June Hikes: 3.5 to 6 miles, 400 to 1,500 feet gain - Dosewallips River/Abandoned National Park Road

overview

Join us for a 5.4mi hike along a shady, mossy former road next to the Dosewallips River in Olympic National Forest! Our goal for this hike will be to get outside and enjoy a morning on the Olympic Peninsula while returning to the trailhead safely. We will plan to do introductions and orientation at 8:00, then hit the trail. My hike style is social, but destination-focused and I encourage getting to know your fellow hikers. I am happy to stop for photos and plant identification, but ask that folks keep up with the group. We will hike as a loose group (everyone remains within eyesight) at a pace of 1.5-2mph. We will plan to stop for a snack and a mindfulness activity at the former campground.

Hike description

We’ll hike east along the abandoned Dosewallips River Road for 2.7mi until we reach the turnoff for the Elkhorn Dispersed Campground. The trail has a gentle grade aside from the site of the road washout at about one mile in. This section has multiple switchbacks and adds about 100ft of elevation each way, poles will be helpful here. We should finish hiking in 4 hours. After the hike, participants are invited to join me for coffee and Olympic Mountain Ice Cream at Hoodsport Coffee Company!

My Expectations

• Arrive on time and ready to hike.
• Speak up when you need a break, a party separation, clothing adjustment, or need a pace change. 
• Be supportive of your fellow hikers and look out for one another.
• Follow Leave No Trace (LNT) principles.

Additional Info & Map

• Keep in mind when registering that this hike is 2+ hours from Seattle and may require taking a ferry. 
• See a map of the route here: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/custom-routes/custom-route-dosewallips-river-road-trail-8a0d803?u=i&sh=gjl444
• More information about the full trail can be found here: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/dosewallips-river
• Elevation profile for our hike: