How to Use This Guide

The primary intent of this guide is to provide information that will help hikers choose day hikes and backpacking trips according to their desires and abilities, as well as to provide a detailed description of the trail system for interpretation of the natural features found along the trails. This guide is intended to be used in conjunction with topographic maps, which can be purchased at ranger stations, local gift and sporting goods stores, or through the U.S. Geological Survey. The most accurate topographic maps for the Olympic Peninsula belong to the Custom Correct® series, and they include mileages that have been proofed with a walking wheel. Addresses for map distributors can be found in appendix D. The appropriate quadrangle maps (several are usually required) are listed for each featured hike in this guidebook, and the corresponding Custom Correct® map appears in italics.

Each trail description begins with a statistical section describing the physical characteristics of the trail for quick and easy reference. Overall distance is listed in miles, and an overview describes the hike type: day hike, backpack, extended trip, or wilderness route. Extended trips cannot be reached by road, while wilderness routes represent abandoned trails and cross-country routes, where the only indication of a trail might be an occasional cairn. This description is followed by a difficulty rating. The difficulty rating can be interpreted as follows: Easy trails can be completed without difficulty by hikers of all abilities, hikes rated Moderate will challenge novices, Moderately Strenuous hikes will tax even experienced travelers, and Strenuous trails will push the physical limits of the most Herculean hiker.

The “Trail type” section is an index to the maintenance level and modes of transport allowed on the trail. Note that mountain bikes are banned from all wilderness and most national park trails. Primary trails are maintained early in the summer, and these trails are easy to find and have no obstructions to passage. Secondary trails have lower maintenance priority; hikers might expect to find downed timber on such a trail, and stock parties may have to duck under a few tree limbs. Both Foot and Primitive trails are open exclusively to hikers. The former are well maintained, while the latter are often faint and difficult to follow.

“Best season” provides an index of when the trail will generally be passable without special aids like crampons, ice axes, or skis. It does not necessarily reflect a schedule of trail maintenance, which varies unpredictably from year to year. This is a relative measure, and late snowstorms may delay the opening of a trail beyond the time published here. Indeed, during years of heavy snowfall, some of the later-opening trails may never become passable without ice axe and crampons. If there are higher-elevation sections of a “year-round” trail that will generally not be open until mid-June, that will be noted in this section. Use this guidebook to get a general feel for the dates when the trail is usually open, and check with local authorities before your trip to get the latest trail conditions.

After “Best season” comes information about elevation gain and loss, maximum elevation (altitude), the appropriate maps for the hike (see above), and driving directions to the trailhead.

The driving directions are followed by “The Hike,” a detailed interpretive description of the trail, including geologic and ecological features, fishing opportunities, campsites, and other important information. Photographs have been included to give the reader a visual preview of some of the prominent features seen along the trail. An elevation profile accompanies each trail description and provides a schematic look at the major elevation gains and losses incurred during the course of the trip.

Following the hike description are the “Key Points,” a mile-by-mile list of landmarks, trail junctions, and gradient changes. Distances were recently developed using a walking wheel, primarily by the author himself. These mileages are more reliable than the distances posted on current trail signs and maps, and these new measurements have been adopted as the official mileages of the national park and will appear on the new maps and trail signs as they are replaced over time.