Hoh serve as practical reference points and resupply locations. The Hoh River is a major geographic divide and navigational reference running through the unit. Multiple named creeks including Weeden, Lost, Pins, and Murphy offer natural drainage corridors for movement and water sources.

Anderson Ridge provides elevated terrain for orientation within the dense forest. Lacy Oil Seep marks a notable spring location. These features help establish bearing in country where dense forest canopy makes distant orientation difficult.

Goodman occupies entirely low-elevation terrain, rising gradually from near sea level to just under 1,600 feet at its highest points. The unit is defined by dense temperate rainforest—predominantly Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and western red cedar with heavy underbrush typical of coastal Washington. Anderson Ridge and Lagitos Hill offer limited elevation gain but serve as reference points through the dense canopy.

This is wet country where moss-covered fallen timber and brush create challenging foot travel despite straightforward overall topography.

Approximately 226 miles of road thread through Goodman, providing well-distributed access from Forks and surrounding areas. US 101 and LaPush Road form the primary access corridors. This connectivity makes the unit straightforward to enter, and most hunters will concentrate near reliable road access points.

The dense forest limits long-distance glassing opportunities, so success depends on working drainages and creek bottoms rather than elevated observation. Pressure typically concentrates near main roads, with less-traveled creek drainages seeing reduced hunter presence.

Goodman wraps around the eastern approach to LaPush and Forks along the Olympic National Park boundary. The unit spans from LaPush Road east to US 101 at Forks, then south across the Hoh River before returning north along the park boundary. The towns of Forks and Hoh sit at the western edge, providing the primary staging areas.

This positioning places the unit squarely in the wet, lower-elevation transition zone between developed valley floor and the alpine wilderness that dominates Olympic National Park to the west.

Water is abundant throughout Goodman, with the Hoh River as the dominant system and dozens of tributaries draining the surrounding terrain. Named creeks including Maxfield, Mosquito, Mill, Minter, Nolan, and others provide reliable water sources across the unit. Lacy Oil Seep offers a marked spring location.

This is wet country where water availability is not a limiting factor at any season—the challenge is foot travel in wet, brushy terrain rather than finding reliable sources. Creeks often define the most navigable routes through dense forest.

Goodman supports black bear and mountain lion in the dense coastal forest habitat. Bears range across the unit in spring and fall, following berry crops and salmon runs in major creeks—the Hoh and its tributaries offer the highest bear density. Mountain lions hunt through these same drainages and forested slopes.

Hunting requires patience working dense brush on foot, with an ear for movement rather than visual glassing. Creek drainages and ridge saddles provide natural travel corridors for both predators and hunters. Early season (spring for bears, fall for lions) often produces better results before brush density peaks mid-summer.