Olympic National Park provides terrific fall hiking options

Fri., Sept. 15, 2017

Hikers near Obstruction Point have gorgeous views west toward the Bailey Range. (John Nelson / The Spokesman-Review)

By John Nelson For The Spokesman-Review

If you go

Getting there: For the northern peninsula hikes, consider avoiding the busy Washington State Ferry crossings in Seattle and Edmonds, instead taking State Route 18 toward Tacoma off of Interstate 90 at exit 25. In Tacoma, drive north on the Kitsap Peninsula toward Port Angeles. For the southern peninsula hikes, follow SR 18 to Interstate 5 south through Olympia, then west through Aberdeen to the coast.

Information: The main visitor center for Olympic National Park, (360) 565-3130, is in Port Angeles. Other visitor centers and ranger stations are open seasonally around the park.

Camping: For southern peninsula rainforest and beach-hiking trips, consider staying at Kalaloch Campground, open year-round, on U.S. 101.

The high trails: On the dry, northeastern side of the park, roads can take you to Hurricane Ridge and Obstruction Point, offering access to high-elevation explorations.

Hikers have been held hostage by a summer of smoke in the Inland Northwest.

While much of the West continues to burn, creating unhealthy and even dangerous conditions on regional trails, one place in Washington has managed to dodge the bullet – the Olympic Peninsula.

“We’ve been lucky,” says Penny Wagner, public information officer for Olympic National Park. “It has been extremely dry, but we don’t have any fires burning.”

The wet west side of the peninsula has even had a little rain in recent weeks, “and that has really helped,” she said.

There’s still time to hit the trails in Olympic National Park. Early fall is arguably the best time to visit – in the mountains, bugs are long gone and fall colors are bright; in the rainforest, fall precipitation refreshes the lush environment; on the wild ocean beaches, summer crowds depart.

Here are six sure-fire national park day hikes for some clear-air escapes:

Mount Angeles

Distance: 6.25 miles round trip

Elevation gain: 1,260 feet

High point: 6,054 feet

For those going to Hurricane Ridge, this trail offers a lot of bang for the buck, especially when you consider that it starts at a busy visitor center. You’ll have excellent views of the Olympic Range, the Cascades and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

From the Hurricane Ridge parking lot, start on the paved High Divide Trail and follow signs for Sunrise Ridge. At 2.6 miles, you’ll hit a junction for the Klahhane Ridge Trail. Stay left for Mount Angeles and ascend.

It’s mostly a scramble from there. Decide if you want to keep going to the top or just hang out on a pleasant ridge top.

Grand Valley

Distance: Up to 12 miles round trip to Grand Pass

Elevation gain: 4,000 feet

High point: 6,450 feet

This may be the best place in all of Olympic National Park for a quick backpacking overnight trip, but can also be done as a day hike.

Starting from Obstruction Point, a 7.8-mile gravel road off of Hurricane Ridge, you begin at high elevation (6,150 feet). Right off the bat, fantastic views of the Bailey Range unfold to the west as you spend the first 1.5 miles along Lillian Ridge before descending into the Grand Valley. Stopping anywhere along the ridge makes a fantastic short day hike all on its own, and you don’t have to suffer with any significant vertical.

About that suffering: If you continue, descend steeply (1,500 vertical feet) into the Grand Valley to a chain of lakes. First, there’s Grand Lake, then you’ll climb upward to Moose and Gladys lakes. Above Gladys, the valley turns into what you might have in mind as a perfect mountain basin with patchy snow, cascading streams, rocky cliffs, wildflowers and the “Sound of Music” theme (playing in your head).

Head for the pass if you have the juice; otherwise, relax and enjoy this very special place.

Rainforest

On the wet western side of the park, wide river valleys filled with massive old-growth trees and mossy underbrush drain all that rain (an average of 150 inches annually).

East Fork Quinault River to Pony Bridge

Distance: 6 miles round trip

Elevation gain: 900 feet

High point: 1,700 feet

This is a fairly tidy introduction to the magical Quinault Rainforest. It travels along the East Fork Quinault River through ever more lush forest into the waterfall-strewn Enchanted Valley at 13 miles. You won’t go that far, but you do get a nice payoff at Pony Bridge.

Starting at the road-end Graves Creek Campground, walk along a wide path, crossing several streams on foot bridges before coming to a thundering falls in a dramatic narrow canyon.

This valley is home to many black bears, so don’t be surprised if see one (or several).

Sol Duc Falls

Distance: 1.6 miles round trip

Elevation gain: 200 feet

High point: 1,950 feet

Quick and easy, this romp to an impressive falls follows the Sol Duc River on a mostly flat, family-friendly trail.

Starting at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, the trail ventures along a popular trail that eventually ascends to the backpacking Mecca of Seven Lakes Basin. You’ll walk amid giant trees, cross a pretty stream on a footbridge, and then reach the cascading falls and a historic shelter.

Returning, remember, takes you past the hot springs. Feel like having a soak?

Beach hikes

The Olympic Peninsula has 73 miles of the most primitive wilderness beaches in the lower 48 states. Logging abounds throughout the peninsula’s state and national forest lands, but in Olympic National Park, old-growth, wild areas remain along pristine beaches.

Rialto Beach, Hole in the Wall

Distance: 4 miles round-trip

No elevation gain: Flat beach walk

This easy beach stroll gives you a nice introduction to the rugged Washington Coast with only a bit of effort. The two-mile trek north from Rialto Beach takes hikers along an increasingly primitive strand where huge logs from nearby old-growth forests wash up to create a coastline that feels more wild with each step.

At the end, you’ll hit a headlands, where at low tide, you can actually walk through the aforementioned “hole in the wall,” and explore tide pools beyond. At high tide, you need to use a rope to struggle your way up and over the headlands.

Beyond to the north are 15 miles of wilderness beach until you reach Sandpoint and the trail to Lake Ozette.

Shi Shi Beach

Distance: 8 miles roundtrip

Elevation gain: 200 feet

This rugged hike leads to a one of the most amazing rock features along the Washington Coast, Point of the Arches. Besides your national parks pass, you’ll also need a $10 Makah Indian Recreation Permit (available at stores in Neah Bay) because the hike travels through tribal land to get to the beach.

After walking on an oftentimes muddy trail through coastal forest, you’ll descend to the beach, and immediately see the rugged Arches jutting westward into the wild blue sea. Over the next 1.3 miles, hike south toward them – they just get more fascinating the closer you get.

The journey ends here at high tide; at low tide, you can continue south over one of the coast’s most beautiful stretches for 13 miles to Cape Alava and the trail to Lake Ozette.

John Nelson is a freelance writer based in Seattle. Read his blog at SkiZer.org.