Lake Crescent, the source of the Lyre River, lies 579 feet above sea level and forms a narrow arc at the northern edge of the Olympics. Almost 9 miles long and generally about a mile wide, the lake covers slightly more than 5000 acres, making it the third largest natural lake in western Washington. Originally called Lake Everett, in honor of John Everett, a Hudson’s Bay Company trapper who sought furs along its wooded shores, the lake was renamed because its form roughly resembles a crescent. The largest lake in the Olympic Mountains, it occupies a trough deepened during the Ice Age by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which moved westward down the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Except at its two ends, the lake has a precipitous shoreline, and it is bordered by steep, forest-clad mountains. On clear winter days, the snowy slopes cast silvery reflections in the intensely blue waters.
The lake is suited to various activities, including swimming, boating, fishing, and water skiing. At one time fishermen trolled its waters for the Beardslee trout, a variety of rainbow. This fish, named for Leslie A. Beardslee, its discoverer, was declared by ichthyologist David S. Jordan to be a new species. However, it no longer exists in a pure state because it has crossbred with hatchery-raised fish. The lake also contained the crescenti trout, a unique type of cutthroat, but it, too, has been hybridized.
Lake Crescent is paralleled on the south by Aurora Ridge, the divide between two rivers, the Lyre and the Soleduck; on the north by a lower ridge that culminates in Pyramid Mountain. Near the lake’s eastern end, Mount Storm King rises 4000 feet above the water. Mountain goats clamber on its cliffs, and it was here in the 1920s that the animals were introduced in the Olympics. Since then they have spread throughout the mountains.
About a dozen creeks flow into the lake from the bordering ridges and keep the water level constant. Barnes Creek, the largest, has built a small delta at its mouth. The lake has its outlet in the Lyre River, which flows from the northernmost point to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, only 5 miles distant.
Geologists believe that the lake originally drained to the Elwha, via Indian Creek, but that a slide pinched off the eastern part (thus creating Lake Sutherland) and the drainage was then diverted to the north, via the Lyre River.
Among the first settlers on Lake Crescent were Sarah Barnes and Paul Barnes, mother and brother of Charles A. Barnes, who was second in command of the Press Expedition. They settled on the delta of Barnes Creek in the 1890s, and in later years other members of the family established homesteads at various points on the lake.
Several roads provide access to the trails near Lake Crescent. At one time ferries plied up and down the lake, but they disappeared with the building of the Olympic Highway along the south shore. Trails begin at various points and climb to the nearby peaks and ridges. (Several of the trails are also accessible from roads leading to Olympic Hot Springs and Sol Duc Hot Springs. See road descriptions in the Elwha and Soleduck chapters.)
Olympic Highway (US 101). This highway loops around the Olympic Mountains on the three seaward sides—Hood Canal, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Pacific Ocean. The road cuts through the northern edge of the mountains at Lake Crescent, making that district—together with Hurricane Ridge—the most accessible part of Olympic National Park.
Within the park the highway parallels the lake’s southern shore. Numerous turnouts are provided where one can stop and look at the vistas. At various times in the past, conservationists proposed building an alternate route outside the national park for commercial traffic, thus reserving the road along the lake as a scenic parkway, where people could drive slowly and enjoy the views. Unfortunately, the proposals came to naught, and in 1982 the State Highway Department began widening and straightening the highway in order that commercial vehicles and logging trucks could travel at a higher rate of speed.
Distances on US 101 from downtown Port Angeles to the Lake Crescent area are as follows: Elwha River, 8.5 mi/13.7 km; Piedmont Road, 15.9 mi/25.6 km; Storm King Ranger Station, 19.6 mi/31.6 km; Aurora Creek Trail, 22.4 mi/36.1 km; La Poel Picnic Area, 23.9 mi/38.5 km; Fairholm Resort, at the western end of the lake, 26.6 mi/42.8 km; North Shore Road, 26.8 mi/43.1 km; Soleduck River Road, 28.5 mi/45.9 km.
Piedmont Road. This road begins on the Olympic Highway, 15.9 mi/25.6 km west of Port Angeles, climbs slightly, then descends to the eastern end of Lake Crescent, where it crosses into the national park. The road winds along the lake’s northern shore to Piedmont (3.1 mi/5.0 km) and the Log Cabin Resort. At 3.3 mi/5.3 km the road forks: the Boundary Creek Road branches to the left; the Piedmont Road continues to the right.
