A nice easy hike for any day, really. The views of the lake are great all along the trail. I started at the "main" trailhead off East Beach Road - it was 11AM on a gorgeous Sunday and the lot was full, so I parked up the road a bit. The trail itself is pretty well maintained, and once you get past the punchbowl it wasn't terribly crowded. I will say I was a bit disappointed with the bridge and punchbowl, but that might be because of how many people were there - it was difficult to even get over the bridge, as you had to wind your way through the crowd. There's a nicer view of the lake at the 2 mile mark, with a couple nice rocks for sitting in contemplation. The "tunnel"/ cave is a little more than a mile east of the western trailhead (see map below), though you're not going to see it on your way west unless you happen to turn back at the right moment. The trail does not go through it - look for the area where the trail has been relocated away from the lake due to a rock slide, then turn around. Or watch for it on your way back east. Judging by the groups I was walking back through in the later afternoon (and what said groups were doing), it seems like this trail might be a popular place for teens to come on nice days to drink, smoke and party, so an early start is probably better.

I came in from the Log Cabin Resort side of the trail. It's been a couple of years since I've hiked this trail. I was surprised to see that the first half mile or so of the hiking trail had been turned into a wide, graveled path. Completely changed the look of it! I was happy to see the old familiar trail resume. We hiked a little passed Devil's punch bowl and found a nice place for my dog to go swimming in the beautiful clear water. I love this hike. Nothing like walking along Lake Crescent on a sunny summer day!

Today was our first family day hike. We chose this trail based on description. It's a beautiful hike. We walked the first four miles and then turned back. The punchbowl is beautiful and the water is captivating. Keep in mind that if you are wanting to soak your feet or get down to the water your best options are within the first 2 miles. The last 2 miles are still scenic, but the banks are steep. As for hiking with children, I can not stress enough to be very careful in some areas. At times the trail is maybe 2ft wide and shale with one side being a sheer drop off. BTW we only saw a couple pieces of scattered railroad remanence.

The Devil's Bridge and Punchbowl were listed as one of the 12 'must see' attractions on the Olympic Peninsula on a website, so we stopped on our last day on the way home. Because of time constraints, we were only able to hike 3 miles, but seeing the bridge and Punchbowl was worth it! It is an absolutely gorgeous hike with so much to see. One word of caution, our way back we heard screaming along the trail. A dad of a young boy fell head first down an embankment. We were able to help him back up but it really frightened this poor family. Apparently, he hopped from one side of the trail to the other and the embankment was really soft and gave way under his weight. It can be a little tight at places and it is a good reminder to steer clear of the edges. I would love to go back and hike this area again!