Tunnel Creek #841
Jul 15, 2004
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Tunnel Creek
- Region: Olympics -- East
- Agency: Olympic National Forest, Quilcene Ranger District
- Trails: Tunnel Creek (#841)
- Avg Rating: 3.12
- Be Aware Of
- Bugs
We had hiked this a couple of years ago but the weather was such that we never saw Mt. Constance or any other views due to extensive clouds. This was not a problem yesterday! It was a beautiful day for wonderful vistas. The hike begins in the woods and parallels the creek for close to 3 miles. The trail then crosses the creek shortly after the shelter. While the trail is a steady uphill until this point, the real fun begins after crossing the creek. It's a steady thigh burner as the trail climbs steeply for another mile or so up past Karnes and then Harrison Lakes. Mt. Constance comes into view shortly after Harrison Lake but don't stop yet. It's worth the effort to keep climbing until you reach the ridge and 50-50 Pass. At this point you will be treated to magnificent views of the Hood Canal, Mt. Jupiter, Mt. Constance, The Brothers and even Puget Sound if the visibility is as good as it was for us yesterday. Just prior to reaching the ridge there is a path that goes off to the right(this path is not marked on the Green Trail Map). If your legs are still able to climb some more take this path up to the highest rock promontory. It's another half mile, approximately, and very steep but it's well worth the effort. You will be rewarded with flowers and a magnificent 360 degree view and you will definitely feel like King, or Queen, of the Mountain. We ate lunch and soaked up the view at this high point then reluctantly retraced our steps back to the trailhead and our car. The trail back down is equally as tough on the knees as it is on the thighs when climbing upward. Be kind to your legs and take a healthy dose of ibuprofin before and after this hike! The total mileage to the ridge, up to the rock promontory and back down is about 9-10 miles. The trail is in good shape. We did not encounter flowers until we were at 5000 feet and above. There was a nice breeze up on the high rock ridge that kept the bugs away but we did need bug repellant for the walk through the woods. This trail is typically described in the hiking books as a one way hike beginning at the Tunnel Creek trailhead, hiking to the pass and then going on down the other side to another trailhead down on the Dosewallips River Road. This might be nice if you have a second car and someone willing to meet you on the other side but it's a great hike to the pass and then back down again as I've described.
Document Actions
- Email this page
- Print this
- Share
Forgot your
New user?
