Directions: From Forks follow US 101 south for 15 miles and then turn left (east) on Hoh River Road. Follow the road 18 miles to ample parking at the Hoh Ranger Station and Visitor Center. The trailhead is adjacent to the ranger station.
Trail notes: Whether youre strolling several hundred yards into the velvety green drapery of the Hohs ethereal rain forest, or trekking 17 miles to the icy shoulders of Mount Olympus, the Hoh River Trail is a magical experience you wont soon forget Dont let the hefty mileage fool you: The first 13 miles of this trail are flat, easy walking through Hoh River Valley bottomlands. Day hikers can venture in as far as they please and pause for lunch beneath the canopy of almost ridiculously massive old-growth western red cedar, Douglas fir, bigleaf maple and Sitka spruce, all of which are draped with long, flowing beards of pea green moss. If you hike here in late autumn, youre likely to see ghostly figures emerging and disappearing in the forests murky fog. The Olympic Peninsulas largest herds of Roosevelt elk live here, roaming in large, silent clans.
Several miles up the trail, the leafy underbrush beneath the old-growth canopy gives way to rolling, tall grass meadows that stretch to the river. These river flats, particularly at established sites such as Happy Four Camp (5.75 miles) and the Olympus Guard Station (9.0 miles), make outstanding lunch stops or campsites. Beyond the guard station, the trail passes a junction with the Hoh Lake Trail. It then ascends at a breathtaking pace to Glacier Meadows (17.5 miles). Here, alongside a rocky moraine of the Blue Glacier, you find excellent campsites and unforgettable scenery. An open meadow, flooded in early summer with brilliant wildflowers, leads to the heavily crevassed Blue Glacier. It is the largest ice formation on Mount Olympus, the Olympic Peninsulas highest peak at 7,965 feet Side trails lead in several directions to equally impressive overlooks. This is the primary climbers access route to Olympus; it is best scaled before July, when glacier travel turns deadly.
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