Marymere Falls – 2 miles round trip. Start at the Storm King Ranger Station at Lake Crescent. The trail will take you in from of the ranger station and under Highway 101. After going under the highway, the trail will pass junctions…Read More

Marymere Falls – 2 miles round trip. Start at the Storm King Ranger Station at Lake Crescent. The trail will take you in from of the ranger station and under Highway 101. After going under the highway, the trail will pass junctions for trail to the Lake Crescent Lodge and to Mount Storm King (killer elevation gain). Continue on the main path until you see the sign for Marymere Falls. After crossing Barnes Creek and a side creek on narrow log bridges, the trail climbs steeply up for short time, ending at the viewpoint across to the falls. Marymere Falls drops ____ feet, splashing onto moss-covered rocks at the bottom. It is best seen in the winter to early summer, as there is less water later in the summer.

Sol Duc Falls – 1.5 miles round trip. These falls are seen on posters and postcards all over the park. Start at the trailhead at the end of Sol Duc Road (1 hour drive southwest of Port Angeles). A short hike takes you through a pretty forest to the thundering falls, which are seen from a wooden bridge over the Sol Duc River, so you look down at the falls.

Elwha River Valley - as long as you want! West of Port Angeles, drive up the Elwha Valley to the Whiskey Bend trailhead. From here, the trail parallels the Elwha River for over 20 miles! A nice way to visit is to do a loop down to Goblins Gate, Krause Bottom, and Humes Ranch – and over to the bridge over the Elwha, and back out to the trailhead. I believe this is approximately 6 miles, but there are ways to shorten the trip. Ask at the Ranger Station for a detailed map.

Hall of Mosses – 0.7 mile loop hike. This is a nature hike in the Hoh Rainforest. Start at the Hoh Visitor Center (45 minute drive southeast of the town of Forks) and followed the well-marked path. This trail will give you an introduction of what the rainforest has to offer – monstrously huge trees, layers and layers of plants, nurse logs, and moss-covered old-growth stands.

Kalaloch Beach and Kalaloch Nature Trail - varies. At it takes to reach the wide sandy beach at Kalaloch is a walk down some steps. From there, you can explore north or south for miles. While there are no sea stacks here, this is a great place to play on the beach. It is especially great for kite flying! Across from the Kalaloch campground, there is a 1 mile nature trail (loop) that will also give visitors a look at the rainforest ecosystem hugging the coast.

Ruby Beach - 0.25 miles. North of Kalaloch on the coast. Take a short meander down the trail to a gorgeous beach, complete with sea stacks, a small sea cave, and a scenic river.

Second Beach -0.7 miles each way. Said to be one of the most beautiful beaches on the Olympic Coast. Seastacks and a flat sand beach for endless playing await. To reach, follow Hwy 110 west out of the town of Forks. At the split in the road, follow the signs to La Push. The trailhead is on the left side of the road, marked with a brown sign.

Third Beach - 1.4 miles each way. Another beautiful beach. If you want to get a little more, follow the overland trail at the south end of the beach over to another hidden gem. To reach, follow Hwy 110 west out of the town of Forks. At the split in the road, follow the signs to La Push. The trailhead is on the left side of the road, marked with a brown sign.

Starting Point: US Forest Service Dungeness Trailhead Distance: 20 miles Elevation Gain/Loss: 3000 feet My friend told me this was one of her favorite hikes. I was surprised that I hadn’t heard of it, but I guess I often don’t focus on hikes outside Olympic National Park.…Read More

Starting Point: US Forest Service Dungeness Trailhead
Distance: 20 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: 3000 feet

My friend told me this was one of her favorite hikes. I was surprised that I hadn’t heard of it, but I guess I often don’t focus on hikes outside Olympic National Park. I won’t make that mistake again! It was wrong not to explore the many offerings of Olympic National Forest’s Buckhorn Wilderness.

There are three trails to Marmot Pass, but only one way to make a loop. It involves 16 miles of hiking and 4 miles of biking, or 20 miles of hiking. It is a great overnight backpack, but we did it as a day hike. Ouch!

First, we drove to the Upper Dungeness Trailhead – see directions to the trailhead in my "Royal Basin" entry in this journal.

I left my friend and our packs off at the trailhead, then I drove 4 more miles up the same road to the Tubal Cain trailhead. I parked, pulled out my bike and biked down to the first trailhead, where I stashed my bike in the woods until later. Note: you won’t want to do this trip the opposite way…. the bike ride was mostly downhill the way I did it.

