From the trailhead, take the Quinault Loop Trail for about one mile where you'll see a blank signboard on the right. (If you reach the turnpike through the Cedar Bog, you've gone too far.) The Willaby Creek trail starts behind the signboard, while the main loop trail curves off to the left.
For years, this was the effective end of the trail. Hikers bushwhacked through salal and sword fern before arriving at a huge tree that had fallen on the trail, blocking further progress.
Now, however, the trail is open all the way to where it intersects with Willaby Creek, thanks to a 2024 Gray Wolves crew's hard work. The trail wends through open old-growth forest. Light filters down through the trees and the sounds of the creek get louder as you get closer to the creek.