Things to Do
Duckabush River Trail in Brinnon
This 5 mile trail is very scenic and you will enjoy the sight and sounds of the rushing river. The lush rainforest ecology here is due to the annual 140 inches of rainfall, upriver in the Olympic Mountains!
The beautiful Duckabush Valley has been very geologically active and bears many marks of glaciers. You will see huge glacially deposited moss-covered boulders left by the Duckabush Glacier during the last Ice Age. Thousands of years later, an old logging railroad early in the twentieth century was used here to drag out huge old-growth trees, mostly Douglas Fir, Madrone and Maple. Rusty logging cables and a few old rails lie beside the trail to tell their tale. Children can still find and touch them. The first 2½ miles of this trail are gentle enough for children, and are lush with forest ferns, moss, flowers, and berries.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/olympic/recreation-nu/trails/Duckabush.pdf
Getting there — On U.S. Route 101, about 15 miles south of Quilcene or 37 miles north of Shelton, turn at milepost 310 onto Duckabush River Road (Road 2510), signed Duckabush Recreation Area. Continue 6 miles (the first 3.5 miles are paved). Pass Collins Campground at 5 miles, pass a horse unloading area and then turn right on Road 2510-060 (This is a small sign on your right) to the trailhead and facilities, elevation about 440 feet.
Duckabush River Trail: Take FS Road #2510 for 6 miles to FS Road #2510-060 and the trailhead. At trailhead: vault toilet, parking, registration, wilderness permit box for Olympic National Park. Access Park trail via USFS Wilderness Trail #803, which includes 1,000 foot ascent over Big Hump. River Ford at Upper Duckabush can be hazardous to cross in spring and early summer. The grade gets steeper in climb to subalpine headwaters at Marmot Lake and then O’Neil Pass. Marmot Lake 201 miles; O’Neil Pass 21.3 miles from USFS Duckabush Trailhead. National Park overnight fees required. Trail Park pass required. For more info, call Wilderness Information Center: 360-452-0300, Hood Canal Ranger Station: 360-877-5254; Staircase Ranger Station: 360-877-5569.
The first mile or so climbs gently past the Brothers Wilderness boundary. Then it makes it way down to the roaring Duckabush River. After a short stretch along the river, we made our way towards Big Hump. The high point of Big Hump is at about 1700 feet. This is the steepest part of the run. Beyond Big Hump we followed the meandering trail through pristine virgin forest. This section of the trail is gently rolling and it gradually makes its way down to 5-mile campground. 5-mile campground sits along the impressive rapids of the Duckabush. We snapped some photos and decided it was time to start our reverse run back to Big Hump and down to the trail head. (Special note for motivated mountain runners: You can continue past 5-mile campground for 17 more miles all the way to O’Neil Pass, elevation 4950 feet.)
You are very near the start of an advanced Duckabush River 21-mile backpacking hike into the mountains, for more info about that adventure see Trails.com:
http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGW136-038
Murhut Falls Trail in Brinnon
This magical Olympic National Forest trail in the Duckabush Recreation Area is just 1.4 miles in length, but it takes you into another world. It leads to a very high woodland waterfall that will captivate photographers and hikers with it’s beauty and thundering power. The 130-foot-tall waterfall spills over the top of the highest ledge, drops, then levels off in a plunge pool, and then hurtles down again to steam and settle down again in the valley below.
This is a great hike for a hot summer day with it’s cool canyon breezes, shade, and spray to cool you. The trail was once a logging road, which has recovered nicely from those days. In spring huge native rhododendrons and tiny umbrella ferns bloom along the shady trail.
The drive out to the trailhead is not too steep but the road may have many deep potholes. Go slow! No toilet or drinking water at the trailhead.
CAUTION: Trail is very narrow and has a steep plunge off one side down to the steep canyon below! Hold on to children’s hands here. Pets on leash only.
For more information and good directions, click on this official park info (PDF)
Also visit the Murhut Falls page on GORP website.
Or at Trails.com: http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGW049-160
Ranger Fishing Hole Trail and Interrorem Cabin in Brinnon
Take a firsthand look at history from 100 years ago at Ranger Hole Trail. The hike is just 1.6 total miles, mostly flat, but very steep down to the river. Moderate difficulty. Views of waterfalls can be seen from Ranger Hole, so named because rangers posted at the guard station used to fish for Steelhead there in the deep river “hole”.
There is a small picnic area and toilet at the trailhead. A Northwest Forest Pass or Interagency Pass (Annual, Senior or Access) is needed to park at the trailhead.
The trail here at the historic Ranger Fishing Hole has two parts and will really appeal to children—one part features the historic ranger’s cabin and signs telling about life in the early 1900s, and another part leads to a stunning overlook of a loud white-water rapid of the gorgeous pristine Duckabush River. An abundance of ferns and mosses along the way provide a lush understory of plants in a conifer stand of trees.
Directions: South of the town of Brinnon, take Forest Service Road #2510, 4 miles to the end of pavement. Ranger Hole Trail is on the left, near the vintage Interrorem Cabin.
This is the very first ranger station serving the Olympic Forest, built in 1906. The square three-room cabin with a pyramidal roof later was a Depression era WPA and CCC station, and then a fire guard station; today it is available for rent by families. For rental info, contact Hoodsport Ranger Station for information at (360) 877-5254 or reserve online with Reserve America.
HAZARD WARNING: The Duckabush river contains swift water, rapids and waterfalls. River is not floatable. Use extreme caution in or near the water and supervise children closely at all times.
For much more info, please visit:
http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGW049-158
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/olympic/recreation-nu/trails/RangerHole.pdf
Terrace Loop hike along Dosewallips River in Brinnon
Terrace Loop hike is 1.5 long. This trail begins and ends 100 yards from the Dosewallips Ranger Station on the Dosewallips River trail. The beautiful Dosewallips River is accessible along this 1.5 mile trail.
Side note: Dosewallips Road is washed out and is closed further along the road, approx. 5 miles from the park boundary.
Directions to the Ranger Station and Trailhead: From Brinnon, Drive north on Highway 101 to Dosewallips River Road, number 2610. Turn westward (left) on to Dosewallips River Road and travel 15 miles to the ranger station and trailhead. The last portion of the road is narrow and steep. It may be slippery when wet.
The full Dosewallips River Trail starts at the same place. The full hike is strenuous and is 14 miles long, for a much more advanced outing! More info about the full trail: http://trails.gorp.com/Main-Fork-Dosewallips-6386
Dosewallips State Park is a 425-acre, year-round camping park with saltwater shoreline on Hood Canal and freshwater shoreline on either side of the Dosewallips River. See more information about this amazing place on it’s official web page:
http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=Dosewallips