The hike starts out peacefully following the Dungeness River at a modest grade. We crossed Royal Creek on the footbridge, then crossed the Dungeness River on another. After passing Camp Handy, the trail gets steeper. We pushed our way up, knowing the reward would be worth it. We barely broke out of the trees when the trail split. Strait ahead was Boulder Shelter – a great camping spot (and a continuing trail to Constance Pass (see separate journal entry).

The trail to Marmot Pass goes almost 180 degrees in the opposite direction, and starts with long switchbacks through patchy woods. The views opened as we went up, until we got a good look at Constance Peak. Farther along, the main view changed to encompass the whole of the Dungeness River Valley. The landscape became more rocky as we neared Marmot Pass. We saw another hiker (our first of the day) perched on a pointed pinnacle a ways off the trail. We met another man at Marmot Pass – he had just come up the third trail to the pass, the one that starts in the Quilcene area. We looked down onto a beautiful meadow-covered bench and saw his hiking partner on his final push to the pass.

At the next rise past Marmot Pass, we gratefully spread out on a rock outcropping for some well-deserved lunch. But after only minutes, we realized that we were hearing thunder in the distance. There were a few far off lightning flashes as well. While we likely had plenty of time before the storm came close, we were still pretty uncomfortable, so we rushed through some food and heading down the other side of the pass.

We were able to enjoy the flowery meadows on the side of Buckhorn Mountain on our way downhill back to the Tubal Cain Trailhead (and my car)…. until the rain started just above tree line. We hunkered into our raincoats and dropped into the trees. We thought we’d get some shelter there, but it just rained harder and harder. For the last three miles of the hike, we alternatively griped about how wet we were and how gorgeous the wild rhododendrons were that day. We were hiking in a downpour through a tunnel of pink flowers. Unreal. We barely glanced at the side trail to Tubal Cain mine and Tull City – a mining area between 1899-1911.

At the Tubal Cain trailhead, just as we reached the car, of course the rain stopped. We drove down the four miles to pick up my bike, then continued home. Despite the rain, this is now one of my favorite hikes. I hope my friend dries out enough to suggest it again next year!

Starting Point: boat dock near Glines Canyon Dam Distance: 2 miles each way Elevation gain/loss: negligible While the highlands are covered in snow for most of the winter, just one annual snow in the lowlands of Olympic National Park is about the best we can expect.…Read More

Starting Point: boat dock near Glines Canyon Dam
Distance: 2 miles each way
Elevation gain/loss: negligible

While the highlands are covered in snow for most of the winter, just one annual snow in the lowlands of Olympic National Park is about the best we can expect. When it happens, the local folks do their best to take swift advantage of the white bliss at our backdoor. While my first attempts to enjoy the unusually wintery conditions were some ventures into unskilled cross country skiing, I caught the last bit of snow before it melted with a hike along Lake Mills.

The snow had not yet fully melted – around two inches remained - and it still hung heavy on the trees. It was haunting and beautiful as I left my snowshoes in the car and hiked only in regular boots. This was only going to stay around maybe this day yet, or perhaps one more.

Even though it was covered in snow, the trail was easy to follow. The blanket of white insulated the world and made it astoundingly silent. The trail weaved closer to the lake, then farther away, in gentle rolling hills. About half way through the hike, light snowflakes floated down ever-so-slowly. It turned out to be the last bit of precipitation to be coughed out for the winter.

This is a short trail, close to civilization, and therefore one that I wouldn’t normally explore. But today, how lucky I felt to be able to hike on it now, under these peaceful conditions.

The trail ends abruptly after around two miles. But we were able to negotiate our way down the bank to Boulder Creek, where it empties in the lake. The area next to the creek was wide open and flat, giving wide lake and mountain views. Out in the open, the falling snow was more evident. It was now sticking to my eyelashes, and I let it fall on my tongue.

Sadly, the snow stopped shortly after, and we meandered back along the trail to the car. I remembered that day for long after. And as the typical winter rains fell for the remainder of the season, I looked up at the gray sky, wishing that just one more time, it would turn to white flakes.

To reach the trail, drive west out of Port Angeles around ten miles. Take a left just before the bridge over the Elwha River, following the signs for the Elwha area of Olympic National Park. Drive through the entrance gate, and continue up the main road until you see the Glines Canyon Dam and Lake Mills. Take a left to the boat dock, where the trail begins.

Starting Point: Deer Park Campground Distance: 39 miles Elevation Gain/Loss: a LOT! This 39-mile loop backpack trip is only for the most fit and intrepid hikers. While the trail is quite easy to follow during the summer, there are definitely challenges: the length itself,…Read More

Starting Point: Deer Park Campground
Distance: 39 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: a LOT!

This 39-mile loop backpack trip is only for the most fit and intrepid hikers. While the trail is quite easy to follow during the summer, there are definitely challenges: the length itself, down trees to climb under and over, sketchy log crossings over rivers, overgrown meadows where the path all but disappears in shoulder-high plants, bears aplenty, and Cameron Pass, with its treacherous slope of loose sliding material and steep snowfields.

Now that I’ve said all that, I highly recommend this hike to those who are physically able. This was my first overnight backpack of the season, and I must admit to being marginally physically able myself. I hadn’t yet conditioned myself for my heavy overnight pack combined with the insane elevation gains and losses – but if I wasn’t conditioned when I started, I sure was when I got done! My husband and I did this hike in 4 days, but 5 days would be even better.

Day one started by driving up to Deer Park Campground. To get there, drive east out of Port Angeles a few miles, then turn right (south) onto Deer Park Road near the Deer Park Cinema. The elevation at the trailhead is 6007 feet.

Unfortunately, I knew by studying the map ahead of time, that there was nothing to be gained by climbing this high with the car. The trail drops 3300 feet from the trailhead down to Three Forks (the confluence of Grand Creek, Cameron Creek, and the Gray Wolf Rivers). I was left with the knowledge that I was indeed going to go back up substantially to get to Gray Wolf Pass the next day. More importantly, I knew I was going to have to climb over 3000 feet to get back to my car at the end of the backpack trip!

At Three Forks I was left with knees already hinting for Vitamin I. Ibuprofin, that is… don’t forget to pack it! At Three Forks, the trail divides. The choices from here are to go upstream in the Cameron Basin, upstream in the Gray Wolf Basin, or downstream in the Gray Wolf Basin. We went upstream on the Gray Wolf. Fortunately, we weren’t going all the way to Gray Wolf Pass on this day. But we did go 5 more miles upvalley, steadily gaining elevation to Falls shelter, where we set up camp. This was a peaceful spot next to the river. No one else was camped at this spot, and we hadn’t seen anyone else the entire day. I remembered that this is one of the reasons that I backpack – to take a break from humanity.

The next morning, we were feeling rested enough to tackle Gray Wolf Pass. But not for long! The climb was grueling, but we eventually popped out of the woods into wide open expanses of meadows, complete with the oh-so-boring stereotypical babbling brooks, explosions of wildflowers, and stuff like that. Yuck, huh? Oh yes, and the sunbathing marmots, jagged peaks, and all that ugly stuff.

An alternative route from Falls Shelter to Graywolf Pass is to follow an unmarked trail behind the shelter for 2 miles to Cedar Lake, then go cross-country (or perhaps there is a way trail) to Graywolf Pass. I have not done this, so get advice from a Park Ranger before trying it!

Graywolf Pass itself was pretty chilly, but we took a few moments to admire the Graywolf Valley behind us, the Dosewallips Valley below us, and Mount Deception directly to the east.

After starting our descent into the Dosewallips Valley, we ran into our first fellow hikers. This was as we were switchbacking down through flower-filled meadows once again. When we reached the trail junction with the Dosewallips trail, we decided to lose our shoes and take a rest in the soft and sweet-smelling meadow. I felt like Dorothy falling asleep in the poppies or something.

We eventually dragged ourselves up and headed upvalley once again. We alternatively were stepping over small creeks, and pushing our way through chest-high meadow plants. Before long we came upon Bear Camp. This was a beautiful camp, with an open valley view and plush grasses and flowers. After almost 2 miles more of the same, we came to Dose Meadows, our camp for the night. The advantage of Bear Camp would likely be that fewer people camp there than at Dose Meadows. But Dose Meadows was gorgeous, and as it was, we were the only campers there that night.

We set up camp and prepared dinner under the watchful eyes of about half dozen gigantic marmots. They whistled away at us, and got close, but never approached or begged for food. As evening fell, we watched a bear come down off the ridge, pass high in the meadow above us, and continue on downvalley.

