Olympic Peninsula & Washington Coast - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 271

from the visitor center. There is also a short wheelchair-accessible nature trail through a
rainforest marsh.
The Hoh River Trail is the major entry trail into the wide, glacier-carved Hoh River
Valley. It is also the principal access route to Mt Olympus. The trail follows an easy
grade for 12 miles, and day-hikers can use it as a pleasant out-and-back excursion.
Queets River Valley HIKING
The Queets Corridor was added to the park in 1953 in an attempt to preserve one of the
peninsula's river valleys all the way from its glacial beginnings to the coast. It is one of
the park's least accessible areas.
The unpaved Queets River Rd leaves US 101 and almost immediately drops into the
national park. The road then follows the river for 13 miles before ending at Queets
Ranger Station ( 360-962-2283) . From here, there is one popular day hike - the gentle
3-mile Queets Campground Loop Trail .
Experienced or adventurous hikers can elect to ford the Queets River in late summer
or fall and explore the Queets Trail , which leads up the river for 15 miles before petering
out in heavy old-growth rainforest.
CLIMBING MT OLYMPUS
Mt Olympus (7965ft) is the Olympic National Park's highest and most commonly
climbed peak, though, due to extensive glaciers and fickle weather, ascents should
not be undertaken lightly. There are injuries and deaths every year, usually due to
falls into glacial crevasses or exposure during storms.
Access is via the Hoh Trail, which extends for 17 miles from the Hoh Rain Forest
Visitor Center to Glacier Meadows. The campground here is frequently used as a
base camp for ascents of the mountain. Much of the remaining climb is on glaciers
and along craggy escarpments. Most people make the ascent between June and
early September, although some begin as early as April. Guided climbs are avail-
able through various agencies. Try Mountain Madness ( 206-937-8389;
www.mountainmadness.com ), which is based out of Seattle and offers guided five-day
summit attempts starting from $1050.
Sleeping
Several holiday lodges can be found on the shores of Lake Quinault that cater to hikers,
fishers and families.