First hike in quite a while and a perfect day to be out! I was originally hoping to make this a combo with the Ranger Hole and Murhut Falls trails in Olympic National Forest since they are so close by but signage at the trailheads said they are still closed so chose to respect that and skip them for now. Tagging them as well in case anyone had plans to head there.

Got to the parking lot at Dosewallip State Park around 9:15, only one other car in the lot. Restrooms were freshly cleaned with plenty of soap and sanitizer. Opted for the 3.5 mile loop and didn't run into anyone at all the whole time on the trails. There were some people in the lots and campground roads but easy to keep 6' apart since the area is wide open. I put a mask on whenever I had to go near anyone else but noticed that no one else was wearing one so just be aware if you are planning to go out.

Planned to take the trail along the beach as well but there were a large number of cars in the lot when I walked up to it around 11:00 and also signage noting that there was a Tribal clam harvest occurring so I opted to skip it and not put anyone at risk since it seemed like it could be crowded.

Beautiful and peaceful day in the woods; no elk in the park but I did pass a large herd on my back home south on 101. 

True meaning of isolation was felt today on this hike. We only saw 2 people on the actual hikes we did ( maple valley and steam donkey loop). However there quite a few camper homes with folks at the base of the trailhead at the campground. Easy hike but it had its few fallen trees and a few muddy patches. We parked at the ranger station, walked to the toilets on site which are super convenient and then began our hike into the forest creek filled greenery. Different type of hike for us but we enjoyed it. 

Our family headed out here for a short day hike and really enjoyed it! My 6 yr old was able to do the 3 miles on his own easily. We started on the Maple Valley Trail and continued on to the Steam Donkey Trail taking the Rhody Cut-off to make it back to our car. The trails were all very well-marked and easy to follow. There was just a bit of mud, but nothing that made the hike difficult. Going counterclockwise was a wise decision too as we got the steepest walking done right away. The elk herd was in the campground all afternoon as well.

We took a nice wander around the trails at Dosewallips. We took the Steam Donkey Trail to the Maple Valley Loop and then wandered down to the beach trail after lunch at the Geoduck. 

The trail is overall in good condition, with the exception of a number of trees down across. The most significant was on the Maple Valley section, where the crown of a tree had landed on the trail, so it was taking up quite a bit of space. 

The slowed us down slightly, but it was passable. (Also, I'm a bit late filing this trip report, so it's possible it's been cleared by now.)

As for the beach part of the trail, I should say we didn't actually make it there. We didn't start in the parking lot for the beach trail. We actually started in the other lot, on the south side of the bridge. We walked north and then across the bridge. Be sure to look to the east when you are on the bridge. There's an active bald eagle nest.

From the bridge, we headed toward the water but only went a little way down the trail because it was knee keep with water. After the recent rain, it's probably even worse.

All in all, a lovely wander. And the Geoduck is always great for lunch. Love that place. 

Nice, fun little trail to hike with the dogs. Weather was good.