In the morning, we again felt rested enough to tackle the next pass. Lost Pass was only one mile away, but just over 1000 feet uphill. We moved slowly but steadily, and made it to the top in time to see our bear friend again. Again he was safely a ways away, on the side of Mount Claywood, munching grubs he was digging up. The mosquitoes were terrible here, so we moved quickly on, en route to Cameron Basin.

I can honestly say that the area between Lost Pass (5500 feet) and Cameron Pass (6450 feet) was as close to heaven as I think I’ll ever get. It was perfect alpine bliss, with not another soul in sight. Except the two more bears we saw. I love it when the wilderness feels deserted and wild, just as it should be. There were blankets of avalanche and glacier lilies, and the pink heather happened to be blooming at the same time.

After lunch at stark Cameron Pass, and a scary descent into Cameron Basin, we finally lost the solitude we had had for days. As we approached our camp for the night, we saw a group of 8 teenagers and their leader. We quickly made the decision to continue downvalley to an old shelter on the river that I had seen on the topographic map. While it pained our feet – and everything else – to continue on, it was the right decision. The mosquitoes were horrid in Cameron Basin, but not so bad farther down in the woods. Plus, if we hadn’t gone further on day 3, day 4 would have been a 15-miler… a distance I’m not sure I could have done. We met our forth and final bear on the trail down. Both parties reversed direction, but after a few minutes, the bear was gone and we were able to continue on.

The old shelter was collapsed, which I had suspected it might be, since our Park Service map didn’t show it at all. But there was a great flat space to put our tent. We could tell that deer had been sleeping nearby, and it turns out that our presence didn’t deter them from using there spot this night either. We had a bear-proof canister for our food, so the only thing we found disturbed in the morning was that they had carried my socks a ways off and left them.

Day four was uneventful, culminating in the four mile ascent-from-hell back to Deer Park. We told ourselves we would climb in 15 minute stretches, with brief breaks for snacks and food. Our strategy works, and we survived to the top, where we headed straight for a hot shower at home – and a great big, cheesy, well-deserved pizza!

Starting Point: Appleton Pass Trailhead Distance: 15.5 miles round-trip Elevation Gain/Loss: 3,000 feet From Port Angeles, drive 8-9 miles west on Highway 101 until you see the brown signs for the Elwha River Entrance of Olympic National Park. After going through the entrance gate, continue up…Read More

Starting Point: Appleton Pass Trailhead
Distance: 15.5 miles round-trip
Elevation Gain/Loss: 3,000 feet

From Port Angeles, drive 8-9 miles west on Highway 101 until you see the brown signs for the Elwha River Entrance of Olympic National Park. After going through the entrance gate, continue up the road past Lake Mills until the road ends at the Appleton Pass trailhead.

The first two miles of trail are mostly paved. That is because the trail used to be a road heading to the Olympic Hot Springs at Boulder Creek. Olympic Hot Springs was the site of a popular health resort in the 1930s. But its popularity declined and the resort was eventually removed, but the hot pools still remain, and are a popular hiking destination for many (too many, in my opinion, for sanitary use of the pools – I have avoided the experience on purpose).

From the hot springs, the trail becomes narrow and dirt, and winds peacefully through the forest. There is a trail junction for Boulder Lake about ½ mile past the hot springs campsites. Stay on the main trail and do not turn at this junction.

At one point, the trail is essentially gone, and we ended up following what looked like a dry creek bed, then crawled over some logs, and then found a normal looking trail on the other side of the wash. The trail remained in good shape the remainder of the trip – this had been the only problem spot.

Make sure to hike the short side trails to Lower and Upper Boulder Creek Falls. The side trails are well marked.

Above the falls, we crossed Boulder Creek on a footlog, and spent even more time cruising through the forest. It seemed like forever until we got a glimpse of the surrounding peaks. But then the trail headed back into the woods again. It was at this point that I realized that we hadn’t reached the "No campfires" sign that is usually posted on Park trails at the 3500 foot level. I hoped we had just missed it, but soon we saw it. We had started at 2000 feet, and had come at least five miles, which meant that we would likely be going up steeply, gaining still another 1500 feet to reach Appleton Pass. I braced myself for the climb.

Not long after the sign, we broke out into the meadow. Finally! This is what I came for, but it sure took a long time to get there! The flowers were mostly done for the season, but the blueberries for at their juiciest ripeness. We perfected the art of berry sampling without missing a stride. We saw one bear feasting about 100 yards off the trail. He didn’t even give us a second glance. The foliage on the blueberry plants was also starting to turn red, and entire hillsides higher up were cherry red.