Boundary Creek Road. The road begins at Piedmont, 3.3 mi/5.3 km from US 101, and crosses the Lyre River to a spur road (0.7 mi/1.1 km), then angles right and enters the national forest. The spur road leads left (0.2 mi/0.3 km) to a parking area at the eastern terminus of the Spruce Railroad Trail.
North Shore Road. This road begins at a junction with the Olympic Highway, just beyond Fairholm Resort, near the western end of Lake Crescent. The road provides access to Fairholm Campground and its nature trail, the Pyramid Mountain Trail, and the Spruce Railroad Trail. The road ends at a turnaround (4.8 mi/7.7 km).
Length 4.0 mi/6.4 km
Access North Shore Road; Boundary Creek Road
USGS Map Lake Crescent
Agency Olympic National Park
This is a good trail to hike during the winter, and it is unique in the Olympics because it follows an old railroad grade, that of the Spruce Railroad, about 600 feet above sea level, along the north shore of Lake Crescent. During World War I, the government built the railroad from Port Angeles to the west side of the Olympic Peninsula in order to obtain spruce to use in airplane construction.
Snow often covers the peaks and ridges in the winter, and on cloudy days the lake is slate-colored, but the views are excellent, and the friendly ducks—hungry now that the tourists have departed—will approach you and engage in a bit of panhandling. (Officially, the park does not encourage the feeding of any wild animals.) During the summer, ticks are abundant and can be a problem. So too, the poison oak. In fact, this is one of the few places in the Olympics where both ticks and poison oak are encountered.
The trail starts just off the Boundary Creek Road near the lake’s outlet and climbs away from the water, going by the remnants of an old orchard. The path turns onto an abandoned logging road and follows it briefly, then descends to the grade of the Spruce Railroad. The trail now keeps close to the shore, where it provides frequent views of the lake and the forested peaks, including Mount Storm King. On the trail’s uphill side the slopes are clad with dark, somber conifers. After rounding Harrigan Point, the trail goes by the north end of a tunnel, the first of two on the route. Because the tunnel has collapsed, it is choked with debris, and the entrance can be easily overlooked.
As it traverses the cliffs to avoid the tunnel, the trail climbs slightly to round Devils Point (1.1 mi/1.8 km), which has splendid views up, down, and across the lake, and is deeply indented by a little bay or cove called Devils Punch Bowl. This is the most picturesque spot on the route. The cliffs of pillow basalt come down precipitously to the water, and the lake is deep near the shore. The trail crosses the cove via a steel and wood bridge that arches over the water to the next jutting headland. The rock walls bordering the bay are decorated with mosses, ferns, and stonecrop.
Beyond the bridge, the trail skirts basalt cliffs at the lake’s edge, then passes the tunnel’s south entrance and returns to the railroad grade. A little creek (1.5 mi/2.4 km) that cascades down the slopes of Pyramid Mountain is the only stream of consequence on the trail. At various places the path goes by basalt cliffs 150 to 200 feet high, where madronas cling to the barren rocks. All along this section the trail has numerous “windows” among the trees. The views they provide across the lake are better during the winter and spring, before the leaves develop on the deciduous trees.
One can see through the second tunnel (2.9 mi/4.7 km), but the floor is blocked by large timbers, and warning signs indicate it is dangerous to walk through because rocks fall from the roof. At any rate, the hiker should not miss the view from the trail around this point, which is directly opposite the delta of Barnes Creek. Here the lake is narrow—not more than a half mile wide—and one can see Lake Crescent Lodge and the cabins on the far shore.
Beyond the second tunnel the trail once again follows the railroad grade, going through a mixture of second-growth and virgin timber, mostly stands of Douglas-fir, where more windows are present. The trail then leaves the railroad grade and descends to the end of the North Shore Road (4.0 mi/6.4 km).
Length 0.8 mi/1.1 km
Access North Shore Road
USGS Map Mount Muller
Agency Olympic National Park
This nature trail provides a good evening walk when one is staying at Fairholm Campground. The path begins opposite the campground’s entrance (ca. 700 ft/213 m) on the North Shore Road (0.2 mi/0.3 km from US 101) and makes a horseshoe-shaped loop, coming back out to the road at a point about 200 yards to the north (0.7 mi/1.1 km).
