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Backpack - Tubal Cain Mine & Buckhorn Lake

Two glorious days to celebrate the end of summer and welcome the coming of fall. The days were dry, mostly sunny, and just shy of 70º. Our group was very compatible and the scenery is magnificent.

Steve Townsend Steve Townsend
September 08, 2023
  • Road rough but passable

  •    The access to the TH requires some careful driving and navigation. Study your route carefully before leaving home and give yourself 90 minutes to drive from Hwy 101 to the TH.

       From Highway 101, turn west onto Louella Road just south of Sequim Bay State Park. In 0.9 miles, turn left on Palo Alto Road. Travel 5.5 miles, then turn right onto FS Road 2880. In another quarter mile, turn right again to remain on FS-2880, heading downhill. A sign warns, “Narrow Road. Not recommended for trailers or motor homes”. Cross a bridge, pass Dungeness Forks Campground, and then a scant mile later go straight, following the sign to “Dungeness Area Trails”. Travel 2.4 miles, then turn right onto FS-2870. Go another 4.8 miles and turn left to remain on FS-2870. In a mile and a half, cross a bridge, pass the Dungeness Trails trailhead, and drive the remaining 3.5 miles to the parking lot, for a total of 21 miles from US 101. There is room for a dozen vehicles, plus additional shoulder parking. There are no trailhead amenities.

Tubal Cain Trip Report

Two glorious days to celebrate the end of summer and welcome the coming of fall. The days were dry, mostly sunny, and just shy of 70º. Our group was very compatible and the scenery is magnificent.

The access to the TH requires some careful driving and navigation. Study your route carefully before leaving home and give yourself 90 minutes to drive from Hwy 101 to the TH.

We left the TH promptly at 11:00am and hiked up to the B-17 plane wreck for lunch. After a bit of exploring and some photographs, we returned to the main trail and continued on to the camping area just below the Tubal Cain Mine.

After setting up camp, some of us explored the mine. The mine is dark and wet, but structurally sound. It has about 4 inches of water in several places on the floor and water leaking from the roof. Nonetheless, it is a thrill to explore. Should you choose to do so, I suggest wearing rubber boots, full rain gear, gloves, helmet and a good head lamp. Carry a trekking pole and a hand held light. Yes, that is a lot of extra weight to carry on a hike, but well worth the effort.

Following the excursion to the mine, it was time for dinner and darkness soon followed. Some of us slept better than others, but with 11 hours of darkness, even those of us who slept poorly got enough sleep to be fresh the next morning.

On the second day, after breakfast, most of us set out to hike up to Buckhorn Lake. Looking down at the turnoff to the lake however, it appeared to be not much of a photo-op; so, we passed it by and continued on to the top of the ridge at Buckhorn Pass. It was a good call; as we took the final few steps to the gentle ridge line, the rugged interior of the Olympic Mountains just explodes into view. Lunchtime.

Reluctantly, we turned around and headed back to camp, packed up, and then made our way down to the trailhead. Usually, my tired feet and back are happy to see the parking lot come into view. On this trip however, I felt quite reluctant to see this memorable trip coming to an end.