The climb wasn’t as grueling as I feared, and soon we were lunching at the top of the pass, contemplating a future hike in to summit Appleton Peak. We studied possible routes as we ate. If you crave more time in the high country before heading back downhill, follow the trail behind the "Appleton Pass" sign to Oyster Lake and Oyster Point for some vistas (and the beginning of a cross-country route to Cat Basin).

I enjoyed this trip, but would not put this hike at the top of my list of greatest hikes at Olympic National Park. The time spent below treeline was too long for my taste, especially when the time above tree line was so short. The views from Appleton Pass are okay, but there are better ones out there. But the whole package of hot springs, waterfalls, and subalpine pass is attractive, and I recommend a visit. Appleton Pass can also be reached from the Sol Duc side, but I have also hiked that one, and that trail is less attractive – if you hike it at all, do it from the Elwha side.

Starting Point: Heather Park/Lake Angeles Trailheads (shared parking area) Distance: 12.5 mile loop Elevation Gain/Loss: well over 4000 feet This is a challenging day hike, not so much for the mileage, but for the elevation gain and loss. To reach the trailhead, drive up Hurricane Ridge Road…Read More

Starting Point: Heather Park/Lake Angeles Trailheads (shared parking area)
Distance: 12.5 mile loop
Elevation Gain/Loss: well over 4000 feet

This is a challenging day hike, not so much for the mileage, but for the elevation gain and loss. To reach the trailhead, drive up Hurricane Ridge Road from Port Angeles. Just before the entrance station, turn right, and park in the lot where the road ends. There are two trailheads here: Heather Park and Lake Angeles. I started up Heather Park Trail (and later came out on the Lake Angeles Trail).

The first 3 miles or so of the Heather Park Trail are brown and boring. Don’t get me wrong, I like forest hikes normally. But this was no an attractive forest. I plowed ahead as quickly as possible, to be rewarded at Heather Park. This flowery meadowland between First Top Peak and Second Top Peak, was just the beginning of my high country experience that day. I had a snack at lovely Heather Pass, then dropped precipitously down the back side, where the trail continues on a sidehill on the low western slope of Second Top. The views from here are down into the Little River Valley, across to Griff Peak, and even father across to the Straight of Juan de Fuca. The evidence of a fall 2003 fire on Griff Peak was visible from here as well.

I was getting closer and closer to Mount Angeles, hiking between various rock formations. Finally, the climb to Victor Pass began. A whole new world opened up to me at the top! This time, I was looking down into a very wide bowl, with Klahane Ridge on the opposite side. I could already see the mats of wildflowers – although they were just large patches of color from where I stood. I eagerly dropped downhill to frolick in the flowers, then trudged uphill once again to the ridge.

Throughout all this up and down, of course, there were plenty of distractions to keep my mind off the status of my lungs and legs. Besides the flowers, there were panoramic vistas of the Olympic Mountains, distant boats on the Strait, and more unique rock formations on the side of Mount Angeles.

I also was constantly scanning the landscape for goats, marmots, and bears – none of which I saw, but not for lack of trying (trying to get a rest for my lungs, that is!) Taking pictures is good for that too…. did I mention that I took a LOT of pictures on this hike?!?

Traversing Klahane Ridge was also a series of ups and downs –why can’t I find some flat ground for a bit? The Ridge is, of course, gorgeous in every direction.

Before dropping down into the woods again, I was given a great view of Lake Angeles, my next destination. Dropping down to Lake Angeles was difficult – it was very steep, which my knees hate, and some loose material on the trail made is very easy to slip. I was wishing I had brought my hiking poles.

When I got to Lake Angeles, I had to take off my boots and socks to soak my feet in the freezing water. The ache was frozen away as I watch fish jumping and admired the dramatic vertical cliff on the south end of the lake.

The final 3.5 miles back to the trailhead was again brown and boring. At least there were a couple creeks to cross to break it up a bit. Back at the car, I was happy that my body had lived up to this challenging hike.

