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The logging town of Forks, Washington, population 3,400, is famous for being about the rainiest place to live in the lower 48 states.

A whopping 120 inches of precipitation falls each year.

Located near Olympic National Park and the mossy, cedary, drippy Hoh Rain Forest, Forks was not known for vampire and werewolf sightings.

Then Stephanie Meyer came on the scene. The author of the “Twilight” books on which the movie is based, Meyer found Forks — with its dense trees, moody clouds and nine kinds of rain — to be the perfect setting for her series.

“Twilight” fans, hopeful teens and hopeless adult romantics alike, now have put Forks in the tourism crosshairs. They make pilgrimages to see the main character Bella Swan’s trucks, the Swan residence, Dr. Cullen’s parking space and house, Forks High School and Forks Police Station.

Fans swarm the small town for the Forever Twilight in Forks Festival, held each year on the weekend closest to the birthday of film star Bella — Sept. 13.

The story goes like this. Bella moves from her mom and stepdad’s place in Arizona to Forks, where her dad is the police chief. Attending a new school has awkward moments. Soon, though, Bella falls in love with Edward Cullen, a high school classmate with striking good looks and a quiet personality.

After much detective work, she also learns he is a 108-year-old vampire.

Through movie magic, the first of the Twilight films, the one I watched, may look as if it is being filmed in Forks. Yet it mostly features other stellar locations. The high school friends’ trip to La Push beach was filmed at Indian Beach in Ecola State Park south of Seaside. The high school parking lot, where Edward displays superhuman tendencies, is at Kalama High School in Kalama, Washington.

Bella becomes Edward’s biology partner and shares a microscope, looking for mitochondria and romantic sparks. The school interiors were shot at Madison High School in Portland.

Carver Cafe, where Bella worries about her dad’s eating habits — he loves burgers and fries — is located in Damascus.

Supposedly in Port Angeles, Washington, the Thunderbird & Whale bookstore, where Bella goes after a Google search to do research on her mysterious love interest, is a lawyer’s office in St. Helens.

Bella and Edward, after much hesitancy, become an item. Although Bella is not excited about going to prom, Edward convinces her it is an important rite of passage for high school juniors, whether mortal or a sparkly vampire. The prom dance is at the View Point Inn overlooking the Columbia River Gorge in Corbett, with a view to set hearts aflutter.

The first “Twilight” movie was such a success that several other movies followed: “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1” and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2.”

The captivating first movie in the series is a coming-of-age love story. If nothing else you will love the scenery enough to stay tuned for the climactic fight scene — where Edward displays his supernatural powers.

“Twilight” is a fun watch for vampire romance fans who enjoy the stars’ convincing chemistry … and for those of us who just enjoy the Northwest as an awesome backdrop for movie magic.