Although the trail traverses an area close to the Olympic Highway, the forest is quiet and peaceful. Here the path meanders through an impressive stand of tall, old-growth Douglas-fir. The undergrowth is luxuriant, and smaller trees are mixed among the big firs.
Length 3.5 mi/5.6 km
Access North Shore Road
USGS Map Lake Crescent
Agency Olympic National Park
The trailhead (700 ft/213 m) is reached by driving 3.1 mi/5.0 km on the North Shore Road from the Olympic Highway. The path is continuously uphill, ending at the top of Pyramid Mountain, thus making it a 2400-ft/732-m climb. On this trail you can hear the noise of vehicles traveling on US 101 along the lake’s south shore.
At first the trail ascends a bench covered with large second-growth fir, but it soon enters the virgin forest and contours the steep mountainside above Lake Crescent. The trunks of the tall, slender firs have been blackened by a fire that swept these slopes in the past. Numerous madronas grow among the conifers, and the ground cover consists largely of salal and Oregon grape. Sunlight streams through the trees, and one has glimpses of the lake and the ridges beyond.
Climbing steadily, the trail crosses a rocky watercourse, where a stream flows underground in late summer and fall. Usually water can be heard issuing from rocks above the trail at a point where the stream comes to the surface. This is June Creek (1.4 mi/2.3 km; 1070 ft/326 m). The stream probably received its name because it flows during June but disappears in July.
The trail then crosses a brook in a rocky ravine and presently comes out to an open spot having a good view of the lake. Beyond this point the route steepens, rounds a spur, then switchbacks sharply upward to the divide west of Pyramid Mountain. Here the hiker will see on the north slope a big clearcut that comes right up to the ridge crest; the contrast with past memory is striking, because the forest that formerly stood here was dense and shaded. The ridge marks the boundary between the national park and the national forest, and the trees were cut right to the line. The clearcut does have one virtue—it provides a view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
After climbing a bit, the trail leaves the ridge and works its way up the north slope of Pyramid Mountain. The trees are remarkably large for this elevation, and the undergrowth is sparse. The trail begins to switchback again, then descends slightly before emerging from the deep shadows into the bright sunlight on the ridge. Much of Lake Crescent is visible from the open, sunny spot here. Directly ahead stands the summit lookout, which was used during World War II as an aircraft spotting station.
The trail follows the narrow ridge to the cabin, which sits upon an airy perch (3.5 mi/5.6 km; 3100 ft/945 m). The vista is outstanding—an excellent view of Lake Crescent and the hills beyond, with Lake Sutherland glimmering in the distance. However, the scene is dominated by Mount Storm King and complemented by the blue-green slopes of Aurora Ridge to the south. One has only to glance downward to see the delta of Barnes Creek far below, protruding into the lake.
Hikers should use care when moving around outside the cabin to check the different viewpoints because the slopes of the peak drop sharply on the north and east sides.
Length 9.4 mi/15.1 km (last 5.5 mi/8.8 km not maintained)
Access US 101
USGS Maps Lake Crescent; Lake Sutherland
Agency Olympic National Park
The Barnes Creek Trail begins near the Storm King Ranger Station and Visitor Center on the delta of Barnes Creek, close to the south shore of Lake Crescent. This trail follows the stream almost 10 miles to its headwaters on Baldy Ridge. Only the first half is maintained; the latter part has more or less been abandoned. Together with a short side path leading to Marymere Falls, the first half mile of the Barnes Creek Trail forms a self-guiding nature walk that is popular with travelers who drive along the shores of Lake Crescent. This section of the path is paved, and it is broad and smooth as it parallels Barnes Creek and meanders among giant firs and cedars. When hikers on the trail approach US 101, they will hear the noise made by vehicular traffic and regret the broken solitude. The trail crosses beneath the highway where a bridge spans the creek, and the traffic sounds are soon left behind and quickly forgotten. This valley is especially beautiful during the fall when the enormous leaves of the maples and devil’s clubs turn golden yellow.
Beyond junctions with the Mount Storm King Trail (0.4 mi/0.6 km) and the Marymere Falls Trail (0.5 mi/0.8 km), the way narrows, becoming a typical Olympic footpath about 18 inches wide. The route parallels Barnes Creek through a narrow valley where the forest is primarily Douglas-fir and western hemlock, with a ground cover of ferns. Here the chatter of the stream is always present. During the first few miles, the undergrowth is luxuriant, and the path crosses numerous little brooks; thus water is always available.
