Directions:
Enter through the north side of Olympic National Park, drive up Hurricane Ridge Road. Pass the Visitor's Center, park at end of road.
Trail Description:
The first 0.5 miles of trail is paved while the rest of the trail is gravel or dirt. There are no guard rails & you will be hiking along the side of cliffs part of the way. The visitor's center is at 5,200 ft, the top of the trail/look out is 5,757 ft. It's fairly difficult if you don't do well in those altitudes, especially due to the steep grade but there are plenty of places to take a break including a few strategically placed park benches. A good time to go is the evening before the sun sets because that's when a lot of the wildlife comes out - but I would recommend leaving yourself enough time to drive down Hurricane Ridge Road while it's still light out. We saw lots of deer, a black bear, Olympic marmots, bunnies, chipmunks... Even on a beautiful summer day there aren't a whole lot of people hiking up to the top, probably due to the elevation & grade. On a really clear day they say you can see Port Angeles & the Straight of Juan de Fuca but there were clouds blocking our view. Regardless, it was a beautiful view even with the clouds, great photo ops, & worth the hike. Wear layered clothing & warm clothing. Even with the sun out it's still quite cold at those elevations.
|
.jpg)
