We had a wonderful time in the Hoh rainforest. It was my first ever backpacking trip so that made it exciting but also very challenging at times. We did it in 3 nights and 4 days which was a good amount of time but we had to hustle each day to complete anywhere b/t 7-10 miles. There are a few stream crossings where you have to watch your footing but very doable. Trail was in excellent condition. I picked up one piece of trash the entire hike so everyone keep it up!

The first 10 miles are nice and flat, then it starts climbing A LOT. The 30 lb. pack was tough lugging up those never ending switchbacks. The first night we camped at Olympic station which was lovely right by the river. Next night, we camped at Elk Lake, then Olympic station again. Some people we met did the hike in only 2 nights. 

We did a day hike up to see the glacier from Elk Lake which was a steady climb but pleasant day hike overall. Really beautiful views of the mountains and rivers converging into one. Right when we arrived at the ominous ladder to the blue glacier, we stopped and look in the views of Mt. Olympus but did not end up tackling the ladder. It looked pretty sketchy and a man had died of a heart attack the day before on it so that freaked me out. Many people do it so I'd just use your discretion when you arrive given your weight and fitness level. Someone recommended to us that grippy gloves were a good idea so bring those if you plan on attempting the ladder. The views of the mountain were amazing and while I would have liked to go up to the glacier, I was perfectly happy with what we saw. 

Bring bug spray - they are bad in some areas. We had absolutely GORGEOUS weather. It was sunny every day and no rain but I would recommend bringing a rain coat regardless. The mornings were chilly. 

I had an amazing time in the Hoh. Can't wait to go back!

Departed early Monday morning for a 4 day/3 night pack to the Blue Glacier.

• Bugs:  a few mosquitoes/biting flies at Olympus Guard station camp, black flies(nuisance) and mosquitoes at Elk Lake, vicious mosquitoes at lateral moraine!  I elected to not use bug spray since I hat the sticky/stinky for multiple days.  Overall, the bugs were minor nuisance
• Tread:  the trail was in great shape, easy to follow, no blow-downs or other obstructions.  Did encounter work crews at the Olympus guard station and High Hoh Bridge (minor delay here) but they had gone home by the time I hiked out Thursday 
• Water:  There are numerous springs, creeks, rivers, etc. to forage water all the way up to the lateral moraine.  Everyone I talked to was carrying about 1 liter, no need to carry that extra weight!
• Campsites:  Camped at Olympus Guard station - brand new privy's smelled like cedar! ....and Elk Lake.  Had ample sites to choose, there were several campers at each sight but didn't get closed out.  Be aware, there are good river sights at the Guard station, the sites at Elk Lake could be wet/holding water during wet weather, Glacier meadows is just flat spot in trees, I thought it might be more in a meadow or bowl.
• Day Hike:  I learned this the heard way - HIGHLY SUGGEST camping at either Martins Creek or Elk Lake, dropping your gear and doing a day hike to the glacier with a lighter pack.  I've done altitude many times before but something about the vertical gain here that is just exhausting!
• Rope Ladder/Washout:  when you 1st approach, it is a little intimidating as you can't see it until you are there and staring into the abyss.  I think it could be challenging with a huge pack, but its doable and not an "expert level" type of challenge.  NOTE:  I spoke to 2 rangers about the rope ladder, they made it confusing.  Take the rope ladder to near bottom of wash - exit to right w/purple rope-then you are headed uphill/scramble up the wash to rejoin the trail.  The scramble is more difficult up/down than the ladder - the ladder is fun! :)
• Weather:  very fortunate!  Rained all night Sunday night but cleared out Monday and had perfect weather the remainder of the week.  Being from eastern Washington, I kinda forgot about "humidity!"  That was a huge challenge for me!
• Editorial:  I encountered at least 5 groups of families:  mom/dad & daughters, mom & daughter, father&son - these folks filled my heart!  Parenting done right!  Making memories, building confidence in their kids, bonding, creating memories!  Well done parents!!!
• Parking Trailhead/Visitor Center:  I arrived late Sunday/left very early Monday so didn't see the crazy clouds this sight attracts!!!  Parking was an issue if you arrived during normal business hours.  Plan to arrive very early, very late to get a spot in the hiker parking area since you will be leaving your vehicle for a few days.

