Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [312]
These trails provide a wonderful little taste of alpine meadows, deer, and the spring display of wildflowers, along with excellent views of Port Angeles and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Grand Ridge (Obstruction Point to Green Mountain)
11 miles RT. Moderate. Access: From Hurricane Ridge, turn left onto dirt road to Obstruction Point, and continue 8½ miles to end of road.
This is the highest section of trail in the park, a fact you might notice as you gaze out to Victoria, B.C., and the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north, or to the south, toward the Grand Valley with its string of lakes and the numerous snow-clad peaks of the Olympic interior. There is a shortage of both trees and water on this hike.
From the parking lot, follow the trail to the left. (The right goes to Grand Valley.) In 2 miles you'll find yourself at the breathtaking top of Elk Mountain. Over the next 5.5 miles, you will pass through Roaring Winds Camp (not misnamed), up to Maiden Peak and finally Green Mountain. In late June the smell of Lyle's lupine, which grows amid the loose scree, fills the air. This is a good turnaround point, unless you want to descend to Deer Park.
High Ridge, Alpine Hills to Klahane Ridge
1–8 miles RT. Easy to moderate. Access: Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.
You can take the short, paved 1-mile High Ridge Route (which is chock-full of interpretive exhibits) and then return to the parking lot. Or you can proceed along the unpaved portion to Sunrise Ridge, a rocky little backbone of a view point off the High Ridge Trail, providing excellent panoramas of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Port Angeles, and beautiful alpine glaciers and wildflowers. The rest of the 3.3-mile, somewhat strenuous walk climbs to the top of Klahane Ridge. As numerous signs warn, beware of the deer and marmots here! They're unafraid, and they may hassle people who approach them.
Hurricane Hill
2.75 miles RT. Easy to moderate. Access: 1½ miles from Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.
This is a popular trail in the summertime. The broad, easy trail climbs along an abandoned work road up to brilliant alpine meadows, with fantastic views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Port Angeles to the north.
EASTERN & SOUTHEASTERN SECTION
Main Fork Dosewallips/ Constance Pass
11 miles one-way. Moderate. Access: Dosewallips Campground and Ranger Station.
Take the Main Fork Dosewallips to the north, and you'll find yourself on a moderate climb through old-growth forest for 7.5 miles before the trail flattens out at Constance Pass. Fields of wildflowers skirt the edge of Mount Constance. The trail ends in another 3.4 miles at Boulder Shelter in Olympic National Forest. You can also catch the Upper Big Quilcene Trail or the Upper Dungeness Trail here.
Main Fork of the Dosewallips
31 miles RT. Moderate. Access: Dosewallips Ranger Station.
This is a versatile trail. You can catch a lot more of the inland trails from here, including Constance Pass Trail, the Gray Wolf Trail, and the Elwha River Trail. The Dosewallips side of the park sometimes seems like the neglected side—it's not as flashy as a glacial meadow or a rain forest. But the Dosewallips is one of the most beautiful rivers in the country, its jade-green water crashing down among narrow cliffs. And you might skirt some of the crowds.
Staircase Rapids
6.5 miles RT. Easy to moderate. Access: Staircase Ranger Station.
The Staircase Trail is one of the more popular hikes in the park, and once you get to Staircase Falls, you'll see why. Along the way you'll enjoy the sight of the North Fork Skokomish River's white water rushing through stands of huge cedar trees. After the falls, the trail continues for another 1.5 miles, following in the footsteps of the 1890 O'Neil Expedition that named the area.
Other Sports & Activities
Biking. Almost all trails in the park are closed to mountain bikes. The only exception is the Spruce Railroad Trail, which was once a railroad grade that ran along the shore of the lake. It is quite flat