18 Mount Angeles

A 5.2-mile day hike from the Hurricane Ridge visitor center to the Third Peak parking area, including a side trip to the crest of Klahhane Ridge.

Difficulty: Moderate (west to east).

Trail type: Foot.

Best season: Mid-June to mid-October.

Elevation gain: 1,270 feet (to ridgetop).

Elevation loss: 2,120 feet (includes ridgetop).

Maximum elevation: 5,850 feet (atop Klahhane Ridge).

Topo maps: Mount Angeles; Custom Correct Hurricane Ridge.

Finding the trailhead: From Port Angeles, drive 17.6 miles south on Hurricane Ridge Road to the visitor center atop the ridge. The trail departs from the northeast corner of the parking lot.

The Hike

This hike can be combined with the Klahhane Ridge Loop for a hike to Heart o’ the Hills, or it can be taken as a semi-loop from the Hurricane Ridge visitor center to the Third Peak trailhead, midway down Hurricane Ridge Road. The trip begins in the complex of paved nature trails on Hurricane Ridge. Follow the High Ridge Trail northeastward as it climbs through alpine meadows. The junction with the Mount Angeles Trail is just beyond the first knob on the ridgetop. This path rises and falls, tracking the ridgetop northeastward through alpine meadows interrupted by stands of perfectly conical subalpine firs. There are wildflowers of all varieties here, highlighted by lupines, larkspurs, bistorts, and a magenta variety of paintbrush that is endemic to the Olympics. To the south lies a sea of snowcapped peaks. The rugged Bailey Range partially screens Mount Olympus to the southwest, while Steeple Rock rises in front of Elk Mountain farther east.

When the trail reaches the base of Mount Angeles, an unmarked climber’s trail shoots straight up toward the summit. Bear right as the trail runs beneath the twisted basalt spires that guard the flanks of the peak. The path soon makes a shallow descent to intercept the Switchback Trail. Dedicated hikers will want to climb up to the saddle in Klahhane Ridge, which overlooks a nameless basin guarded by rugged ridges. There is a good possibility of sighting wildlife here: Marmots, chipmunks, mountain goats, and black bears are often seen in the basin or among the rocks above it. Hardy alpine plants like spreading phlox and creeping penstemon brighten the rockscape. Visitors who are pressed for time can hike directly down the Switchback Trail to regain the road, cutting off the extra 1.9 miles of the spur trip to the ridgetop and back.

Key Points

0.0Hurricane Ridge trailhead.

0.4Mount Angeles Trail departs from High Ridge Trail.

2.2Way trail toward summit. Bear right.

2.7Junction with Switchback Trail. Turn left for Klahhane Ridge.

3.6Junction with Klahhane Ridge Loop.

5.2Trail reaches Hurricane Ridge Road at Third Peak parking area.

Looking along Hurricane Ridge toward Mount Angeles