Truly an incredible hike.  You will get to earn the views you get but the views are just AMAZING!!  Pack light, pace yourself and enjoy an incredible ecosystem in an enchanting place!  #gooutside #havefun !!!!!

I have been to the Hoh rainforest before but this was my first time hiking the full trail all 18+ miles of it - all the way till the Blue glacier lateral moraine.

The trail is mostly flat upto the 12.4 mile camp, beyond which some serious elevation gain begins to Elk Lake and beyond.

We camped overnight at Elk lake the first night. It was a long 15+ mile hike but we took it easy.

The first 9.1 miles upto Olympus Guard station took us around 3.5 hours - this is where we took a break for lunch for about half an hour. From there the last 6 miles to Elk lake took an additional 3.5 hours - because it was much steeper - especially towards the end after you cross the Hoh river high bridge.

On the second day we left Elk lake camp at around 10 am and reached the glacier lateral moraine at around 1pm. It was only 3.5 miles or so, but 2700ft elevation gain and the major obstacle was the washout zone with rope and ladder just before glacier meadows campground. (More on the ladder below)

After glacier meadows you come out into open meadows and then go up a rocky and steep slope (trail easy to find) all the way to the top of the lateral moraine (at the turn off for terminal moraine we kept on going straight towards lateral moraine). The views from the top of the moraine are spectacular. Blue glacier is the most amazingly spectacular glacier I have ever seen outside of Alaska. The up-close views of the peak of Mount Olympus was also very impressive. We got lucky with the weather - it was a cloudy / rainy day in general - but as we got to the top - the clouds actually cleared up and even the sun came out for a while ! This was so worth the 37 mile round trip hike, rope ladder etc.

You can continue along a faint trail that goes along  the ridge line of the lateral moraine up to a point where there are some nice flat rocks to sit and appreciate the views from. there is a rock with a metal bar - possibly remnants of some signage that used to exist there.

On the way back we decided to skip terminal moraine trail since we figured that we had reached a upper viewpoint with better views anyway. That night we had to go back to the Olympus guard station for camping overnight before heading out the following day back to the trail head. 

More on The Rope Ladder Washout :

I am covering this topic in more detail since I was personally quite anxious about going through this stretch after reading previous trip reports (I am afraid of heights in general)..

The first impression of the rope ladder is a little scary - since you are looking down about 100 ft or so inside the washout zone standing at the top of it - and you realize that the ladder rungs are missing for the first 20ft or so - where the rope is your only support down the sketchy looking slope ! However, once you get hold of the rope and step into the slope you realize that it is not bad at all - the rope is a pretty solid climbing rope and wearing gloves - there was no chance of any slippage - even the slope was fine to walk on - loose dirt and rocks - but as long as you keep your hands on the rope you would feel just fine. Most importantly - you go both down and up facing the slope - so you do not need to look down much. It is actually possible to not use the ladder at all and just use the rope to rappel down !

Once you reach the ladder rungs you can go sideways to get your footing on the ladder - that way you gain even more stability. Once on the ladder it is theoretically possible to use the ladder only with your hands and legs, but I felt much better by hanging on to the rope and stepping down the ladder. You might need to yank the rope towards the ladder since it is aligned towards the right of the ladder during your initial descent. Towards the bottom of the slope where the ladder abruptly ends you would need to switch over to a different rope and go down a smaller slope to the right - which is only 20-25 feet - not bad at all. Overall, the rope ladder experience is actually quite fun - but do keep in mind that if there are other people ahead of you - there will be a wait time since it is one at a time on the rope (to prevent a person above you launching loose rocks that come down towards you!). In our case we had 6 people ahead of us both while going down and up - and it turned out to be almost a half hour wait to get on the ladder !

My friends and I spent 5 days and 4 nights on the Hoh River Trail up to Blue Glacier. We opted to take a full day to enjoy the glacier, and it was definitely worth the extra day.

Day 1 was a gentle trek to Olympus Guard Station. The rainforest was on full display, with beautiful moss draping the trees and fields of moss. Nearing the station, the flora transitioned to grasslands and birch trees, which surprised me. Being a Tuesday, we barely saw a soul that night, but fair warning, the horse flies here are very aggressive and biting. An unfortunate negative note to an otherwise beautiful site.

