Geyser Valley along with Humes Ranch, its best-known locale, form an area at the beginning of the Elwha River Trail 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 a complex of homesteads here with small fields, orchards, barns, and at least one rustic lodge. Only a couple cabins remains standing, but the landscape is as inviting as ever.
The Valley begins a mere 1.1 miles up the main Elwha trail, albeit a few hundred feet up on the side of the mountain, and extends along a scant couple miles of river. There is a figure-8 loop-network of official trails, with the one long leg staying well up on the slope, while 3 connectors drop down to the lower leg along the river banks. There are many comfortable and roomy campsites in the bottoms, and interesting settings galore to explore.
Off the upper main trail, the Long Ridge Trail branches off and cuts down behind Humes Ranch, forming part of the local loop-net. It is headed for the upper end of the Valley, where it crosses the river on a miniature Golden Gate-style steel-cable & pylon suspension bridge, strung dramatically between the cliffs at the base of the gorge that forms the upper terminous of Geyser. On the other side of the bridge, a now largely destroyed trail branches off downstream, intended to serve Anderson Ranch.
The far side of the river & valley, with maybe there or maybe gone trail-fragments and wispy way-paths is wilder than the main trail side. Fewer folks get far on the other side, and nothing is maintained, official or documented. There is a good deal of flat river-bottom land over there though, with thickets and pioneer stands of trees on the sometime-shifting & eroding riverine deposits. And if one keeps at it, Anderson Ranch is a very comfortable & expansive camping & exploring destination.
Perhaps the ultimate prize of bushwacking the far side of Geyser Valley, is that Anderson Ranch is the only place from which the coveted full-frontal photograph of Goblins Gate can be obtained. And it’s only a couple miles of messy but flat travel.