The trail is not level; it goes up and down, but ascends more than it descends, crossing Barnes Creek via foot logs at the low points. The path then crosses a large tributary. Here it penetrates dense thickets of salmonberry and devil’s club.
The trail now begins to switchback up the mountain, and the creek roars lustily far below. Upon reaching a point opposite a slope where slides have occurred, the trail veers away from Barnes Creek, then levels out as it approaches Dismal Draw Camp (3.5 mi/5.6 km; 1700 ft/518 m), where a little brook flows down a dark and gloomy defile.
Despite its name, this is a pleasant camp. The silence of the deep woods is broken by the subdued murmur of the brook, the croaking of ravens, and the wind whispering in the hemlocks and cedars. The campsite is a tiny shelf below the trail, barely large enough for two small tents.
As it ascends Dismal Draw, which is almost always in the shade, the trail crosses the brook and returns to the Barnes Creek side of the spur. Once again the stream can be heard, but it is muffled now and sounds like the clatter of a distant train. The forest is so dense that virtually nothing grows upon the ground except moss. The trees are small, the stands cluttered with dead broomsticks—saplings that perished in the struggle for sunlight. Scattered among them are many snags and a few large firs that were blackened near the ground by the fire which destroyed the virgin timber.
The trail climbs steadily as it makes a long traverse—where Mount Storm King is visible through the trees—then crosses an avalanche path. Barnes Creek is now hidden in the depths of its canyon, but the hiker can look across and up the valley to Baldy Ridge. Upon entering the forest again, the trail comes to a junction with the Aurora Divide Trail (3.9 mi/6.3 km; 1500 ft/457 m).
Beyond this point the upper Barnes Creek Trail, which continues to the left, has not been maintained, and the path—almost obliterated by young trees and windfalls—is often covered with moss. The experienced hiker will have no difficulty following the route, but it should be avoided by the novice. Many logs lie across the trail, and one is constantly climbing over or crawling under them. All through this section the route traverses splendid stands of Douglas-fir. The path then crosses Lizard Head Creek (6.1 mi/9.8 km; 1830 ft/558 m). Beyond this stream the forest is mostly western hemlock, but as the trail approaches Happy Lake Creek, which flows in a deep ravine, the route again goes through stands of Douglas-fir. The trail crosses the creek at the site of an old camp (6.8 mi/10.9 km; 2075 ft/632 m). Four logs arranged in a square mark the spot where a cabin once stood.
The trail ascends a spur, then parallels the upper reaches of Barnes Creek. After crossing the stream, the path climbs sharply upward, then forks (9.1 mi/14.7 km; 4800 ft/1463 m). The right branch ends about a hundred yards distant in a stand of stunted western hemlock, approximately at the national park boundary on the divide between Barnes Creek and Hughes Creek. The left branch, commonly called Lookout Dome Way, climbs to Lookout Dome (9.4 mi/15.1 km; 5090 ft/1551 m). The trail switchbacks sharply upward to the base of the domelike rock, where one can look down Hughes Creek toward the Elwha River. Baldy Ridge, to the northeast, exhibits outcrops of barren basalt.
The trail goes left, around the rock’s base, then up the easy back side to the summit. Here a few sprawling juniper bushes have managed to survive, as well as a lone subalpine fir that stands like a sentinel, buffeted by the wind. The east side of the dome is a vertical wall about 300 feet high, and hikers not subject to vertigo can look almost straight down into the tops of tall trees growing directly below. The view includes the vista down Barnes Creek toward Lake Crescent, and the ridge to the south, but the eye is drawn to the rough cliffs of Baldy Ridge, where hawks ride the wind as they search for prey in the timber below.
Length 2.8 mi/4.5 km
Access Barnes Creek Trail
USGS Maps Lake Crescent; Lake Sutherland
Agency Olympic National Park
One of the most popular paths in the northern Olympics, this trail overlooks Lake Crescent as it climbs about two-thirds of the way up the west ridge of Mount Storm King, a peak composed of basalt.