Starting/Ending Point: Rialto Beach/Ozette Ranger Station Distance: 20 miles Elevation Gain/Loss: negligible What better way to start a long hike than with a surprise visit from a friend I hadn’t seen for a while! She knew me well enough to bring her backpacking gear, so the…Read More

Starting/Ending Point: Rialto Beach/Ozette Ranger Station
Distance: 20 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: negligible

What better way to start a long hike than with a surprise visit from a friend I hadn’t seen for a while! She knew me well enough to bring her backpacking gear, so the morning after she arrived, my planned solo backpack trip became a sojourn for a happy duo.

The most difficult part of this one-way hike is arranging transportation. If you have access to two vehicles, you can leave one at each end of the trail, but this ends up being very time consuming. Another option is to drop a vehicle at the end point, then get a shuttle to the start (who does this??) Or, the best option really, is to hook up with someone hiking the opposite direction and swap keys in the middle.

My friend and I got our permit and bear canister, and off we went. Port Angeles was flooded with sunshine, and the forecast for the coast was the same, so we were surprised to find the coast covered in clouds. Actually, we weren’t really surprised – this is a common occurrence on the coast. We were more surprised at our stupidity – we hadn’t brought a tent, intending to sleep cozily on the sand under clear skies. We crossed our fingers and pressed on. Did I mention that I do this for a living??? Geesh – do as I say, not as I do!

After parking the car at the Ozette Ranger Station (around 2 hours from Port Angeles), where we would end our hike, and getting a shuttle from friends to the starting point at Rialto Beach (another 1.5 hours), we heading onto some of the finest wilderness coast in the lower 48. Free from development and motorized vehicles, the Olympic National Park coastal experience is one of crashing waves, colorful tidepools, towering seastacks, and plenty of wildlife. The footing during our hike alternated between smooth sandy beach, gravel, rock-hopping, and carpets of seaweed.

Day one started with the easy stuff – sand. Along the six mile stretch, we passed Hole-in-the-Wall and Chilean Memorial – a memorial to a 1923 shipwreck. It is possible to camp at Chilean, which was our original plan. But we decided to press on around rocky Cape Johnson, as the tide was low, which was necessary to pass around the cape. After making our way around, we found that the beach had only one good camp spot above high tide line. Good thing we were the only ones there!

There was one minor problem with the situation, though. The high tide at 11:15pm was expected to be three feet higher than the last one – was our camp spot high enough?? Again, we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. Well, the tide behaved, but the sky did not. The rain didn’t pour down, but it did mist and drizzle. We were able to improvise a shelter with beach logs, plastic garbage bags, and an emergency blanket. We stayed dry enough to happily press on.

On day two, we covered 11 miles. It started out easy, with pretty sand beaches until we reached Norwegian Memorial, where the way became more rocky. Norwegian Memorial was built by 2 survivors of a 1903 shipwreck, in memory of the 18 crewmembers who were lost.

The going got rough when our hiking route turned to rock. We spent so much time concentrating on our feet that we could barely look around. We had to make sure to take extra breaks to take in the scenery. Good thing we did, too! This stretch of coast is where we saw some great wildlife. Sea otters, seals, eagles, deer, and even a snake, an oddity on this sort of beach. We also saw the sun, very welcome after our damp night.

"She slips on slimy sea salad by the sea shore."

This was the ditty I made up as we slogged through what we named "sea salad." Sea salad included a variety of sea weed, mixed together and ankle deep, that was our treacherous footing in this stretch of coast, when we weren’t teetering on rock. Our feet and ankles did survive, though, and we camped near Yellow Banks under stunning stars and a full moon.

The last day of our trip was only four easy-cruising miles. The first mile had amazing tide pools. This was the first time I had seen sunflower stars, which are red and purple sea stars with around 20 arms. We also saw leather starts and oodles of ochre stars. Our trip ended with three miles through the forest back to the Ozette Ranger Station. The path was primarily boardwalk, an impressive feat of the Olympic National Park trail crew.

We had thought ahead, and had clean dry clothes in the car for the trip home, and we also stopped for well-deserved milkshakes on the way!

When hiking on the coast, there will some areas that are not passable until low tide. Check tide tables and get advice from the Wilderness Information Center or Ranger Station ahead of time, so you can plan the route properly with the tides. Also, there are sometimes overland trails around unpassable headlands. These are marked with orange and black markers. There are sometimes ropes and ladders to help along the way!

