Trip Report
Day Hike - Upper Dungeness River
This day hike on the Upper Dungeness trail to Camp Handy was part of the new Olympic River Rambler series, offered through the Tacoma Hiking & Backpacking Committee.
Marilyn Thompson
- Sat, Apr 27, 2024
- Day Hike - Upper Dungeness River
- Upper Dungeness River
- Day Hiking
- Successful
-
- Road suitable for all vehicles
-
We started from the Upper Dungeness trailhead, which is also the starting point for the trail to Royal Basin. The trail was in excellent condition all the way to Camp Handy. At mile one, we reached the junction to Royal Basin and the first of two sturdy log bridges. The Upper Dungeness trail goes to the left, across the bridge, and follows the Dungeness River all the way to Camp Handy, located at 3.5 miles. There were several small stream crossings, but all were easily crossed, even in early season. The Camp Handy shelter is situated in a large meadow and is a great place for a lunch stop.
Our group met at Sequim Bay State Park and consolidated into three cars for the trip to the Upper Dungeness trailhead. The roads into this area are poorly signed, and a variety of directions from various trail descriptions and trip reports can be confusing. Study maps carefully before you go!
We found our way to the large parking area at the trailhead. This is also the trailhead for Royal Basin in Olympic National Park and is often a busy place, but on this April Saturday there were only two other cars in the parking lot. At one mile we reached the clearly marked junction with the Royal Basin trail. We kept to the left, crossing a sturdy log bridge and following the Dungeness River through a beautiful forest. At about 3 miles we crossed a second bridge and hiked another half mile to Camp Handy. The shelter and meadow at Camp Handy are reached by a short spur trail that goes down to the right. It was fun to see the shelter and explore campsites at Camp Handy. We had lunch and returned by the same trail to the Upper Dungeness trailhead, completing our 7-mile roundtrip hike. If one were to continue up the trail past Camp Handy, the trail climbs to Boulder Shelter and a junction to Marmot Pass.
