Back in the early days, Port Ludlow may have been Port Townsend’s most serious rival, with sheltered, deep-water harbors, a wealth of accessible timber and no cliffs or bluffs to challenge future urban expansion.

Today, Port Ludlow is a retirement, residential and recreational “census designated place.” But in its heyday, back in the mid-1800s, Port Ludlow was a hive of commercial industry.

Timber flowed out, and gold flowed in.

All of the pioneer port towns that ring the Puget Sound have their share of ribald tales, off-color anecdotes and tales of lost, hidden or buried treasure, and Port Ludlow is no exception.

According to local lore, legend and old-timers’ tales – many captured in Ruby El Hult’s “Lost Mines and Treasures of the Pacific Northwest” – some of that gold stayed behind, awaiting the industrious treasure hunter able to read the right clues.

A rather abrupt exit off Oak Bay Road (blink, and you might miss it) leads to the original town site. Few landmarks of the town itself remain; the old lumber mill, general stores, docks, ship chandlers, timber sheds, theaters, saloons, mill-worker housing, and boardwalks are long gone. A cairn of rocks and a craftsman “totem pole” between the Port Ludlow Inn and Port Ludlow yacht harbor mark the location of the once towering chimney that serviced the mill’s furnaces. Place your back to the totem pole, gaze up the terraced hill, just below Oak Bay Road, and you may well be staring at a secret cache of $500 in gold (easily approaching $50,000 in today’s bullion and old coin prices) buried near a corner post of one the company houses just above the lumber sheds. Banks were few and far between, and Mason jars and earthenware crocks concealed near cottages and cabins were de rigueur.

Speculation has it that at least one treasure cache remains. The mill worker in question died before he could pass on the secret to his heirs, who diligently dug a few holes, but were unable to find it.

TREASURE AT THE CEMETERY

The long-abandoned and forgotten pioneer cemetery just above this very same road is also rumored to contain buried treasure, again in coin, and again – if it was “treasure” then – is a fortune now.

North of the old Port Ludlow ferry landing lies Snake Rock, and the possible remains of a gambler’s carpet bag containing a fortune in bills and coin – lost overboard when the ferry nearly foundered in a storm.

Granted, the details are vague, and the landmarks few. But it shouldn’t take much time poring over old maps to learn the rough locations of the half-mile or so of boardwalks that doubled back and forth within the old mill town – and the accumulations of countless coins dropped by those wending to and from shops and saloons, boarding houses and bawdy houses, ship chandlers and warehouses. The boardwalks were pulled up half a century ago – but metal detectors weren’t as common (or as affordable) then as now.

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

Of course, treasure is in the eye of the beholder. And for those timorous treasure hunters who balk at the idea of digging up manicured lawns, disturbing grave sites or risking still-treacherous waters, there are certainly treasures to be found, if not buried or submerged, certainly off the beaten path for all but local residents.

Today, the site of the old mill town now supports a full-service marina with more than 300 slips and side ties for guest boaters and members alike. Boat rentals run from runabouts and skiffs, to kayaks and stand-up paddleboards.

The Inn at Port Ludlow is a waterfront bed-and-breakfast with luxury appointments and spectacular views.

For the athletically inclined, more than 26 miles of reasonably well-maintained trails meander beneath forests of pine, cedar, hemlock and fir, with trailheads strategically located off Oak Bay Road, Paradise Bay Road, Teal Lake and the Port Ludlow Golf Club. Port Ludlow Falls Trail (a rather grand name for what most might call rapids, but just the same, lots of white water) hiders behind the little Port Ludlow Village “mall,” and a fun little loop behind The Bay Club (featuring splendid views of Port Ludlow Bay, the Twin Islands and boasting its own little gazebo) add easily accessible variety to the mix.

Not really “hidden treasure”?

GEOCACHING

Well, the Port Ludlow trail system is definitely a draw and a popular haunt of the thousands of high-tech geocachers, sporting handheld GPS devices (or simply geocache apps on their cell phones) and logbooks, who frequent Washington’s outdoor attractions. Dozens of geocaches lie concealed behind stumps, in hollow logs and rusty relics of earlier enterprises.

Teal Lake itself, between Paradise Bay Road and U.S. Highway 101, is an enchanting little destination, ringed with trees and trails. It’s a stocked, no-bait and barbless-hook-only catch-and-release lake – which doesn’t apply to the bald eagles and herons that patrol its waters.

Off the intersection of Teal Lake and Paradise Bay roads, the Port Ludlow Golf Course offers 18 holes of “pure golf” in one of the most beautiful natural environments in the nation, if not the world.

If the marina, golf course and trailheads seem a bit off the beaten track, so too are Port Ludlow’s award-winning restaurants. When treasure hunting, boating, golfing or hiking leave you feeling peckish, there’s Niblick’s Café, with stunning views of forest, greens and distant peaks; the Fireside Restaurant and its stunning view of Port Ludlow Bay and the yacht harbor; Snug Harbor Café, up the hill and off the intersection of Paradise and Oak Bay roads; and even the fast and fun Cucina pizzeria nestled around the corner in Port Ludlow Village.

Not really “hidden treasure”?

It’s hard to stumble unwittingly on any of the above, but the concerted effort pays off – and all but guarantees return visits that may well turn into permanent stays. Up and down the bay and up and over captivating hillsides are a limited number of home sites, and a wide variety of new and pre-owned homes with floor plans that embellish a carefree resort lifestyle. That is, if one could bear to pull up stakes in Port Townsend.

Born and raised in Seattle, Mike Howard has traveled extensively in Europe and more sunny climes, and now mixes business with pleasure as a travel journalist, rediscovering his own backyard for fun and profit.