The hike was very enjoyable due to the weather holding out for us.

The Steam Donkey Trail had muddy spots, but your able to work around them. 

There were a couple trees down across the trail, also able to work around and get over them.

The Salamanders are showing in the Steam Donkey pond which are always a pleasant sight to see. 

There were a couple down trees but pretty easy to handle. Just a little muddy. Great hike and we enjoyed seeing evergreen violets, wild bleeding hearts, white trilliums and more spring flowers.

This is a fun hike! We went clockwise around the loop and we were glad we did. The trail got more interesting as we went. I would recommend taking a picture of the trail map with your phone so you can reference it as there were a few spots where you would have to choose which direction to take. We referenced the map 2 or 3 times as we hiked. Take caution as there were trees down across the trail. Most you can easily walk around, but there was one large tree that we had to climb over. The trail does have a lot of exposed tree roots that you should take care not to step wrong. There were quite a few spots that I stopped to take pictures where water was flowing. It's so beautiful. I highly recommend this hike if you like to get out and get some exercise. The hike took us about an hour and forty five to complete (this was with me stopping to take pictures).

Dosewalips State Park is such a treasure trove of trails, particularly for those of us who live locally and hike there several times a week. With waterfalls, wildflowers, elk and salmon, there is always something to make me smile.  For the past year, I have been concerned about the trail maintenance and am wondering if there is no longer a budget for that. I think about this particularly in the summertime when there are children hiking. So many places on the trail have blackberries and brush overhanging from both sides, making it hard for little people to get through brush as tall as they are and uncomfortable for anyone in shorts.  The overgrown brush also camouflages roots and rocks on the trail creating a tripping hazard. The Izett Grade and the Steam Donkey trail are particularly overgrown. A very large tree fell two years ago that crosses the Rhodie Ridge cut-off trail twice and has hikers creating a new route that is not safe. Are we allowed to use pruning shears in a state park?  It is most tempting and I am willling to help restore/preserve this Brinnon resource.

 Chris Messmer

The Steam Donkey and Maple Valley Trails combine to make a great loop hike on Hood Canal at Dosewallips State Park. There is around 550 feet of elevation gain on the Steam Donkey Trail, but it's not too steep and the trail is in good shape. The short Maple Valley Trail is gorgeous and mostly flat, making it something that many can enjoy even if they can't do the longer Steam Donkey loop.

Watch for occasional roots in the trail, but otherwise the path was obstacle free. Except, that is, for the blowdown we encountered as we neared the campground toward the end of the hike. But with park maintenance facilities located just down the trail, I expect this fallen tree has probably already been cleared.

We hiked with our eight-year-old and dog. At less than an hour and a half of total hiking time, this was a quick one, which makes it ideal if you are driving Hood Canal and don't have time for a longer trail. It's a simple forest hike rather than a "destination" hike, but in spring when the rhododendrons are blooming and new growth is everywhere, a forest hike feels just right.

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