Starting/Ending Point: Oil City Trailhead/Third Beach Trailhead Distance: 17 miles Elevation Gain/Loss: negligible This is a one-way coastal hike that is a stunner! The only low point is arranging the transportation so as to make it a one-way hike. Another option is to hook up with…Read More

Starting/Ending Point: Oil City Trailhead/Third Beach Trailhead
Distance: 17 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: negligible

This is a one-way coastal hike that is a stunner! The only low point is arranging the transportation so as to make it a one-way hike. Another option is to hook up with another party hiking it in the opposite direction, and meet in the middle to swap keys.

We started our trip at Oil City Trailhead. From the town of Forks, head south on Highway 101 until you see the sign for Oil City. Turn right. Follow the road until it ends at the trailhead.

The very short hike from the trailhead to the actual coast is interesting in that you see where the Hoh River empties into the ocean. There is all sorts of interesting wildlife to be seen here. In fact, we stopped to watch some otters playing in the estuary before heading north along the "beach." There is great birding here too!

We picked our way north along the rocks briefly before heading onto an inland trail around Hoh Head. Overland trails along the coast are common when headlands are unpassable, even at low tide. The trails are marked with orange and black markers, and often have ropes or ladders to assist hikers up and over. The ladders on this stretch of coast are particularly impressive, and not for the faint of heart or those with a fear of heights!

I do have to say that I was a bit disappointed to head inland so soon after getting out to the coast. And this inland coast stretch is 3.5 miles long. Luckily, the woods were quite lovely, and occasional lookout points were great. We dropped down off of the overland trail to where Mosquito Creek runs into the ocean. This can be an easy or difficult ford, depending on rainfall and time of year.

Along the stretch of open coastline, we marveled at the solitude. I’m sure there are not many beach areas that are so remote that you have it all to yourself. How lucky we are here on the Olympic Peninsula to have over 60 miles of wilderness coast protected from development!

The next overland trail was again very exciting with ladders taking us high above the beach. There are two creek fords – Goodman Creek and Falls Creek. It might be good to have sandals for these! The area around Goodman Creek was especially pretty, and we hung out by the creek for a while after drying our feet and putting our boots back on.

My favorite piece of the South Coast came next. Toleak Point to Strawberry Point has many great campsites and views of picturesque sea stacks. If you get there early enough in the season, there should be driftwood left to burn for a campfire, and enjoy the sunset.

The next day, two more overland trails took us up and over, up and over. In between, small beaches were nestled between rocks and trees. The last beach we reached was Third Beach, where we saw tons of people. From Third Beach, it is just 1.5 miles more through the woods to the trailhead, so this area is popular with those on short day trips.

Out we went toward civilization, although I don’t know of anything more civilized than enjoying our protected lands, appreciating them and what is done to keep them wild.

Starting Point: Staircase Ranger Station Distance: 9.5 miles each way Elevation Gain/Loss: 4200 feet Thunder boomed and lightening flashed as we pulled into the trailhead. We had watched the cumulus clouds building on the two-hour drive from Port Angeles to the Staircase area of Olympic National Park.…Read More

Starting Point: Staircase Ranger Station
Distance: 9.5 miles each way
Elevation Gain/Loss: 4200 feet

Thunder boomed and lightening flashed as we pulled into the trailhead. We had watched the cumulus clouds building on the two-hour drive from Port Angeles to the Staircase area of Olympic National Park. And now we were under them. My inner firefighter was thinking that I was glad I had my fire gear in the car – maybe I’ll hike up the trail with my fire pack instead of my backpack. But my inner hiker just wanted to camp and not work. Such a dilemma.

The storm passed quickly, and the sun was shining again, so we headed up the trail – without fire gear – for a weekend of subalpine camping at Flapjack Lakes (3900 feet). The first four miles of trail were essentially flat and follow the North Fork of the Skokomish River. The river valley was very pretty and I enjoyed seeing the regrowth of the 1985 Beaver Fire (what can I say? I have the fire bug!)

We reached the trail junction to Flapjack Lakes and headed uphill. Suddenly, my pack felt heavier and my legs felt weaker. It was a long, slow slog up a seemingly endless ridge. I distracted myself by scanning the surrounding ridgelines for smoke plumes (none spotted, to the disappointment of my inner firegirl).

We were hungry and tired when we reached the lakes. It was a busy weekend, so we took one of the only remaining campsites. Fortunately, the sites are spaced out enough that even when filled to capacity, there is plenty of solitude and privacy for all. I highly recommend trying to get one of the sites with a view of the dramatic Sawtooth Ridge.