The trail begins at a junction (700 ft/213 m) with the Barnes Creek Trail, 0.4 mi/0.6 km from Storm King Ranger Station. The path doesn’t fiddle around with tentative uphill starts but climbs sharply through stands of tall Douglas-fir, where the ground is covered with ferns and moss. As it switchbacks up the mountainside, the trail ascends to successive vantage points that provide ever-changing vistas of Lake Crescent, Aurora Ridge, and the valley of Barnes Creek. Fog often lies over the lake in the morning, but when the afternoon sun slants low, softening the shadows, the water loses its vivid blue color, changing to slate gray. Log trucks roar along the lake’s southern shore, their grinding motors breaking the otherwise somber stillness.
Upon gaining the western spurs of Mount Storm King, the trail ascends a steep “hogback,” switchbacking to several overlooks. The noise made by the logging trucks becomes pronounced, seemingly magnified rather than lessened by the increased altitude.
At one viewpoint a warning sign indicates it is dangerous to go farther. The trail does not end here, but inexperienced hikers should not proceed beyond this point. Beyond the viewpoint the ascent of Mount Storm King involves scrambling up rotten rock on a narrow ridge. The path becomes progressively steeper, then vanishes at a jutting promontory (2.8 mi/4.5 km; ca. 4265 ft/1300 m). Bordered by steep, forest-clad mountains, Lake Crescent sweeps across the line of sight. Pyramid Mountain stands to the northwest, Aurora Ridge to the southwest, with the valley of Barnes Creek lying at the foot of the mountain. Across the valley the mountainside is a series of uniform spurs between creeks that flow parallel to one another and at right angles to Barnes Creek. This is an excellent example of a trellis drainage pattern.
Length 0.2 mi/0.3 km
Access Barnes Creek Trail
USGS Map Lake Crescent
Agency Olympic National Park
The Marymere Falls Trail leaves the Barnes Creek Trail 0.5 mi/0.8 km from the Storm King Ranger Station. Together with the first part of the Barnes Creek path, it forms a self-guiding nature trail that is popular during the summer with casual visitors.
The path first crosses Barnes Creek and Falls Creek, then ascends the opposite slope to Marymere Falls (0.2 mi/0.3 km), forming a loop at the end that leads to two vantage points. The vistas overlook a saucer-shaped basin at the foot of an abrupt wall. At this point Falls Creek plunges through a notch in the cliff to form the 90-foot-high falls. The water drops vertically about half the distance; then, striking a slanting ledge, ribbons down the rock face to a small hollow at the bottom. Ferns and mosses decorate the rock walls on either side.
This attraction was originally called Meremere Falls, but the name was changed many years ago to honor Mary Alice Barnes, sister of Charles A. Barnes, a member of the Press Expedition.
Length 5.6 mi/9.0 km
Access Barnes Creek Trail; Aurora Ridge Trail; Happy Lake Ridge Trail
USGS Maps Lake Sutherland; Mount Carrie
Agency Olympic National Park
This trail connects a lowland path, the Barnes Creek Trail, with two upland ones, the Aurora Ridge Trail and the Happy Lake Ridge Trail. The path begins 3.9 mi/6.3 km up the Barnes Creek Trail from Lake Crescent, at 1500 ft/457 m elevation.
The route parallels an unnamed creek that flows in a deep ravine, the trail at first ascending through stands of Douglas-fir and western hemlock having little or no undergrowth. The forest is quiet, the silence broken now and then by the hoarse croaking of ravens. One can see, across the ravine to the left, where avalanches have knocked down a number of trees.
The climb is gradual, but steady, via long switchbacks, and as elevation is gained the Douglas-fir is replaced by silver fir. Near the ridge crest the terrain becomes less precipitous, and a dense undergrowth is present.
As it switchbacks upward, the trail crosses an avalanche track several times. The slide zone is covered with thick growths of salmonberry, willow, huckleberry, devil’s club, and baneberry. The trail then climbs to a campsite (3.2 mi/5.0 km; 4200 ft/1280 m) where water is available. The forest is thinner here, and huckleberry bushes grow beneath the trees. The path goes by a couple of ponds, then meanders through moss-covered boulders and crosses the divide—Aurora Ridge or Happy Lake Ridge, whichever one chooses to call it. (This is near the indefinite point where one ridge becomes the other.) The trail then intersects the Aurora Ridge Trail (3.6 mi/5.8 km; 4750 ft/1448 m).
