Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Craig Romano/The Mountaineers Books South Fork Hoh River - Big Flat
Featured In:
Day Hiking: Olympic Peninsula,
by Craig Romano.
A portion of all book sales from the links above benefits WTA and helps protect and maintain our trails. The trail starts in Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) land that has been intensively logged over the decades. Through scrappy trees choked in mosses, drop down to a flat outwash area. Cross numerous streams in various stages of flow and after 0.5 mile reach the national park boundary. Now we're talking trees-real old trees, real big trees. Pass a monstrous Sitka spruce recently laid to rest by a winter storm. Climb onto a bench, pause and look around in bewilderment. Do you feel small? Gargantuan Doug-firs, western hemlock, and Sitka spruce tower above you like skyscrapers in an ecotopian Manhattan. At 1 mile you'll come to a crashing creek that may prove tricky to cross after a heavy rain. Continuing under a canopy of ancient giants, the trail drops to a lush bottomland known as Big Flat. At 1.3 miles you'll come to a backcountry campground. A side path diverts right, leading to open gravel banks on the South Fork Hoh. The main trail continues left through grassy swales and alongside colonnades of maples. At 2.25 miles, past more impressive spruce trees, the trail finally greets the river. Soon a large washout is encountered, but the trail has been rerouted around it. Cross a lazy side creek on a sturdy log. Ten minutes beyond, about 3 miles from your start, the trail abruptly ends. The South Fork in one of its winter huffs lopped off a huge part of its bank, taking a good piece of trail with it. More tread can be picked up farther upstream, but some difficult bushwhacking is required to get to it. Instead, plop down on the nice grassy bank before you and let the solitude serenade you.
Driving Directions:
From Forks travel south on US 101 for 14.5 miles. Drive 2 miles beyond the Hoh River Bridge and turn left onto the Clearwater Road at milepost 176 (signed "Clearwater-Hoh State Forest"). Proceed on this paved road for 6.9 miles to a junction. Turn left onto Owl Creek Road (signed for the South Fork Hoh Trail and campground). In 2.3 miles bear right onto Maple Creek Road, following signs for the campground. After 5.4 miles cross the South Fork Hoh River and pass the campground entrance. Continue for another 2.3 miles, bearing right at an unmarked junction. In 0.5 mile the road ends at the trailhead (unsigned as of spring 2006). Recent Trip Reports
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South Fork Hoh River - Big Flat
— Jun 29, 2011
— MrGnome
Multi-night backpack
Issues:
Blowdowns | Mudholes
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We started up the South Fork Hoh trail early in the morning after camping at the trailhead. My party...
We started up the South Fork Hoh trail early in the morning after camping at the trailhead. My party planned to bushwhack up to the Valhallas over the course of two days, so we hurried through the maintained portion of the trail. We were surprised to find it in much better shape than some reports (and the WTA guidebook) indicated. The trail currently extends all the way across Big Flat and into the next flat, where maintained trail now ends (ca. 4.1 miles). We followed a good fishermen's path for another 0.3 miles before leaving trail for good. After smashing through the salmonberries, we reached open glades which led to a pair of long river bars connected by a good elk trail. Around 1.1 miles after the trail's end, the easy gravel bars ended and we made the mistake of attempting to thrash through the slide alder and downed timber filling a side channel of the river. We eventually regained big timber and bushwhacked for another mile, where we made the same mistake. By this point, we were completely soaked from the wet brush and intermittent rain. Finally, we found a log jam around 2.5 miles from the trail and made our way onto a large gravel bar to camp.
The next morning, the weather was worse and one of our party was sick. We weathered in place for the day before returning to our car in two leisurely days. Although we failed our objective, we did learn an important point about bushwhacking on the South Fork: don't be rigid in your route-finding. Our initial strategy was to stick as close to the river as possible in hopes of finding gravel bars. However, this mostly caused us to bypass open glades in favor of brushy riverbanks. On the way back, we tried the opposite strategy. This proved equally challenging, as we found ourselves clambering over massive logs on a steep hillside. The best policy is to follow the route of least resistance while keeping an eye out for the (often excellent) elk trails. I would definitely recommend this bushwhack in dry weather for fishermen or people who want to see the rainforest without the company of hordes of other people. Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Mudholes | Water on trail
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Directions to the TH are in Craig Romano's book,"Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula". Just before you reach the South Fork ...
