This is my new favorite early season hike! Though I've hiked (and camped) in the area many times, somehow I missed this one.There are several creeks besides Big Creek—running full right now—many bridges, and benches all along the way. It's a very well maintained trail, with excellent signage.
Park outside the closed campground gate (several spaces in the lot and plenty of roadside parking when that is full). The trailhead and clean pit toilets are not far beyond the gate.
Trillium are just beginning at lower levels, and I saw a patch of yellow violets at the other end of the loop (done clockwise). Otherwise, no flowers yet. As other reporters have noted, the area took a big hit this winter. Many downed trees and dense branches on the ground. The trail is clear, though. Well done!
I decided to go the additional mile to the viewpoint (all up) and ended up not going quite far enough. The view of Lake Cushman, partly hidden by trees, is not the viewpoint, I learned from another hiker on my retreat. There were clues it wasn't, but the big giveaway I didn't think of was ... no bench. Ah well, next time. My unseasoned legs were tired anyway.
One note, the loop trail passes an offshoot trail to the confluence of three creeks. It looked steep and long. I passed. After the passing the fork to the viewpoint and Mt. Ellinor, the loop passes the other end of that confluence trail. It looked long and steep. I passed. But then there's a third trail to the confluence. It looked not steep and not long. And I was right! And there's a bench, of course. I ate lunch there with the roar.
The end of the loop is the old road, I guess. It's narrower than a road, but boring. Otherwise a fantastic hike. Oh, I got a late start (for me, also I don't usually hike on weekends). At 10:00, there were already several cars, but I didn't see hikers until I started down from the "not the viewpoint," then there were many. Too many cars to count lining the road back at the gate.
Ice cream in Hoodsport! More words coming soon on my blog: www.writingdownthestory.com.
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