Cox Valley Trail, Olympic Nat’l Park

Cox Valley Trail [ref]For search-purposes: Park, literature may use the term “Cox Valley Primitive Trail”.[/ref] is a short (1.8 mi), deadend path set in the subalpine high-country of north-central . It is road-accessible, in summer. The is a small, undeveloped pullout located about 0.6 miles down the rudimentary , which begins near the north end …

Convulsion Canyon, Elwha River, Olympic Nat’l Park dramatic scene & events on the Elwha River

onvulsion Canyon is now an informal or ‘cultural’ name for a notable stretch or spot along the , in the .  It is immediately upstream of the popular and day-use areas, and is the bottom end of the Elwha’s . The steel suspension cable is strung between the cliffs at this spot, allowing the hiker …

Rica Canyon, Elwha River, Olympic Nat’l Park the Elwha River between Hurricane Hill and Mt Fitzhenry

ica Canyon is cut by the through an elevated bedrock formation between the southwest base of on the river’s right bank, and east flank of on the left bank.  It is incised mainly through sandstone and shale.  It is crowded hard up against the steep convex base of Hurricane (which can be examined at ), …

Lake Mills, Elwha River, Olympic Nat’l Park the upper former Elwha River reservoir

ake Mills was a more popular and better recreational venue than the more readily-accessible lower reservoir on the (), even though it was farther & slower to get to.   And Mills had more regulations and restrictions, because it was within , while the lower lake & dam were entirely outside the Park, and in legal …

Long Ridge Trail, Olympic Nat’l Park best view in interior Olympic National Park

ong Ridge Trail takes about 14 miles to ascend , from the . Dodger hosted the old Forest Service fire lookout, before this country was . Virtually the entirety of the interior valley is in view; along with eastern and southern peaks of the , and much of the to the west. Unlike most trails …

Upper Lake Mills Trail, Olympic Nat’l Park to the base of Rica Canyon

pper Lake Mills Trail leads 0.4 mile from the small roadside to the banks of the , in the .  The locale at the river coincides with the exit and termination of , which forms an impassable barrier to travel.  It looks like it could be a surviving, partially unmodified fragment of an ancient mountain …

Elwha River Trail, Elwha River, Olympic Nat’l Park thoroughfare of north-central Olympics

lwha River Trail is the northern half of the main north-south thoroughfare down the middle of the .  It’s 27.7 miles long, begining at the and ending at the junction with the . With the southern North Fork trail, the Elwha forms the main north-south through-route in the Park Sites along the Elwha include Camp …

Whiskey Bend Trailhead, Elwha River, Olympic Nat’l Park the Elwha River Trail entry

Note:  Since 2017 and continuing into 2021, the road going to Whiskey Bend Trailhead has been washed-out.  This means about 7 miles of walking on the road, to get to the trailhead. hiskey Bend Trailhead is an important starting point for both deep backcountry access into the , and for the very popular and day-hiking …

Geyser Valley, Elwha River, Olympic Nat’l Park day-hiking the Elwha River wilds

eyser Valley along with , its best-known locale, form an area at the beginning of the that is popular for day-hiking and easy, laid-back weekend camp-outs. Most people who come here just call the whole area Humes Ranch. It’s a real valley, which much of the Elwha River ‘valley’ is decidely not. There was once …

Humes Ranch, Elwha River, Olympic Nat’l Park old homestead on the Elwha River

umes Ranch is an old mountain homestead along the in the .   Many refer to the general environs and cultural-features complex, as ‘Humes Ranch’, although it’s only one part of it.  The homestead dates to around 1900; the had first been entered & traversed by Westerners, less than a decade earlier (by the ).   …