The trail climbs up and down as it follows Happy Lake Ridge, either traversing along the crest or on one side or the other. Here it alternates between forest and meadowland. The trees consist of subalpine fir, mountain hemlock, and silver fir; the wildflowers include lupines, gentians, mountain azalea, daisies, and thistles. Hikers should keep alert because the tread deteriorates and often disappears in the meadows. One should watch for signs of the trail or note on the tree trunks bits of orange-colored tape which indicate the way.
On this exposed divide, one can hear the wind in the trees—murmuring softly on quiet summer days, howling during wild autumn storms. At one point the trail dips a bit, and one can see, to the left, the steep pyramid of Lizard Head Peak (5370 ft/1637 m). The trail then enters a dense stand of subalpine fir. The tall trunks rise to a considerable height without limbs, and the crowns are festooned with lichen.
Eventually the trail comes out on a slope where the sound of a stream—a tributary of the North Fork Soleduck—rises faintly from below. The path continues down the ridge, and one can look to the right into the headwaters of the North Fork Soleduck or to the left across the Barnes Creek watershed and the valley of Lizard Head Creek. During late September, Boletus edulis, a prized mushroom, can sometimes be gathered here.
Again the trail follows the narrow spine, at times through stands of subalpine fir and mountain hemlock, where gentians bloom beneath the contorted trees. Then, coming out into another meadow, the trail ends at a junction with the Happy Lake Ridge Trail (5.6 mi/9.0 km; 4950 ft/1509 m), where the latter departs its namesake ridge to follow an unnamed divide to Boulder Lake. This is not only confusing but also illogical, but the trails in the Olympics do not always follow a logical course.
Length 2.5 mi/4.0 km
Access US 101
USGS Map Lake Crescent
Agency Olympic National Park
One of the steepest paths in the Olympics, this trail begins on US 101 on the south side of Lake Crescent, 2.8 mi/4.5 km west of the Storm King Ranger Station. Although parking space has not been provided at the trailhead, one can use the nearby turnouts along the highway.
The trail ascends the spur between Aurora Creek and Smith Creek, climbing above the lake through Douglas-fir forest. At first the noise of traffic is pronounced, but with increasing elevation the sound diminishes. Occasionally the hiker can glimpse Lake Crescent through the trees.
The path climbs unrelentingly along the narrow spine. The trees gradually become smaller, and western hemlock is dominant at the higher altitudes. One can hear Aurora Creek flowing in a deep draw to the right, and a sign at a branch trail (1.7 mi/2.7 km) indicates water is available. The side path drops to the creek, the only place on this route where water can be obtained.
Beyond this point silver fir gradually replaces Douglas-fir, and the hemlocks stand so thick on the mountainside that little direct sunlight penetrates the forest canopy; consequently, undergrowth is sparse, in many places nonexistent. The gloom is unrelieved, even on the brightest days, and the darkness is depressing.
Higher up, the trail goes through dense stands of mountain hemlock and silver fir as it more or less follows the narrow ridge, shifting back and forth from one side to the other, like a lost dog looking for its master, and occasionally going along the crest. Here the mountain hemlocks often form clusters of six to ten trees.
After skirting a rock outcrop, the trail crosses Aurora Ridge, then descends slightly on the south side to a junction with the Aurora Ridge Trail (2.5 mi/4.0 km; 4100 ft/1250 m).
Length 16.0 mi/25.8 km
Access US 101
USGS Maps Lake Crescent; Lake Sutherland
Agency Olympic National Park
This trail follows the divide between the Soleduck and Lyre Rivers. Although it begins on the Soleduck, it is more closely allied to the Lyre and therefore has been included in this section.
Beginning 2.5 mi/4.0 km south of US 101 on the Soleduck River Road (see Soleduck chapter for road description), the trail climbs to Aurora Ridge, then follows the watershed until the path merges with the Aurora Divide Trail, where Aurora Ridge becomes Happy Lake Ridge. (The change in terminology is arbitrary because the ridge is unbroken; thus it reflects man’s penchant for classifying geographic features into ever smaller units.) The ridge does not rise above timberline, but the route crosses meadows that provide excellent views. Because this trail is not one of the popular “beaten paths,” the hiker is more apt to find solitude here than on most trails that are close to roads.