Directions to the TH are in Craig Romano's book,"Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula". Just before you reach the South Fork Hoh CG entrance bear left and drive past the entrance. 3 girls in front of us and we made the mistake of going straight and went only a few yards to find the road washed out. The first half mile is on DNR land which has been heavily logged throughout the years, however, the forest is still beautiful with its large stumps,mosses, ferns, and many forest flowers. At .5 miles you enter ONP and begin seeing very large and very old trees--Douglas firs, western hemlock, and Sitka Spruce. At 1.3 miles you reach Big Flat a pretty meadow with large trees and a path to the right which takes you to gravel bars on the South Fork Hoh. We were unable to go very far as the trail became a stream with water above our boots so we returned to the main trail At 2.25 miles you reach the river. Soon the trail climbs to go around a large washed out area. There was a creek crossing that stopped me, but Bob went at least another 1/2 mile and never got to the end of the trail. He said there were beautiful meadows with large trees including Big Leaved maples. We will return again when we have time to go to the end of the trail as this is a very beautiful area. It rained lightly all day with a few heavy showers so the trail was very muddy with streams flowing in many parts. We met a back country ranger hiking the trail on his day off and 3 girls who went only to the river. There were many flowers--foamflower, youth-on-age,bunchberry,Queen's Cup, one flower pyrola, yellow monkey-flower to name a few.
Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns
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The roads to the trailhead are in excellent shape and easy to follow. But the trail has lots of blow-down,...
The roads to the trailhead are in excellent shape and easy to follow. But the trail has lots of blow-down, starting right at the trail registry, and a really tough creek to cross a ways past Big Flat. A slip, and you're in to your waist. Even if you don't slip, you're probably going to be in over your boots.
South Fork Hoh River #19
— Jan 05, 2006
— Zachary Oliver
Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns | Clogged drainage | Mudholes | Washouts | Water on trail
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On December 31st, a day after our hike to Third Beach, my family and I left our motel in Forks,...
On December 31st, a day after our hike to Third Beach, my family and I left our motel in Forks, WA and headed out to the South Fork of the Hoh River. Finding the trailhead was an adventure of its own. I am not sure if parking at the trailhead is free but we didn't have a pass when we parked. We were the only vehicle at the trailhead. From the parking area, follow the unmarked trail as it drops into a forested basin where past logging activity is noticable. The path will parallel an old forest road before it crosses a creek. At 0.5 mile you will enter Olympic National Park, marked by a sign on the right. Keep on the main trail as it rises a small hill to a trail registry on the left. Just past this registry a sign on your right will inform you that it is another 0.9 mile to Big Flat and 2.9 miles to the end of the maintained trail. The trail from this point to Big Flat is adequately maintained and crosses multiple creeks before arriving at Big Flat marked by a sign near your feet on the right. From here the trail conditions went drastically downhill and we were forced to find detours around swamp like conditions, two foot deep puddles, fallen trees and washouts. Near the end of the trail and consequentially the back end of Big Flat, the path opens out into small grassy fields underneath huge moss draped old-growth trees. At 3.4 miles the maintained trail comes to an end near the river itself. This spot is not marked with a sign but there were numerous brightly colored ribbons tied to the trees indicating that people began choosing their own path. I was able to complete the hike wearing shorts and gore-tex pants, a t-shirt with a gore-tex shell and the occasional application of a fleece windstopper. My feet became a little wet as a few of the puddles were impossible to avoid. I would suggest packing along gaiters or high legged rubber boots and be prepared for blow-downs and washouts. The dirt road to the trailhead was clear of all obstacles. The weather was overcast with light rain at times.
South Fork Hoh River #19
— Dec 28, 2004
— Drew W
Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns
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The bright sunshine was my only companion on this beautiful day hike into the rain forest. I arrived at...
The bright sunshine was my only companion on this beautiful day hike into the rain forest. I arrived at the trailhead mid-morning despite some ice on Hwy 101 south of Forks, and opted to trust the sun and stuff my raingear in my pack. The trail was surprisingly tidy and neat, although after the initial descent from the parking lot it crosses a rock-strewn stream bed that could turn an inattentive ankle. Fortunately, a distinct trail quickly resumes, and the first mile or so to the Olympic National Park boundary is a joy: wet, green and clean. Two stream crossings are necessary once in the Park: both were running high and clear, although the second was a bit tricky, involving more than a few hops. After this stream, a large blow-down obscures the trail completely, but careful navigation around and over the tree is possible, and easier than the stream! Finally, the trail descends to an area nearer the river that is signed the ""Big Flat."" The rest of the hike was a lazy stroll, and I took my time listening to the water run, watching the steam rise from the evergreens, and stepping around mudholes. After a slow hike to the end of the trail, I returned to the trailhead at a slug's pace, happy to prolong my time in the sun-filled rain forest. |
Hoh River. Photo by Ro Hoh.
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