Day 2 we continued our hike up to Glacier Meadows. Things definitely started drying out as we ascended, and transitioned to the more familiar, drier Washington forest, and then alpine region. This was a sweaty, moderately difficult climb, but there were plenty of salmon berries to snack on the way up.

Note, right before Glacier Meadows, is the trail washout. If you have little climbing experience, as I do, prepare yourself mentally. While the ladder itself isn't hugely difficult, there is little margin for error and significant danger if you were to fall. I would recommend only those in good physical condition with decent upper body strength attempt this with a loaded pack. I was thankful for the leather gloves I brought. I've included pictures of the descent and ascent below.

In camp that night a grouse hen and her chicks strutted about camp for a bit, and a very curious doe strolled right through our campsite. Also there was a very aggressive chipmunk who kept on trying to jump into my open pack, presumably for food.

Day 3 we ascended to the glacier. First off, if you only have time for one trail, pick Lateral Moraine. Terminal Moraine leads to a beautiful view at the foot of the glacier, but Lateral brings you to an even more stunning view of the entire glacier. The Lateral Trail is a steep climb up an exposed scree field, so plan for baking sun or strong weather depending on your forecast.

The view is absolutely worth it. Pictures do not do it justice.

Day 4 & 5 we descended back to the trailhead. Unfortunately Olympus Guard Station was pretty crowded as it was Friday, and I had to go ask a large group of teenagers to keep it down well after sundown.

We happened upon a llama train on the way down, which was an unusual delight, and thankfully avoided rain until Day 5. It really came down, and I felt bad for the groups just starting their trip.

All in all this was a fantastic trip and I would highly recommend this as a first long backpacking trip for anyone.

OK it is time for some truth-telling.

We hiked the Hoh River trail 8/5-8/9, camping at 5 Mile, Lewis, and Happy 4.

First off, this is a beautiful rainforest hike, and the first 5 miles or so get a lot of use by day trippers from the visitor center. There is a lot to see.

The rainforest is beautiful as you would find anywhere.

5 Mile and Happy 4 campsites are along the river. They’re both scenic, and the river water offers a good source for cooking and drinking water. But please know that it is glacial water – a bit silty – so be prepared to clean your filter often. 5 Mile has a (not very privy) privy and serviceable bear wire, but note that the NPS discourages use of bear wires and is promoting the use of bear cannisters which are a bit more reliable. Happy 4 did not seem to have either privy or a bear wire, perhaps explaining why it is less used.

We saw no bears or even bear sign, but did see multiple coyotes working the area. According to the rangers, they are reportedly very crafty and bold, and the moment your back is turned they’ll take whatever you have, food or clothing. No doubt the day trippers are inadvertently training them to see us hikers as good food sources! So please scare them away if you see them. We did, and they never bothered us after that.

Olympus Ranger Station seems a nice campsite, and is being re-shingled and new windows are being put in, so be advised that there are work crews there during the day. The side creek at the ranger station is a good source of clear drinking water.

Lewis campground, when we were there, had some issues. First, the deeper channel of the Hoh runs at the far side of the river bottom, so obtaining water requires a scramble across the gravel bar of about 10 minutes walking. Second, when we were at the Lewis site it was being used as the basecamp for the walk up to the Blue Glacier moraine by several large groups. I would estimate that there were perhaps 40-50 people camped there the night we stayed. One group in particular, packed in by Llamas, was quite loud and inconsiderate, and after camping one night in the meadow at the designated group site, decided it would be cooler to take several of the smaller individual sites closer to the river bed. These campsites at the (now dry) river bed are quite close together – one every 10 yards or so, and while many people were polite, a few seemed to not be aware of their effects on everyone else. We felt like we were at a frat party. It may be that this has become an ‘Instagram Trail,” as many people did not seem like the types we normally see backpacking.

Frankly the noise and crowding put us off so much that we abandoned our plans to go up the trail further.

Secondhand, we heard that there were queues to go up and down the ‘avalanche bridge’ between Martin’s creek and Glacier Meadows. With our experience and those images, we decided that this was not our type of trail/destination.