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Trip Report    

Day Hike - Lower Big Quilcene

Six of us enjoyed this lovely hike enjoying Mother Earth and celebrating Mother's Day along the beautiful Big Quilcene River.

Diann Sheldon Diann Sheldon
May 16, 2025
  • Road rough but passable

  • There were some potholes on the dirt road sections but passable for any vehicle. Navigation can be tricky on these forest service roads. Note that Google Maps isn't always accurate.

Everyone was eager to enjoy this wonderful trail under partly cloudy skies and perfect hiking temps. There was one car at the TH when we arrived and another that came in as we prepared to hike. The vault toilet was clean but lacking tp.

This is a great trail with a luscious forest and many wildflowers right now. The rhododendrons are just getting started. We saw lots of trilliums still and in fresher stages as we gained elevation. Wild ginger, salmonberry, strawberry and huckleberry blooms were abundant.

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We hiked to Camp Jolly and enjoyed lunch with the sound of the Big Quilcene River. We saw a few families who had camped at Bark Shanty as we were hiking in. It is so fun to see young backpackers leaving with big smiles and bragging rights! The journey up and back to Camp Jolly was just under 11 miles with 1,080 feet of elevation gain. It took our group 5.5 hours with stops.

Everyone enjoyed the gentle rolling elevation of this trail and obvious trail work that had been done already this year.