Beyond the parking area (1150 ft/351 m), the trail follows an abandoned logging road bordered by colonnades of tall alders. This area, logged before the national park was created, is now covered with second-growth forest. The trail crosses several brooks here, then leaves the logging road and enters virgin forest, consisting mostly of Douglas-fir. When the ridge crest is attained, one can see, through the trees, sky below on either side and hear logging trucks operating in the nearby Olympic National Forest. The trail now follows the rounded crest of Aurora Ridge, through dense stands of western hemlock and silver fir, to a junction (5.5 mi/8.9 km; 3700 ft/1128 m) with a path that leads left to the Eagle Lakes, the source of Eagle Creek.
The spur trail climbs a bit, then drops sharply, ending at the largest lake (0.6 mi/1.0 km; 3075 ft/937 m). Bordered by tall conifers, it lies on a bench, and a stream flows into it from the south. The second lake, slightly lower in elevation and to the north, is little more than a long, narrow pothole half-filled with silt and aquatic plants. The third and smallest lake is located still farther down the slope.
Beyond the Eagle Lakes, the Aurora Ridge Trail meanders through stands of silver fir, western hemlock, and Douglas-fir, then makes a gradual ascent, no longer on the ridge top but traversing the steep south side. Once again the hiker may hear trucks and, through openings, view logging operations in the national forest. The trail then returns to the ridge, where one can look to either side. Here the forest consists mostly of true firs, and the undergrowth is sparse. On the south slope of Sourdough Mountain, the trail crosses a big meadow overgrown with juniper, ferns, lupine, huckleberry, and wild strawberry. The beautiful view here includes Mount Olympus, Mount Tom, and intervening forested ridges, as well as the vista up the North Fork Soleduck.
Sourdough Camp (8.5 mi/13.7 km; 4550 ft/1387 m) is located north of the trail in a little meadow just beyond the big one. The shelter that once stood here is nothing but a heap of ruins today. This camp is not inviting because the terrain is not level and water is scarce, although a nearby path leads to a ravine where it can be found in early summer.
The trail now begins a long, ascending traverse of a steep sidehill, then switchbacks down to a brackish pond and a meadow marked by snags with bleached trunks. A tiny stream crosses the trail here.
Beyond the junction with Aurora Creek Trail (11.0 mi/17.7 km; 4100 ft/1250 m), located in a thick stand of silver fir, the trail descends a bit, crosses a little meadow, where Mount Olympus is once again visible, then climbs toward Aurora Peak. Skirting just below the summit, the trail contours to Aurora Spring (12.0 mi/19.3 km; 4450 ft/1357 m). The tiny rivulet emerges from the bottom of a slope covered by meadowland and subalpine firs. The spot is too swampy for camping, but tents can be pitched on the ridge above.
East of Aurora Spring, patches of forest, which extend to the ridge crest, alternate with a succession of ever larger meadows, from where one can see for miles. Most of the time the trail traverses the south slope of Aurora Ridge, but now and then it follows the narrow divide or drops into the mountain hemlock forest on the north slope. At various points one can look up and down the North Fork Soleduck and glimpse, beyond intervening timbered ridges, the snowy peaks of Olympus, Tom, Carrie, and Appleton. The view to the north includes the valley of Barnes Creek. Occasionally, part of Lake Crescent is visible, but generally it is hidden by Mount Storm King.
One is most impressed, however, by the vista of the North Fork Soleduck. The river is not visible, hidden in the dense forest, but the beautiful scene down the valley includes truncated spurs that appear to alternately overlap each other, like shingles, as they extend toward the stream from the bordering ridges, thus creating through the forest a zigzag line that marks the river’s course. The valley is heavily timbered, and the view of virgin forest, unmarred by fire, logging, or road building, is one of the finest in the national park, comparable on a lesser scale to what a more famous vista was like before it was impaired by logging—the view from Kloochman Rock, overlooking the Queets Valley (see Kloochman Rock Trail).
This stretch of trail is particularly delightful during Indian summer in late September and October. The ice on Mount Olympus glitters in the soft, pale sunlight, the wind whispers in the clumps of subalpine firs on the ridge, and the tall meadow grasses undulate restlessly with every vagrant breeze.
Beyond the last meadow the trail traverses dense forests of silver fir to a junction with the Aurora Divide Trail (16.0 mi/25.8 km; 4750 ft/1448 m).
