Olympic Peninsula & Washington Coast - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 263

wallips River Rd terminates at the ranger station 15 miles from US 101, where hiking
trails begin.
Staircase HIKING
Staircase is another favorite entrance for hikers, and is popular with families, anglers and
boaters bound for nearby Lake Cushman State Park. The Staircase Ranger Station (
360-877-5569; May-Sep) is just inside the park boundary, 16 miles from US 101 and the
small town of Hoodsport.
The trail system here follows the drainage of the North Fork Skokomish River, which
is flanked by some of the most rugged peaks in the Olympics. The principal long-dis-
tance trail is the North Fork Skokomish Trail , which leads up this heavily forested val-
ley, eventually crossing into the Duckabush River valley to intercept other transpark trail
systems. Ambitious day-hikers might consider following this trail 3.7 miles to the Flap-
jack Lakes Trail , an easy 4-mile climb up to several small lakes that shimmer beneath
the crags of the Sawtooth peaks.
A popular short hike follows the south bank of the North Fork Skokomish River
through lush old-growth forest along the Staircase Rapids Loop Trail . Continue up the
trail a short distance to the Rapids Bridge, which crosses over to the North Fork Skokom-
ish Trail and makes for a nice 2-mile loop.
PARK IN THE PARKS WITH A DISCOVER PASS
To balance state budget cuts, a user cost is now in place that supports the agen-
cies that protect and manage Washington state's wilderness areas. At state parks,
many natural and wildlife areas, water-access points, trails and recreation sites
you'll be asked to display a Discover Pass on your car's dashboard that costs $10
for the day or $30 for the year. Discover Passes are available from vending ma-
chines at many of the larger parking areas (these accept credit cards) or you can
search for a vendor by location on the website at www.discoverpass.wa.gov . Don't
get caught without one - the penalty is $99!
Sleeping
Dosewallips State Park CAMPGROUND$
MAP