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Day Hike - Duckabush River

Successful hike to just beyond Big Hump on the Duckabush River Trail. We were hiking in a light drizzle most of the day, but had a good trip.

Marilyn Thompson Marilyn Thompson
May 28, 2022
  • Road rough but passable

  • The Duckabush River Trail is in good condition to Big Hump, with all fallen trees clear and the trail in good shape. Once we started descending from Big Hump, we started encountering a lot of trees over the trail, so we turned around about a half mile short of Five-Mile Camp, our original destination.  A backpacker on the way out reported minimal trouble getting to Five-Mile Camp, but very difficult trail conditions going on to Ten-Mile Camp. 

Our hearty group was not deterred by a light rain and we had a fun day. We hiked to Big Hump and descended about 300 ft. to a stream for our lunch stop. The rhododendron are starting to bloom, and there were still trilliums along the trail. We also saw a couple of bunches of Indian Paintbrush. The Duckabush River was running high and the sections of the trail that ran along the river were beautiful. It was interesting to see all of the new growth in areas impacted by the forest fire several years ago. 

The biggest challenge of the day was the road. The last 3 miles to the trailhead are very rough, with a lot of big potholes. High clearance cars are really best for this stretch of road. The final right turn up to the trailhead is not marked, so drivers need to watch their maps and directions closely.