Our evening was restful – one of the best nights sleep I’ve ever had in the backcountry. We woke the next morning refreshed and ready to tackle the short but uphill hike to Gladys Divide (1.5 miles each way, 1100 feet elevation gain). After a short distance through the dark woods, we came out into the subalpine meadows with a full view of Sawtooth Ridge. Small snow patches were easily negotiated, with carpets of Avalanche and Glacier lilies all around. The highlight of the trip up was definitely seeing two black bears looking down at us from a meadow 100 yards above.

Gladys Divide is extremely lovely, flower-filled in the morning sunshine. It sits between Mount Gladys and Mount Cruiser. The Sawtooth Ridge is gorgeous from here. The back side of Gladys Divide is the Hamma Hamma River Drainage. If desired, the summit of Mount Gladys is a fairly easy hike from here.

To get to the Staircase Ranger Station to start the hike, drive east from Port Angeles to the town of Hoodsport. Turn right, following the brown signs to the Staircase Ranger Station. The drive is about 2.5 hours.

Starting Point: Hoh Ranger Station Distance: 9 miles each way Elevation Gain/Loss: 380 feet While there are three temperate rainforest valleys in Olympic National Park, the most widely known and visited rainforest area is the Hoh River Valley. A rainforest is determined by the amount of rain it gets.…Read More

Starting Point: Hoh Ranger Station
Distance: 9 miles each way
Elevation Gain/Loss: 380 feet

While there are three temperate rainforest valleys in Olympic National Park, the most widely known and visited rainforest area is the Hoh River Valley.

A rainforest is determined by the amount of rain it gets. The minimum amount of rain to be considered a rainforest is 60 inches per year. The Hoh gets 140-170 inches of rain per year. The "temperate" distinction refers to the mild climate – it rarely gets below freezing or over 80 degree F here. It is said that the rainforests of Olympic National Park have more biomass than any of the tropical rainforests.

The mainstays of the Olympic Rainforests are Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock, but other trees include Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, big leaf maple, vine maple, and Red Adler. Always fascinating to me is endless depths of mosses, lichen, and ferns of the forest floor. The first rain of the fall brings fascinating mushrooms as well. You cannot believe the size of these trees until you see them. They can get up to 300 feet high, and 23 feet in circumference! Humbling, indeed.

I enjoy hiking in the rainforest when it is raining – it is a full demonstration of the ecosystem, for sure. But on this April trip, the weather was unusually dry. We did find some trail washouts from the flooding the previous October (which are now fixed). They demonstrated the power of the rain even though it was not in evidence during our backcountry days.

No matter how many times I visit the rainforest, I am always enchanted by two main things: nurse logs and elk.

Nurse logs are trees that have fallen down and started to decompose. Due to the huge number of plants growing on the forest floor, the seeds that fall on the forest floor cannot get sunlight to live. But when the seeds fall atop the downed logs, they can sprout and grow. The roots grow down around the log into the earth, leaving "trees on stilts" when the log finally rots. Various stages of this phenomenon are apparent in the rain forest.

Although elk are huge – just about as big as horses – with distinctive light-colored rumps, they are often hard to spot due to the density of the vegetation (more biomass than tropical rainforests!) Unlike the Rocky Mountains, there are few open meadow areas in the Olympics. So even though I’ve seen plenty of elk over the years, I guess I find seeing them in the Olympics more special due to their elusiveness. We were happy to find a group of elk hanging out directly on the trail on this trip. We almost had to walk through them.

There are a number of campsites all along the Hoh River. One particularly pretty spot to camp is in the meadow in front of the Olympus Guard Station, 9 miles up the valley. The Ranger Station is reserved for employee use (um, so yeah, I did stay in the cushy cabin instead of camping – maybe that is why I don’t mind hiking in the rain!)

A half mile farther past the Guard Station, there is a side trail that goes 5.5 miles over a ridge to Hoh Lake. Otherwise, the Hoh River Trail continues 9 miles farther to Glacier Meadows – the jump-off point for technical climbs of Mount Olympus, the highest peak in the park at 7976 feet. Partway to Glacier Meadows, maybe 4 miles from Olympus Guard Station, is the High Hoh Bridge, a scenic spot for a day hike from Olympic Guard Station.

Because the Hoh River Valley is so flat, and because the rainforest is lushly beautiful in all parts, this is a great trail for beginner and veteran hikers alike. And don’t worry about it being a popular tourist spot – if you hike in farther than a mile or 2, especially in non-summer months, you will find solitude unending.