The Town of Joyce
Joyce is an unincorporated community in Clallam County, Washington, United States. Founded around 1913 by Joseph M. Joyce. Joyce is located on State Scenic Highway 112, 16 miles west of Port Angeles and 33 miles east of Clallam Bay. The town of Joyce has a general store, museum, cafe, and other business establishments. Joyce has an annual celebration called Joyce Daze usually held around the beginning of August. Joyce is also home to the Crescent School District. Explore the saltwater shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and nearby Lake Crescent on scenic Highway 112. Enjoy the historic General Store. You might even catch the storekeeper playing a tune on his guitar behind the counter at the General Store.
History
The little town of Joyce, established in 1913 and once a railroad depot, sits on Washington Scenic Highway 112 not far from beautiful Salt Creek Recreation Area on Crescent Bay. Salt Creek Park was once known as Camp Hayden, a World War II coastal artillery camp. Camp Hayden guarded the entrance to Puget Sound along with historic Fort Worden, Fort Casey, and Fort Flagler. A visit to the park today yields a wealth of history when you walk through its WWII era bunkers. It’s easy to imagine the guns, 45 feet long and 5 feet thick, that could shoot targets almost 30 miles away. The Joyce Museum,housed in the original train station and next to the iconic Joyce General Store, contains artifacts, photographs, and newspaper articles of the area.
Shopping
The Joyce General Store is the must-stop shop if you’re near Joyce. It offers everything from the standard fruits, vegetables, and munchies to cast iron cookware and auto supplies. It’s also a post office and sits next to the Joyce Museum. The Blackberry Café and Family Kitchen Restaurant offergood, old-fashioned home-style cooking, along with two giant burgers—the Logger Burger at the Family Kitchen and the Sasquatch Burger at the Blackberry Café. Top it all off–if you can–with a slice of The Blackberry Café’s famous blackberry pie! Whether you have the appetite of a logger or a sasquatch, you won’t go home hungry.
Outdoors
Joyce is nestled between some of the most beautiful areasfor recreation on the Olympic Peninsula. Bring your mountain bike to explorethe adventure section of the Olympic Discovery Trail that runs just south ofthe town. A few minutes’ drive on Piedmont Road leads to the north side of LakeCrescent where Log Cabin Resort rests on the shore, and dozens of pull-outsalong the road offer lovely views and little swimming holes. To the northwestis Salt Creek Recreation Area with picnic and camping areas and hiking trails. Atlow tide explore the rims of easily accessible tide pools where sea anemones,star fish, barnacles, mussels, and tiny shore crabs live. You might even spot gray whales or orcas off the shore!
Events
Around the first of August, don’t miss Joyce Daze Wild Blackberry Festival. At this little free fest, you’ll find a heaven of blackberry pies including, of course, a pie contest along with a salmon bake. Mmmmm… fresh salmon and blackberry pie! What could be better? There is also abeard and moustache contest for those who’ve spend time waxing their handlebar ‘stashor growing out those mutton chops. Live music, a fish pond, a group hike and mountain bike event, and plenty of community spirit and camaraderie await!
Community Map & Photo Gallery
