A perfect trail for a warm summers day which is exactly what we had today. This trail is undeniably steep and will certainly be hard for anyone who is not used to climbing over 1000 feet per mile, but offers pretty quick access to some stunning Olympic high country. Trail stats for this trail are not listed on the WTA page, but according to SARTopo the route to Tyler Peak and back is around 7 miles roundtrip with about 3,100 feet of total elevation gain.
First off, the Forest Road to get to the trailhead is long and rough taking around 45 minutes, with the final turnoff to the trailhead containing easily a few dozen massive potholes. You won't be taking a Prius to this hike, but as long as you're in a sturdy car or SUV and take it slow, you should be fine. The trail itself has no obstacles, apart from route-finding and the final 100 foot climb to the summit. The first section climbs straight up by way of some incredibly tight switchbacks through some mossy subalpine forest. The second section, which starts at about 4000 feet, is level and traverses through denser forest, with a pretty creek to refill water by or take a break on. After the creek, the climbing resumes, and at about 5300 feet, the trail breaks above treeline, and the views are nonstop from here to the top of Tyler Peak. Just before reaching the ridge crest, at about 5800 feet, you will reach a pretty obvious junction, where the trail to Baldy turns to the left, while the trail to Tyler continues to the right. The next mile or so is mostly level, easy hiking, meandering along the ridge crest with constant stunning views of the Dungeness River Valley on one side and the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the other. There are a couple sections where the trail becomes faint, and one where the trail disappears entirely for a couple dozen yards, but I set up a couple decent sized cairns on the other side of the gap that should be pretty easy to spot. Finally you will reach the final 400 foot climb to the summit, which looks somewhat intimidating from the saddle below but is hardly more than super steep hiking once you get on it. Once you pass through the steepest section, through a small band of rock, you will be on the summit, with breathtaking 360 degree views of every peak in the northern Olympics, as well as an airplane view of the Salish Sea and northern Puget Sound, and even the peaks of the North Cascades and Canada on a clear day. We even spotted a Golden Eagle circling directly overhead on the peak. Over the first 4 hours of hiking we only came across one other group, and on the return we spotted 2 other groups, but those were the only people we came across all day on a sunny Sunday.
In conclusion, if you're ready for a long and bumpy drive to the trailhead, a steep and challenging climb for 3,000 feet, and getting well off the beaten path, then this trail/route will reward you with stunning views and solitude.
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